The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-12

ecutive's Office who will see to It that
what is law for Anderson county rs
also law for Charleston county. Why
cannot law be inforced by a central
government? Has not the chief exec
utive power to enforce any and all law ?
Are we TO admit hat any county or
any section can aside any law? If
the prohibition law. why not any
other? Why cannot any county defy
the central government We admit
that this has been done In effect, but
we feel sure that Governor Manning
Will see 10 it that even Charleston
obeys some Of the laws of the State
According TO the history OF the past
few years. that county has been law
unto itself. and especially In the mat
ter OF liquor laws. Tn. era will end
soon, we opine. and Charleston will
again be annexed to South Carolina. :"
But. the enforcement OF the law, IL
South Caroline votes Statewide prohi.
bition. does not bother us in the least.
The editor OF The Intelligencer was
recently at the town of st. Matthews
on Monday morning. and went down
to the police court to see the ofrenders
rounded up. It appeared that half the
town were present to take part in the
proceedings. 1t was learned that at
the dispensaries the Saturday before
there had been sold approximately
$4,000 worth OF liquor. The result was
In this town OF 1900 persons, there
were more thar O score OF offenses
against the law to he tried. In Ander-
son. more than ten times as large an
st. Matthews, on the same morning,
there were not q half dozen cases all
told. Orangeburg dispensariss sold
during December over $4,000 worth
OF liquors. OF course all this was not
sold to the citizens Of these two coun-
ties, and this is the very thing we
tshonld provide against-tho corrupt.
Ing influences OF liquor being sold over
the lines. In otNer words, the nullifi-
cation Of the local option exercised
by adjoining counties which are not
allowed to 60 dry" because of the
"wst" counties on their border.
The News and Courier says:
The Anderson Intelligencer, which
iavors prohibition. confesses neyerthe-
less to some doubts as to the pronosed
referendum. 1t 10 afraid the iiouor
people would spend thousands OF dol
lars in the effort to defeat Statewide,
prohibition. and It breads the tiebauch-
Ing effects OF such an election.
But do the liquor people care
whether South Carolina goes dry or
hot? Have they. made any effort In
those States which have State-vide
prohibition to vote hack local opfiou?
The LIQUOR people might even wei
come Statewide prohibition for South
ICarolinn. Al present In many. OF those
counties which have voluntarily yoted
liquor under local option the senti-
ment against It's illegal sale is strong.
Local authorities are active In pro-
ceeding against offenders The law ia
jshfofced. Uhier State-Wiae prohibi-
tton, with the central government as-
summing the Obligation Of making pro-
hiDition effective, the same alertneas
ana efficiency might not be manifest;
ca locally. II 10 entirely possible that
IN time more liquor would be sold in
south q rolina under prohibition than
10 scid at present under local optiop.
One OF the atrongest arguments fn
favor OF local option In o matter OF
this sort 10 that the central govern
meat has no moral right to enact n
statute which 1t IL not prepared TO en-
force. Whenever II does 80 II con-
tributes to the ,disre1pect for law In
general. 1t helps to breed laWbreak-
ers and hypocrites.
II the reports from those South Car
oiina counties which now have prohi-
bition are to be trusted temperance
is making great gains In this State an
matters now stand, There was leas
drnnkennaas during the recent hoit-
days. II haa, been stated aRain ana
again. than In, many yeaes-perhaps
than ever before In the history of the
counties reporting. -
Why not let well enough aloneiii We
| are making headwey as At "a. The an.
preule need ifi South Carolina In n
higher regard for the majesty OF the
law. Why make progress In this az
rection virtually impossible by the az.
actment OF statute which Is sure Ia
be disgracefuily ignored? IS
S4ai
HARD TIMES AND BAD ROADS