The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-25
THERE IS NO DIsPENsARY."
A Consurnnation Every Patriot So De-
youtiy Wished-Tillman AS Talkative
al Usual.

that hour kilograms were sent to every
State barrooln in the State. How long
they will be closed is problema;icaI.
There is, however, just now every
indication that the entire system has
gone to pieces, never to be revived by
the Legislature. The Court may grant a
rehearing andsgive the dispensaries d
chance to gasp little longer and then
the end will come. What is most
| peculiar is that there seems to be but
j few mourners around the apparently
lifeless thing. Just now, when the
whole matter is at an end, no one
seems to have ever assumed the re-
sponsibility of the law. 1t just dropped
or the statute books "unteknowiDgs'
to anyone.
! CONFUSION WORSE COEFCUNDED.
The dispensaries have been closed.
| What next? No one hereabouts seem:
to know. 1t is difficult to suggest pro-
liabilities, for one moment one thing is
! heard and the next moment another
/ Until some decision is reached the dis
pensaries will be kept closed and al
| agencies of the State have orders not
! to sell liquor under any circumstances
| There is some talk of trying to sell the
| liquor on hand in a lump sum before
the demurrer is sent down, and there
is 8 rumo- that the stock will be kept
in tact until there is a change in the
complexion of the Supreme Court.
THE POSSIBILITY FOR A REHEARING
Another suggestion made during the
day was that the Attorney General
would very probably ask for a rahear
ing of the case, and in that way have
the dispensaries reopened, and jus,
here it may be we'll to put this sugges
ton down for future reference, as
something may happen in this line
very shortly. The situation is liable to
change at any time, and until the
horrible uncertainty is over no one
knows where the State is at.
THE GOVERNOR HAS LITTLE TO SAY.
The one man who knows more than
anyone else about what is going to be
done is Governor Tillman, and just
about this time it would be very hard
to find more pon-committal man
This morning the newspaper men
| waited around for long time before
they could get peep ut Governor Till.
mau. 1t was not known what be was
going to say or how be felt, but he was
Just as iovial as if he had won the capi
tai prize in the lottery. After greetings
had been exchanged I asked Governor
Tillman "what about the dispensary
situation?"
There is no dispensary," was Cover
nor Tillman's reply.
"Well, what are you going to do with
the liquor on hand, if there is no dis
pensary, Governor"
"Oh, we'll, that is a matter for the
Legislature to decide" was his reply
'Are you going to call an extra
session of the Legislature?" was the
next query.
With hearty laugh he answered
Excuse me if you please" Then he
| went on to say: II won't say anything
about what I am going to do, but
will tell you what has already been done
| I have discharged the constables,
ordered all dispensaries to close and
| quit business as State barkeeper. The
State bar has closed business and gone
into summer quarters for repairs. u
Governor Tillman wound ap by saying
that be was still in the ring. So much
for the expression of the Governor, and
| if anyone can say what is coming "lel
her roll," as McLendon would say.
THE WATCH DOG OF THE STATE TREAS
URY.
There was q somewhat significant
fact developed during the payment o.
the dispensary bills which came rush
| ing in all day. One of the claims was
for about $50 and it was made payable
to Ex. Constable Brown for service:
| rendered. It was regularly made out
and approved by Governor Tnlman anc
Commissioner Traxler. When it wa!
| presented to State Treasurer Bates fol
payment he said that be was not pre-
pared to pay out any money on accoun
of the dispensary. When I saw DR.
Bates about the matter be said that ht
was not paying any dispensary claims
| When asked whether this was done by
legal advice or upon his own respon
sibllity he said that be preferred not tt
| answer that question.
A CHANCE FOR THE PROHIBITIoNIsTS
No one has yet been able to decide
what the Supreme Court meant to say
in this paragraph:
"After the fullest and most careful
and deliberate consideration I'VE fee
| constrained to say that the Act is clear
ly unconstitutional, except in as far a.
| it forbids the granting of licenses to re-
tail spirituous liquors beyond the 30tt
of June, 1893. Under this view al
subordinate questions presented in all
the cases, except the first named, lose
all practical Importance, and need lot
therefore, be considered"
There are those who still insist that II
means free liquor 80 far as licenses are
concerned, asd others who contend that
the only possible construction is that
the State will have absolute prohibi.
ton. It seems that the matter will
have to be.tsken to the Supreme Court
for solution. From what can be un'
derstood the State Administration
will not move in this matter, and ifthe
dispeusary cannot be resurrected the
Prohibitionists will have to do the
fighting if any is to be done.
THIS IS A FREE LIQUOR STATE-THE K
ADMINISTRATION VIEW OF THE DIS
PENSARY DECISION.
Especial to News and Courier
COLUMBIA, April 23.-One of the un-
known quantities has been discovered
and this even ng Governor Tillman's
attitude is known. He does not hesi-
tate to say that in his opinion the deci-
sion of the Supreme Court means no
licensing system and free liquor SO far
as the license is concerned, and he will
act accordingly. BE sums up bis posi-
lion in this way:
"You SEE I am paralyzed. I can't do
q thing. It seems to me that the Court
in 80 many words expressly declared
that the dispensary law is not a pro-
hibltory law but the Court denies
emphatically that the municipalities
have the right to issue licenses. Now,
if it is not prohibition law and the
right to issue licenses does not stand,
aud there is no other law applying to
the liquor traffic, tlooks to me like free
liquor. 1t would appear that anybody
aud everybody can sell liquor anywhere
in the county, at every crossroads and
anywhere else, and start up bar rooms.
All Acts applying to the liquor traffic
inconsistent with the Dispensary Act
L L. ID