The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-07
Chr A5er0ld aold Oems
Z. IL. AULI., EUTroR.
EDITORIAL CORKEspONDENCE

The Senate adjourned on Saturday To
meet Tuesday night at o'clock. This
l,tter is, therefore, written at Ncwher-
rY as | came home on Saturday. 1t
has been the custom for many years for
the Senate to take recess from Fri
day night to Tuesday over the salcday
that come during the Legislative scs-
sion. This year the recess was short
ened inasmuch as tho Senate met on
Saturday. The House took recess to
Monday night.
We have been asked the question sew
cral times rs to when final adjournment
would bo had. That, of course, can
not be answered with certainty and if
all matters now before both houses are
TO be disposed of it would be impossible
to reach adjournment before the first
OF March and at the rate heretofore
Travelled the end could not be reached
that soon for there are ma ~ matters
that will make considerable discussion.
When there is debate progress is SLOW.
There are Il rumbcr Of matters made
special orders for this week. The cx-
parience of al. former legislatures is
that towards the close Of the session
the members get in Il hurr% and IN nas-
urcs arc disposed OF with II rush. And
then this being the first session Of this
Legislature there are many matters
that can be postponed to the next scs-
sion. That will in all probability he
the fate Of many OF the measures nov
on the calendars of both houses.
~
Both houses seem Il little slow in
tackling the liquor question. AS
have heretofore stated there are sew
cral bills on the calendar touching the
liquor question, but up to this time
there has been no discussion on the
subject. The house had all the bills
rs special orders for last Thursday but
consideration w.s postponed to this
week.
At ono time | thought there was
strong probability Of some sort Of local
option bill being passed am about
ready to change that opinion now for
believe the dispcnsary law will stand
very much in its present shape at least
for another year. The prohibition
leaders have come out in an address
against compromise with the local
Op:iOnists rs suggested and advised 10y
Mr.. Fcntherstonc in his published
statement. The local option people
are not strong enough without the aid
of the prOhibtiOnistS to pass local
option measure and the prohihitionists
are helpless to pass any prohibition
bill without the aid of the local option
will unite and even II they shonlh i
now seems Il little doubtful if they
could win. a member Of the house
told me the other day that poll of the
house had been made and that there
were 60 or more members who would
vote for the dispensary rs it now
stands. IL that be correct there is not
much probability of any change in the
law. There is talk Of aboli" ing the
county boards OF control, and mat may
be done. The discussion Of the qucs-
tion will be intcrcsting' as there are
many good speakers on all sides Of the
liquor question. AS | have said,
however, there does not seem To me
now to he much probability of any mt
terial change in the law. | do not be-
licve the prohibitionists have any
chance OF carrying II prohibition meas
ure and if they insist on makirg Il
straight prohibition fight they viii
gain nothing, but III the same time that
Is the only logical position for n man
who is a prohibiti0nist from principle
and who looks up"" it us II correct pos
1tion from the standpoint Of morals.
There cun DC no compromise with evil
And he argues that prohibition would
be IL failure if only IL county here and
there had prohibition while Four was
sold in some way in all tho counties
arcInd. ThaG argument Is answered
by those who favor compromise with
tho local Optionists, that even if we
had prohibition in the State We would
have liquor sold across the line in
Nortn Carolina and Georgia and the
argument on this line against compro
mise would make the fight Il national
one. The thing is becoming somewhat
mixed and the III. cations arc that the
dispcnsary will gain from the mixture
and remain intact for at least another
year. So far rs controlling the liquor
the dispensary is an Improvement over
the old harroom and has many good
features but | cannot get my consent to
endorse the State going into the liouor
business. Then it Is becoming Il ,.uyc
political machine and is bound to be.
come corrupt sooner or later Prohi-
bition have always thought is nothing
but a dream and idealism that is entire.
ly impractiCable and if there was q