The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-09-21
KNOCKED IN TIE HEAD.
THE LAURENS OlSPENSARY CLOSED
BEFORE OPENED.

interesting CDrrCsp 'hdeLc1 Iiatween
Governor Tnlman aud Senator TuIloi -
The Courts Must Pass Upon the Free
hoio Deed BUSINESS.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Sept. 13.-The Lm
renS Dispensary sndrl mas created con-
siderable interest throughout the State
and the following correspondence in
reference to it VIII be read with in.
tereSt:
LAUEENs, S. G., Sept. >, 1888.
Governor B. II. Tilman, Chairman
Board of Control Of the State DIS
pensary.
DEAR SIR: | write to inform YOU,
from the standpoint Of those who, IN
exercising their right of local option
under the DlsEensary Act, prefer pro-
hlbitlon to the DiSpeDSary, OF certain
events tranSpring here which should
sincerely concern YOU SELF and the
other members of your BOARD, us being
chiefly responsible uEder the law for
the fair and faithful administration OF
the Dlspensary Act myself am
afraid of the Dispensary Act, as Il
whole, but more of its local option
features, and only ask that our right Of
local option under the law shall be re-
Spected, and fair, impartial and n0n-
partisan enforcement of the Act be
had. Nobody here has asked or ex-
pressed anything else than that the
question Shall be decided 10y ascertain
ing Oh which side stood the majority
OF bona iide freehold voters.
The County Board met on the 21st Of
August last, and the petition of Lang
Ston for the Office Of County Dispenser
was presented and contained 80 names,
II whites and 81 cOlOred. The list of
non SignerS contained II whites and =
colOred. The board refused to appoint
lIangSton on account of not having
majority of freehold voters as signers
and it was so recorded by their secre-
tary in their minutes.
Last Friday, September 1St instant
the enclosed printed call written by the
county chairman, III. T.. Gray, appeared
in the Laurens Herald for the board to
meet OH the 4th inst, which for rank
partisanship and wanton, tllngs at pro.
hibltlOniStS and church members, is
hard to SurpaSs. Well, the board met
and the fact was aScerJained that the
old petition was viewed as was circu-
lated after the case was adjudicattd on
the 21St, and when 1t was known that
parties who signed wanted their names
off, and thirty-four negroes and nine
teen whites were addcd-liftv-three in
all. One of these, j. l.. lrby, declared
in NV presence and that of several
otheis, that his name had been used
without his authority, and that he did
not want to he mixed up with it,
Well, here were fifty three names add
ed to the petition which were never on
file in the clerks Office a single day as
the law required. Where did these now
freehold voters come from? III. T..
Gray, chairman, soul.ded the Keynote
when he said III his call "EVery clti-
zen of this incorporation should be ell
franchiSed on a question where he is
50 much Interested" And the bust
ness of entranchislng landless citizens
began, in order to evade and defeat the
law and the will of the people. Since
the board met on the 21St ultlmO litty-
three new names had been entranchiSed
and added to the petition, besides six
other names who had previously sign
ed but had no land, making litty-DIne
new free.h hold voters in all. n. IL. Sui
livan, candidate for Dispersary book.
keeper, and brOthc-in-law TO II. +. Ga
ry, chairman decided to these liity-nIne
clLlZenS One-eighth of an acre, more or
less, or worthless land, each share l412
part of an acre, and the Job was donc,
the necessary majority OF freehold Vo-
ters was secured; and the Board Of Con
troll, without requiring the names of
these new freehold voters to be filed at
all, as the law directs. granted the pc
tition of IIangStOn and established "A
diSpensary. (Hhe deeds Of conveyance
of this one-eighth Of an acre of land to
these fifty nine citizens are on record
in the clerks oilice) But it 10 proper
and, that you may understand the
whole truth, thtt y. Il. Sullivan eXecu-
ted two dee DIS Of conveyance of ideuti-
Caliy the same One-clghLh acre of land, ,
first to nineteen whites on tie 3lst OF
August, 1893, and the Sucond on Sep
temDer z TO l0lLy negroes, every boun-
Diary precisely the sanir. thus these
nineteen whites were enfranchIscd on
ly four days before the final meeting
of the board on September 1, and the
forty negroes but Two days before, and
all were counted by the board as bona
lide freehold voters. If any Of these
alleged facts are denied they will be
substantiatcd, If allowed an Oppor
truity.
JIaviEg thus submitted SO much OF
our case, as we deem Of special lnpOr-
-.tance, We respectfully ask the ruling
oi the State Board on these questions:
lSt. VIII the State Board recognize
the legality of the action of the County
Board in establishing Il Dispensary at
Laurens on petition acted on and re
fused, TO which petition a considerable
pc -IlDer OF new SlgneTS were added and
not put on lile the ten days required by
law?
"a. Does the State Board of Control
recognize those liity-nme newly en-.
1ranchlSed citizens who own 412 part
or an acre of land each, as bona Gde
freehold voters of LaLrena, according
TO the intent and spirit Of the Disprn,
sary Actp y
Sd. If so, will any fractional part of
an acre of land, legally convened to q
person, constitute nun a free holder for
the purposes of this Act or wherever
rights and privileges 10y law lnure to
free-hOiderSp
In conclusion, ] respectfully ask in
behalf of the prohibitiOnists of the city
and county of Laurens, the whit" v0t
ers. OF which cast u heavy majority in
the general primary of 1892 for prohlDi.
tion.r .rfull and careful consideration Of
the facts and questions presented and
our rights under the Dispensary Act.
Very respectfully,
a.. FULLER.