Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-08-19
FIGHTING MOONSHINERS
Broad River Association Has ROuS.
ing Meeting.
SOLICITOR HENRY MAKES ADDRESS
Large Audience Heard Hon. J. K.
Henry and Dr.. J. n. Saye Speak
Against Illicit Liquor Business
Improvement Association Urged to
Continue Its Work.

/
Against Illicit Liquor Business
Improvement Association Urged to
Continue Its Work.
] Hon. j. K. Henry Of Chester, was the
principal speaker at a meeting OF the
Broad River Improvement Association
held in the school house at Hickory
| Grove last Friday morning. There
were more than 100 people in attend
ance, most of Them Broad River town.
ship men vitally interested In the
success of the association. Several
officers of the law were also In at
tendance and listened with interest to
the speakers. Among the officers pre-
sent were Sheriff Fred E. QUINN
State Constable H. L. Johnson. Con-
stable Coy Jones of Bullock's Creek
and Constable Floyd Stephenson of
Broad River.
Magistrate R. L. A. Smith Of Hick-
ory Grove, president of the associa-
ton presided and the meeting was
opened with prayer by Rev. b. q.
Presley, pastor of the, A. r. P.
church of Hickory Grove. Upon a
roll call by Secretary, w. Beattie
Wilkerson, it was found that only
about one third the members Of the
association were in attendance upon
the meeting.
Solicitor Henry was received with
applause. When 1 was boy, he said,
the old folks throughout the country
held at different times what they DALI
ed shooting matches. Men for miles
around would gather for the purpose
of competing in shooting contests and
he who could hit the bulls eye the
greatest number of times was con-
sidered a man Of distinction-a man
Of mark in the community. You peo-
pie who have organized this Broad
River improvement association and
who are determined to root out the H.
licit liquor traffic from your bounds
have set a mark and your example is
one that might we'll be followed in
every township in South Carolina.
You are proceeding along the right
lines. Your influence and power has
already been felt and If the work is
kept up zealously it is bound to result
in great good not only in the county
but in the state.
Was Once Popular.
Two generations back, said the
speaker, liquor was popular every
where. Almost every family made Its
own liquor and kept it for all occa-
sions. The older generation drank IL.
quor continuously and gave it to their
children and their friends to drink
Gradually however the succeeding
generation was awakened to realize its
evils, -gradually4the sentiment against
it grew until now it has come to be
outlawed from the entire country. AL
though some Of the present generation
is still left with taste for liquor.
The speaker told Of his own con-
nection with the fight to abolish Ii
quor. I had never given much thought
to the matter he said, until after /
moved to Chester many years ago.
| There were numerous bar rooms in the
town at that time. had to pass five
Of these places on my way to church.
recall going to prayer meeting one
Wednesday evening, my wife on my
arm. Three drunken men, fighting
and cursing, staggered out Of bar
room right in front Of US almost
knocking us Off the street. 1 gaZed
upon those debauched specimens of
humanity. 1 was made to realize there
and then the terrible evils Of the Ii
quor traffic and l pledged myself to
enter the fight for it's abolition.
That fight in Chester county as 1t
was in the balance of the state, was
long and hard before whisky was A.
nally prohibited by law. But thank
God / have lived to see 1t as predicted
I would.
Society Powerful Factor.
Your law and order society, Solici-
tor Henry said, can do more to break
up this blockading business than any
other agency. l never had much
sympathy with the idea of sending
detectives and special officers to a
community to ferret out violations of
the law. The people Of a given COM
munity are the best detectives. If
they have the courage to do it, they
are best qualified to bring violators of
the law in their respective communl-
ties to justice.
| Your duly elected law enforcement
officers cannot do much without your
active support and cooperation. 1t is
your duty as good citizens to presen!
to the sheriff and other officers all the
facts which you possess regarding law
violations in your community and If
necessary for you to do so to be ready
and willing to testify in the courts un-
afraid.
| Plenty Of Laws.
We have all the laws we need. II the
laws that we have are properly enforc-
ed they are more than sufficient. No
matter how many laws we have, nc
matter how many crimes against So
ciety, the punishment Of which we pro-
vide. for by statute law, those laws are
rs scraps Of paper unless rigidly en-
forced.
| Discussing law enforcement in gen.
eral. the speaker said that while juries
Ordinarily would convict in cases in
volving arson, burglary and crimes ot
Ia like nature, safety Of human life and
limb in South Carolina was held light.
ly, condition that was to be deplored
In conclusion he again congratulate
ed his audience on the fact that they
had set a distinguished mark in the
county and the state and he urged
them to keep alive their interest in the
purpose Of their association at al
times and to continue to uphold the
hands of the officers Of the law as
they had been doing in the past.
DR.. Says Addressed Audience.
When Solicitor Henry had conclud
O