The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
"hfcDUFF LAYS ON"
Statement in Reference 10 the Pass
,mc of tl,c AbbeyilIc License Eill-.
Letters from Members OF the

so much has been said about the passage o.
the bill 20 exempt the town of AbbeVllc from
tie operation oi tn: Act nt iSS,. tn. ,i r.'t
House Journal, Dec 10. p. Z, shows that on
that day the House bill was introduced oS ~ ~, /,
Brnct read the first time, anu referred 10 th'
Committee on the Judiciary. 49,.
| ii. j. Dec. II, p. 3 sh0wS that on lii''I o"s
committee reported the bill tavornbly.
II. J. Dec IL, p. IG, shows that the SENATE Oh
on tho same subject, having alretuS PIT. a..
that body was sent to the House on lhal uitf
read the first time, and placed on tnc clirn
dar without reference and WITHOUT prlmtingr 70
IL. ncc. ~, p. l. shows thnt Mr; WaiLG thhey;i(
scented petition of sundry ci!iZehsoi Ao"e'ii''
Court House against the DILL os ,,,o
Also, petition OF Sundry citizens Oh Anpc
vile Court House in favor OF the bill.
was read The second time, and ordered 10 4
third rcnding. The House bill had a'rcauf
hcen laid on The table. When the House Glil
No. III, was reached Mr.. Bcnet moved TO iaS
IT, on the table and take up the senate niiI
| No iN5 No objection was made oy any one;
The Senate hill was then taken up ana rcaG
! the second time. Mr.. Waller rose ana si'tteu
that he desired to call attention 70 lnG M lecl
| that there were two PETITIONS, one LOT anu nle
against the bill. Mr.. Bcnct stated tllI tI,'.' M
was correct. There are four rccngniZcu mo
lions to Kill BILL G. to sIrike on, ',he t','nr n
ing words, TO postpone indefinitely, 10 l:iy Hi,
the table to rr-cunmit. These are uSiaiis
made on the second reading one oi tneii i
,lwlys made when u member desires 10 li'i i
| cafe opposition 10 Il Dill. IL li'iic - '''''S
is presumed that nobody opposes the me'lS.'
nciorc the House. Noncof these motions wa.
made IN the second reading ol lhiS M ui'. VI ; :; i;
any other time, and not one woru Wis IA, "a"
unainst H. as am Informed. 1t may oe ;l'.' !. r
| cI Ihnl nobody said Il word In favor ol IL. Nf
Ter ihc bin VAS read the second time IN,
Sucnkcr put the usual formal question Win
his intmitnb.c rnnidity and without stopping
in SEQ whether nnv one voted for or against II
declared IL ordered 10 n third rca0ihS' ~
damnnd waS made for the ayes and noes nor
was division even called for. .p,
! Ny Erank II. GARY was sitting on the Re
poriers liable in fIont Of the Speakers desk
and within fifteen or twenty feet OF our seats
lie has Il distinct recollection of what nap
| nnnaI nn th,t occasion He says lie did Not
| honrn sir,In wo,c fnr 0r against it. Mr.. Bcnet
was also hctwcen the Speaker and our seats
lie snIs he did not hear n single vote for OF
ar,inS, the hiIl, md docs not think he even
rGGInI fnr II himself, MS there was no necessity
for GU.'t II w rnlnss n niol;on is made to kill bill
,hn unrstton of is massage is purely formal
mud n is a rare thing that any vntc Is cast i"l
oraraimst il. Silenccis presumed by the rules
o. t"h hi hd 'i~ b~c ~ made against it, tho
Nil wn;,Iu nndnubtrd]y have been killed III
The first place, The sentiment Of majority o.
