Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-02-15
STRONGEST OFTHE SESSION

The fight against the dispensary
law is now on in the South Caro-
lima Legislature in the shape OF a
bill to leave the whole thing tothe
people that they may vote for
either dispensary, local option
or anything else they wish. sena-
tor Sheppard's speech on this bill
is characterized aa follows by the
Greenville News:
Senator Sheppard made the
strongest speech heard in theSsen-
ate this session. He favored local
option pure and simple. He|is
not opposed to the dispensary but
he wants the people of each county
TO say at the polls exactly what
they want.
We give short synopsis Of Sen
ator Sheppard's remarks on this
occasion: I.
Mr.. Sheppard, who has reputa-
tion of being a finished orator, did
not disppoint his friends in the
speech which he made yesterday
on the question under consideIa-
ton.
No question: he began, had been
! presented to. The consideration OF
senate nor would there be a ques.
f, ton presented ofsuch incompatible
interest to the people of the State
as the present one. He congratulat-
! ed the senate on the high plane on
which the debate had been cpn:
Quoted, and declare d that the
people of South Carolina, mprt
than the senators, were agitaEeo
on this question. They had bsNef beg
. agitated SINCE. tie dispensary lag
thrown from the Legislative hoppri
f like an apple Of discord into she4rI q
j, midst. 1t came unexpected afi
Immediately after decision i
the ballot box for differet
!. solution of the liquor pr2bleti.
] At once the occupation Of hundres
of citizens of South Carolina Us
: taken from them; at once .thos-
ands of dollars worth of propey|
: of citizens of South Gssfo iiiia n, NJ
taken from them; at once I'll
o public mind of South CaroliI
declared against the law and sa;s
j. it was contrary to the spirit of T.
! constitution. This opinion W,
q sustained by the State supreD
court, than on which no purer me
everGsat. Everywhere were peopI
q opposed to the law, They thre
obstacles in its way. but the mailtI
hand of tyranny crammed it dow
), their throats. Then, declared .th
! speaker, and now, Pandora's bo:
! was opened and ills have not ye
b ceased.
: He told how the executive last
: was applied IN enforcing the law
t spoke of the shooting and killing
q of citizens by constables ant
: thought the extremity of the il
fanny was reached when the gov
s ernor pardcned these slayers o
s people suspected of violating thf
q law. "That is why the people ar
o agitated on this question:
8 exclaimed the speaker.
Y Because of the constante OF
j. one hand and rigorous enfor
b cement of the law ON the other
j. since the attention of the courts
d have withdrawn from it. Mr.
|, Sheppard said for these reasons hi
b would not have directed attention
u to the question at this time, fol
e he believed the more the dispensary
t is let alone, the more surely ii
e failure bound TO crown it's efforts
;, and ruin overtake those who
g dabble in it. Since the enactmenl
: of the law, be asked, had tht
D senator's ever heard so much o:
e vituperation and charges as now
Not even the governors of the
S State had escaped its fangs. The
It more, be went on TO say, any policy
: s resisted the more will it be on
d its good behavior. The dispensary
d hasal ready shown its best features
: but be declared, II say as q
}, fundamental principle Of govern
: mental policy that it is wrong. Il
d is wrong and destructive to the
e public morals and the public
d peace" How, he asked, can il
s be right for the State to engage
e in the sale OF whiskey? H.
believed the time not far distant
when the courts would say tha