The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-25
COLUMBIA LETTER.
The --latest News from the Legislature.
Special Correspondence Of Intclligenccr.

duced, and others are being prepared
in the elgrossin= department; BUT me
impression still prevails that The lrns'h
of the session will not reach forty days.
All interest now centres i'll the cleo
tions set for to- morrow at noon, and 1t
would appear from Il concurrent reSo-
tuition agreed to that Il deadlock Is cX-
pectcd. This resolution provides that
if no election be declared by , o'clock,
u. m., the Joint Assembly shall take Il
recess until s p. III. Tie election OF
4 Superintendent of the Penitcntialy
ovcrshadows all others, and, indeed, |
might add. all other business. and very
little will be done until this matter is
disposed OF.
Col. Neal is still the strong man.
His friends are hard at work and are
quite sure of success. 1t developes
that the Ellerbe- Gonzales affair is not
operating as strongly against Col. Neal
us it WAS Thought it would do; and,
inasmuch Us his efficiency and record
for the past six years cannot be assail-
cd at amy point. his opponents and
their friends can present only two
points to be combatted, the first being
the idea of rotation in office and the
ether is his scalhing denunciation of
the administration of John Gary Evans
as set forth in his recent address pub
lished in the State. His honesty and
earnest solicitude for the wellbeing OF
the entire people of the State is not
doubted or questioned.
AS to Col. Meals strongest opponents.
Mr.. Griffith and Mr. Crum, a week ago
Mr.. Griffith was the stronger. and had
tle election taken place at that time,
he would have been the man upon
whose shoulders the mantle would have
fallen if Col. Meals strength be over
estimated; but this is not the case now.
Mr.. Crum is the stronger man, and
indications point quite plainly to the
fact that in the event Col. Neal is de-
feated, Mr. Crum will be the next
Superintendent of the Penitentiary.
Please bear in mind that this state
ment is not intended to admit of the
Interpretation that Col. Meals friends
show any signs of weakening. This is
not the case, and to the contrary he
has grown stronger during the past
week.
Notwithstanding the fact that this
election is claiming the attention OF
large majority of the solons, a bill will
to-day be introduced looking to the
total annihilation Of the State Dispen
sary, and will precipitate a fight,
which, taken with the fight over the
election of q Superintendent of the
Penitentiary, will make this week the
most cventful the Legislature has
passed through for years. At the be-
ginning of last week indications point
ed very strongly to the introduction of
a bill providing for the submission to
the entire State at the next general
election all the questions prohibition,
or high license, but during
the past week self-constituted COM
mittee of members (among whom was
our popular Representative, r. B. A.
who, after careful conside-
ration, have prepared bill which is
such compromise as will meet with
the approval of the majority OF the
members and deal death blow to the
State Dispensary. 1t may precipitate
4 long, harl fight, it may be amended,
but, The State Dispensary "shall
reel TO and fro like 4 drunkard. and
shall be remoced like Il cottage, and
the transgressions thereof shall be
heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not
rise again."
This bill empowers and requires the
Counties to own and control the local
Dispensaries; provides for local option
IS to dispensary or prohibitipn, and to
close out the State Dispensary. 1t pro-
Eidcs that the County control of local
shall take effect July 1st
next, and that the question as to pro-
libition or dispensary be submitted to
De voted upon at the next general cleo
ion. The idea is that if the State Dis
)ensary is unsatisfactory in its man.
lgement-and Governor Ellerbe says |
t is in his Message-to take the Coun
y control of local Dispensaries home
Ind try it for the time intervening be-
,Neen now and the next general cleo
ion, and if it prove satisfactory to the
people keep it; if not, the General AS
emily meets one year from now, af-
ording an opportunity to amend the
Act by inserting provision for high
license OF, in any event. settling the
natter TO suit th. people ut the general
,.ection.
The Board of County Commissioners
With the County Supervisor IS named
,s County Board OF Control. They
re given authority to appoints a Dis
ensary Commissioners, whose term OF
tiice shall be cotcrminal with their
wn, and to fix his salary and to dis
harge him at will They are cmpow-
red in like manner 10 appoint his
lcrk and fix his salary. The Dispen-
airy Commissioner IS TO supply the
tock, books, provides Il system of book
4 1 i