The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-21
DISPENSARY BILL IS DOOMED.
TLAN TO RAILROAD 1T THEOl Gil
THE HOUSE FAILS.

Decision Reached at "A Meeting of the
Committee on Rules I'm Speaker
Reeds Room at the CapitOI-senn-
tor TiIImnn and All the Members
Of the south Carolina Delegation
Present Except Representative
TaIbert-Kennedy Bryan Of Char
lesion Assists Representative FL
lott in Opposing the Bill.
Washington. July 4.-There was a lively
discussion Of The South Carolina dispen-
sary liquor law in Speaker Reeds room at
the capitol to-day. and the result was that
the committee on rules refused to grant
Senator Tnman's request for a special
order TO consider his bin during the pres
ent session OF congress.
A special meeting Of the committee on
rules was called by Speaker Reed TO con-
slider the request on the part Of Senator
Tniman and those members Of the South
Carolina delegation who follow him In adj
vocating the dispensary system, for an OPP
porJunity to take up the bill this session.
An Of the members of the committee We're
in attendance, and Senator Tnlman, with
all OF the South Carolina delegation, ex-
cepting Representative Talbert, were pres
ent Kennedy Bryan of Charleston was
also there to assist Representative Elliot
in Opposing the consideration of the bill at
this time.
Senator Tillman, as the sponsor of the
bill was allowed to open the debate. and
it did not take long for him TO warm up
to his subject, and at the same time warm
up those, who are opposing his pet meas
ure. It was apparent from the beginning,
that Speaker Reed was not in sympathy
with Senator Tillman's proposition, and
there were some spirited colloquies be
tween the South Carolina senator and the
speaker
Senator THlman claimed that his bill
simply provided that the state of South
Carolina should be allowed to regulate
the liquor traffic within its borders, and
went on to state that the present dispen-
sary system would be a success financial
ly and otherwise if certain United States
judges would permit it to have fair
trial.
It was after he had been subjected to
several interruptions by Speaker Reed and
other members of the committee that
Senator Tillman turned to Speaker Reed
and proceeded to contrast the state of
Maine with South Carolina from tenn
perance standpoint.
THE state of Maine is a prohibition
state" exclaimed Senator Tlllman, land
yet you have four barrooms to our one
1--WE simply keep those for the entertain
ment Of our visitors" replied Speaker
Reed, with his characteristic drawl, which
convulsed the meeting and tangled the
thread of the South Carolina senator's ar
gument.
Representative Elliott, in opposing the
present consideration of the BILL said 1t
was incumbent upon Senator Tillman and
his friends to satisfy the committee that
there was some good reason why an ex-
ceptlon should be made in this case, and
the bill be given the right of way through
the House when no other business but rev.
enue and appropriation bills were allowed
TO come up. He claimed that Senator
Tillman had given no reason which should
have any weight with the committee.
Representative Elliott briefly reviewed
the subject from an anti-dispensary stand
point and impressed the committee with
the idea that there was no occasion for
hasty or irregular action on a matter Of
so much Importance.
Mr.. Bryan supported the position taken
by Representative ElnOlt Dy reviewing the
legal features of the case, and he did it
admirably. He cleverly turned Senator
Tillman's argument into a defense of the
political situation in South Carolina and
impressed the committee that Senator
Tiilman is actuated by local political mo-
tives in his zeal in behalf of the dispen-
sary law. AS soon as the committee caught
the political drift of the case, it was evil
dent that Senator Tillman's chances for
favorable action were languishing Rep
resentative Latimer attempted to break
the force OF the statements of Messrs. Ell
liot and Bryan by defending the dispensary
law He said that il was easy to make
charges against the system, but denied
that any evidence had been produced to
show that the system is a failure and
should not be sustained by congress-
When the hearing concluded the COM
mittee refused to grant the request for the
consideration of the bill al this time, hold
ing that 1t was of sufficient importance to
require further examination by the Judi
ciary committee when appointed
-s-e-s-