Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-06-22
LIQUOR in Charleston.

Liquor IN SndTleStoH.
In spite of all the efforts of the gov
ernor to prosecute the illegal liquor
sellers Of Charleston and the making
of numerous cases against the alleged
tigers, the grand jury on last Friday
endorsed mo bill' on seventeen in
dictments, and true bill on one indict-
ment.
The one case in which a true bill
was returned was that against the only
negro included in the list, and the So
licitor promptly declined to prosecute
that case.
This incident Is merely a repetition
Of a similar experience that occurred
back in the early Reform days, short
ly after the original dispensary law
went into effect. After the constables
had spent months working up cases
against the various Illicit liquor SELL
ers, the grand jury promptly returned
no bill in each and every case.
The presiding judge, Moore Of Lam
caster, had in charging the grand jury
with regard to liquor sellers and 9TH
er matters, presumed to suggest that
grand jurors remember that Charles
ton is q part of South Carolina and to
act accordingly. After the grand jury
replied as indicated above, the judge
very tamely remarked that 1t was not
his business to inquire into or criticise
the reasons that had determined the
jurors in their action.
1t is fact that Notwithstanding all
the efforts that have been made to
curtail the illegal liquor traffic in
Charleston, that traffic goes on just
the same and virtually without inter-
ference. 1t is true, as Mayor Grace
reported to Governor Manning not
long ago, that the Charleston hotel
and two or three other places cut out
bars; but it is not at all certain that
the owners Of these bars ceased busi-
ness elsewhere. On the contrary there
is no good reason for believing other
wise than that such places as were
closed were merely closed as a kind
Of joking recognition of the govern
er's orders.
The Enquirer has it from people
who have been there and who know
of their own knowledge, that the
liquor sellers of Charleston, as a
whole, have never even made any
show Of quitting. The places along
King, Queen, Meeting. and in fact all
the principal streets, are just as wide
open as ever, and whoever wants a
glass of beer, drink of brandy. wine,
whisky or any other alcoholic bever-
age, can get it almost wherever he
likes, and with almost the same free
dom and ease as in New York city.
Some years ago during the admins
tration Of Governor Ansel, the writer
hereof was a guest at a fish supper in
an upstairs restaurant, and in connec-
ton with the supper there was served
large quantities of draught beer.
Charlestonians at the table called the
attention of the writer to the fact that
Gus" the man who was selling and
serving the beer was the same man
who had been enjoined by the supreme
court against further violation of the
law, and he was paying no more at
tention to the injunction than if it
had never been issued.
The conditions in Charleston with
regard to the sale of liquor are virtu-
ally the same as they were at the time
referred to.
AS to the refusal Of the grand jury
to do its duty in this matter, there is
very little to say, except that in
Charleston, as in many other parts of
the state. grand juries as we'll as petit
juries are drawn more with reference
to how they will act with regard to
certain matters than with reference
to other considerations-and like Of
ficers who have charge of the making
up of the jury boxes, so like the juror
drawn from those boxes
AS matters stand in Charleston now,
grand jury is more apt to present
the governor for interfering with the
liquor sellers than it is to present
liquor sellers for plying their vocation,
and that is about all there is to it.
If there is any way to break up the
liquor business in Charleston. except
by putting the city under martial law.
we do not know it, and as long as the
issue remains one of trying to prevent
the people from conducting a business
which the state claims the right to
conduct. we have not got great deal
of confidence in the efficacy of mar
tial law.