The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-01-19
: 'down-stairs," with the executive

NO" -ote1Aio, Will o'dS 0ASSuliNS
badge.
Let it be said, with rejoicing, that
not single member has thus far this
session pleaded for the passage Of any
measure because it was promised by
reform" or because it will help the
movement. That day is fast fading
away, and the sensible members see
it. There is one Senator and one o2
two members VINO seem to be igno-
;ant of this condition, if report be
true, and the first thing they know
they will be left high and dry, with
the possible satisfaction that they
have been Of use to some one else. If
members could hear the free COM
mert on the gubernatorial situation
they would appreciate the fullness Of
the new era. Something-the dis
pensary is about the only thing-may
provoke partisan discussion, but I
doubt that. Members, influential
ones, have told me that heretofore
they have accepted on faith bills that
have come from downstairs They
say they have done this long enough,
and the Governors have not been
successful with the bills they have
asked be passed.
DIspENSARY LEGISLATION.
Naturally the first inquiry is, what
will become Of the dispensary? Now
this is question that should be prop
erly directed to Il prophet. Cover
nor Eilerbe does not know. Senator
Tillman is going to again keep
"mouth and hands off. Senator So
and-so and Representative thus-and-
so know as little about results as the
on-looker. 1t is curious but help
less situation of not being able to
solve a riddle. 1.-THE members could
close their eyes and kick the whole
dispensarv system overheard without
being held responsible for il hy some
of their constituents, they would no
doubt SO do. The dispe&sary is a
political incubus, except to those on
the inside. There are just now five
contending elements, first and fore
most, for the undisturbed dispensary
system; second, for the elimination of
the profit ceature-a mere subterfuge;
third, fer prohibition; fourth, for IL
censing under the restrictions of the
Constitution; fifth, for option be-
tween the three systems.
The high license element gives no
evidences OF making fight at this
juncture; they prefer to let the other
schemes be tried and fail. Governor
Ellerbe's plan will not be successful,
unless it should be shown to the dis
pensary advocates that it is the only
thing possible, and they are not so
disposed to believe. The legal mem
bers insist that it is farcial again and
again to pass laws to have them per-
forated by the courts, and to antici-
pate such fate. Attorney General
Barber has all along held that the
beverage question, and not the profit
feature, is the crucial test, AMI he has
very properly declined to be party
to the preparation OF a bill based on
the elimination of tue profit feature,
because he, as the legal force OF the
Assembly, realized that the profit
feature of the dispensary is not now
and has never been the determining
issue. Mr.. skinner, when be pro-
posed the resolution that Mr.. Barber
be called upon to propose bill that
would in his opinion hold its own in
the courts, and drive out the 'origi-
nal package" people, did the very
best thing possible; whether it will
be passed is quite another thing.
The situation is just this, the
members do not feel inclined to take
any radical steps, and so the chances
are that the dispenssry law will in all
probability be as little changed as
possible. Mr.. Maydeld's bill, which
leaves it for the people to decide
what they want, will be pressed, and
would be sensible way out of the
whole trouble.