The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-04-07
THE NEW BOARD OF CONTROL.
The Dispensary Law is Put Into
Operation Under the Changed Aus.
pices.

pices.
The new and amended dispensary
law went into operation on the lst OF
April, and the Columbia Register
tells OF the threatened complications
which were happily ended after all
1t is not often nowadays that the
Office seeks the man, and especially is
this assertion true OF Offices in South
Carolina, where the Office generally
goes to the man who seeks it most per-
sistently and vigorously. An election
at the last session of the General AS
sembly furnishes an exception to this
rule in South Carolina. When the
Legislature elected q board Of control
under the new dispensary law, there
were number of candidates for posi-
tions OF that board, but q majority of
its members were elected without any
effort on their part, and one, Mr. W.
A. Nicholson, Of Union, was elected
without his having been asked if he
would consent to serve. Several days
ago it was rumored around Columbia
that MIR. Nicholson, on account OF the
pressure OF his banking business and
for other reasons, was aversc to ac-
cepting his election and serving on the
board Had he rcfushe ed to serve, mat
ters would have been much complicat-
ed and it was even feared that the law
itself would have been invaldatcd, as
it provides that the entire board shall
meet and organize and take charge of
the dispensary business. OF course if
one of tho members refused to serve,
1T would be Il physical impossibility
for the entire board TO meet and COM
ply with the provisions Of the new dis
pensary act. Nor could Governor
Evans have filled the vacancy by ap-
pointmcnt for the act does not give
the Governor power TO fill vacancies
arising on the board from any cause
whatever. Under the constitution he
has general powers of appointment in
certain cases, but q vacancy on the
board Of control could not by any pos
sibility be regarded as one Of these
cases. In this emergency Governor
Evans promptly opened communica-
tlons with Mr. Nicholson and went TO
Union to confer with him. Mir. NlchO-
son Is an exceedingly patriotic man,
who always considers the good OF the
state III preference To his own private
comfort, and when the Governor cX.
planned to him what would be the
effect and possible danger Of his de-
clination To serve, he promptly agreed
mat, no matter how indispo,e ed to
serve, nor how much he would be in.
convened by serving, he would accept
the place for the pr sent. This patr-
otic decision by Mr.. Nicholson re-
moves all danger to the new dispcn-
sary law and it will so into effect with.
out any hitch.
There was Il rumOr TO the eject that
Mr.. Il. Nj. Allen, Of York County, who
was elected much in The same manner
as was MIR. Nicholson, was also in
clincd to decline to accept his election.
This rumor could not be confirmed and
little crcdence was placed in it at the
State House. Almost undoubtedly, if
he has any such inclination, when I'll c
effect OF it is presented to him as it
was presented to Mr.. Nicholson, he
will initiate his example and serve the
State, even at Inconvenience to himself.
The new dispcnsary law is infinitely
superior to the o.d one, and it will be
Il thousand pities if any such mitch
should prevent its going into opera
tiOn.