Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-03-22

violators to go slower, if not fore
ing them out of business altogether.
That is what we are pleading for,
Mr.. Mayor, a vigorous, determined
enforcement of the law, employing
a detective if necessary. Surely we
are paying enough taxes in Edge
field to occasionally engage this ad-
ditional assistance for the regular
marshal. Generally, however, when
such raids are engaged in with a de-
termination to get results, pay their
own way and more besides in fines.
Through the work of a detective one
or more of the automobiles said to
bring whiskey into Edgefeld could
probably be seized, confscated and
sold, which would at least cause more
of the stuff to be diverted to other
markets.
We appeal to- you, Mr.. Mayor, be-
cause you are the chief executive Of
ficer of the town and it behooves you
and the council to move first. Our
citizens have no authority to take the
initiative in employing a detective.
If the members of the town council
should fail to support you in such a
course, however we do not believe
they will then there are citizens VINO
will contribute to a law enforcement
fund.
Standing for law enforcement, and
particularly the prohibition law, as
whiskey selling is a parent evil, is no
new thing for the writer. We have
been persistently advocating it for
twenty years and will continue for
twenty more, if spared that long, not
withstanding the fact that some
would discourage and others throw
~hindrances in our way. "Thrice arm
ed is he whose is just" and as
President Roosevelt once said, Gag
gressive fighting for the right is the
noblest sport the world affords"
The Attorney.
Now, as to the towns attorney who
at times waxed wordy, but was al
ways respectful, during the inter
view. He asked if we would in sup
port of the charge that whis-
key has been sold in Edgefeld for
years, supply evidence upon which
a warrant could be issued. We
promptly told him that we did not
have any evidence. AS we do not
drink blind-tigers would not sell US
whiskey, but that if We had any evil
dence we would not hesitate to give
it to him. The learned lawyer SEEM
ed dumbfounded however, when we
told him emphatically that we had
made no charge and challenged him
to find any such statement in the edi-
torial under discussion. Upon the pa
per being produced, here is what he
read: "It is a matter of common re-
port COMMON REPORT) that
whiskey has been regularly sold in
certain places in Edgefeld for years,
even handed out over the counter,
almost as in the old barroom days."
He searched in vain for the alleged
charge from us that whiskey is being
sold in Edgefeld. Our sense of fair
ness and III experience in news pa
per work for twenty years keep US
from making any rash charges that
we can not substantiate. We do here
and again re-assert that it is a mat
ter of common report" that whiskey
is being sold in Edgefeld and we be-
lieve a vast majority of the people
in Edgefield will corroborate this
statement. A gentleman from John
ston remarked in the presence of sew
eral men in Edgefeld yesterday that
it is reported that whiskey is being
sold over the counter somewhere in
Edgefeld. This does not necessarily
mean or imply that it is being dis
pensed by the drink. Very probably
it is not sold that way. During the in
terview the towns attorney said him
self that he believes whiskey is sold
in Edgefeld.
At any rate, why should the towns
attorney become so greatly stirred?
In our appeal last week for a better
enforcement of the prohibition law
in Edgefield we very properly refer
red only to the foremost executive
officer of the town. The attorneys
function is purely advisory, not ex-
-