,,rT vnr oT mr"liibtion. Only one prohibition
mnoSnrn rIiiod in the House during the two
sessions. and that was the State Prohibition
| RIll and H. failed by q very narrow majority
| In thn yccnnd mace the temper Of The House
nm that ni"ht was not to allow discussion on
nns snhiaci Thot was the last day oil
Witch even n Senate bill could receive i sec
ond rcodine and become a law.
o'iS Rv %cncr,i consent only unopposed Senate
hilIS we're taken up that right. If any one
connmonced TO discuss bill it was promptly
killed. because the House had barely time tf
| n,sS nnonnnsod bills and had to remain III
Session mill nearly five o'clock to do that
70 xLnv how s;ro,ip The feeling Of the House
an,inst discussion was on that night, when
ihe bill to relieve students Of the Charleston
. = 4, va N 81
lion wms taken mn. Mr. Bcnct stated that Inc
Tould MOI then discuss the bill because it was
evident that the House did not care 20 hc'i
discussion Of any measure tn;u hleh., ou
that he protested against the bill anu gave no
lice that he would fight II on the thlrd rcah
inv on N0ndny he did make q fight agAlnS
II ard IL was killed.
| ',IaSSrs Ein,r and Waller certainly did moi
IN ~ dmrnr to I,iil Tho hill If they had, II
,,oynr q, wnnn;L have become q law. We never
henr'l of anv CnnosItion TO II until after oul
return from COLUMBIA, and the statements Q
vomr Dne Vest and Greenw ID correspond
sNt" ,am.cd nc ,Irrnt surprise
II nn, not misinformcd Mr. Waller told
Cav iIomnIiIl In Columbia that while he die
- Nn,iin - ~ ~ tto -, ooaure ho did not intend
~ h"t saPt ~ - '''0 -
w 'oMss LSinp told Mr. Renet at the time IL pass
nd that the objection he had to 1t was that tho
license was loo high. that il would keep young
m,nn "nt "9 tTo hHsinnss who might desire tC
'rn inin ~ fin also toId MIR. Frank u. Gary in
InIn,nhi" orIer ihe bill was passed that tho
ncnnIr nr Nbbavilic hnd never supported him
LoGtro hut onyht IN do H. now in considers
mc'orr, nu. "usMt ~ uo ibn - hiI iyeaiso told
Wr Wiiiiom y Grnyd1n and myself In oul
ntiirn nn Snicsjay in January that he could
vnrv easily eyninin his position on the mat
Ter: thnt Two petitions had been sent to Col
nmhia one n Very large ono s'gncd by nearly
nj ihc lpoIinu business men at AbbcviIlc
mud ihc other a very small one signed by q
dozen or so of petitioners and that he could
moi disregard that III. rptiton Mr.. King ad
| mijtrd 10 Mcssrs Eugene B. Gary, Frank r
Hory. y .n.t William y Grnvtl0n and mysel
J"rii,,, I'nurt vonl, in Innuary that he did
Make the above st:temcn.s
We can not understand Mr. Walters fins
q, nc far moi hcimr in o,ir senl MIR. Benct wa.
~ Main virw of Nr, Waller. between him an d
the Spcuicr. MIR. Gary was absent on nc
connt of sickness | had OH that night very
\ orImous :,nI cyactln.. duties 10 perform n.
('hnirran of the Committee on Enrolled Acts
At thc time the bill was passed / was doing
The work of the committee at their table III
;he tJn,T IN, ,.onIinteiv 70 The Irt of the sneak
org desk I was rcnur to- take part in any
lihin| that came before the House, and re
mnincd there until the adjournment.
/ may add that no mcn. Der of the Abhcvlllt
delegation had any thought OF Introducing
Ihe bill until a petition signed by very nearly
all the business men of Abbcville praying it:
passage was sent 10 us. That petition wat
gotten up as we are informed, by one or more
members of the Town CoIncil. Their reason
for It, as they state, was that prohibition haC
utterly failed TO prohibit and that they ha(
earnestly and honestly tried to enforce tht
law hut in vain.
The Act does not force the sale Of liquor or
the iown of AbLeyi,ie II simply restores Il.
io H. Ihe provisions uf tho local option law
and leaves II TO the ycople of the town or ti!t
Town Council to graft or withhold license Il:
they NAV see I'll, with this exception only
that tie Town Council can not grant license:
. for less tEan five hundred dollars each. Thu
oil' docs not open tEe saloons. That was tht
MeSSrs King aud Waller seem to be very in