The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-03-09
IN RE RURAL POLICE.
Hon. j. j. NJ. Graham Opposes In
crease In Number.


| note from the grand jury's re-
port the following:
We would recommend further
that two additional police be ap-
pointed, one for Trio section and
one for Hebron section of the coun-
| ty. The reason for the recommen-
dation is that we realize the impor-
tance of the enforcement of the law,
and especially the prohibition law,
and we believe the number Of rural
policemen that we now have made
quate to enforce the law properly"
In the campaign two years ago
the question was put to- all candi-
dates for Representative. asking
each one if he favored rural police
for the county? l answered the
question yes, provided we could get
the right men for the position.
During the year 1915 the delega-
ton was forced to call the police to-
gethe- on two or more occasions for
the purpose of investigating COM
plants from citizens of the different
sections, and especially in the two
sections that are now appealing to
the grand jury for additional force.
The delegation, after making thor
ough investigation, deemed it for
the best interest of the Trio section
to discontinue the police in that
community. The policeman in the
Hebron section rendered his resigna-
ton, which was accepted. During
the investigation the delegation i'm
pressed upoE the rural police the
very question the grand jury says is
its reason for asking for this addi-
tional force, except we had the dis
pensary instead of prohibition.
The police informed US that they
could not enforce the liquor law,
and that they were so instructed that
they could not enforce the law on
blind tigers unless they had war
rants sworn out for them. This be-
ing true, if citizen has to swear
out a warrant before the police can
make an arrest or search, then l
contend that we have no use for
rural police. as we have plenty of
Magistrates and constables to serve
the warrants. Now. while am
perfectly willing to give the two
additional police in the county we
must have assurance from some one
that they will enforce the law. But
where is this assurance to come
from? feel sure if the grand jury
had made thorough investigation
of the records showing what the
rural police have done since the law
was passed, think about four years
ago, and see how many blind tiger
cases have been brought into court
by them, they will agree with the
delegation, that as far as the en-
forcement of the prohibition law is
concerned, the rural police, judg-
ing the future by the past, will
amount to nothing. My recollec-
ton is, and l have been watching
them pretty closely, that only a few
negroes with their pint of liquor on
their person have been brought into
court by the rural police and not a
case where the dirty, lawless white
man sold liquor YVES ever brought to
Justice, and mary Of them not
merely running blind tigers but
almost open bar rooms.
Another reason why | think the
grand jury has acted a little too
hastily and without investigation is
that at the last meeting Of the Legls-
lature there was an appropriation
made for the Governors use in
hiring detectives and any other Of
ficers for the purpose Of enforcing
the prohibition law; this being the
fact, see no reason whylthe people
should be taxed to pay additional Of
ficers who claim they cannot enforce