The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-17

mont is such that it is best made over
my signature. It deals with my act
rs citizen as we'll rs an editor, and
cannot we'll be written except from
the personal standpoint.
In the summer of 1897 u plan for
the settlement of the liquor issue in
South Carolina was suggested to me
by friend, to whom it had been
communicated by a prominent citi.
zen who must for the present remain
unknown. Earnest consideration
convinced me that it was not only
the best solution Of the vexing issue
but the only one which was attain
able. 1t provided for local option
by counties; choice by ballot of
the people of each county betw een
the dispensary, prohibition and high
license systems, the electioIs to be
held in all counties on the same day,
day distinct from tho dc uocratic
primary or general election day, and
the settlement reached to bo Of force
for term Of two or four years.
This plan l submitted to several
men in politics, atuong them Frank
II. Weston and Col. W. a. Neal.
The former at once accepted the plan
as practicable and desirable. Col
onel Neal had been warm advocate
Of the dispensary, but he expressed
willingness to make con cessions
in the promotion Of peace among the
people, and, although at first pre-
ferring settlement Of his own de-
vising, ho presently came to approve
this local option measure. We dis
olssed the matter several times in
the summer and early fall Of 1897
and Messrs. Neal and Weston un-
dertook to do what they could to IN
tlueuce Governor Ellerbe to favor this
solution. About this time I first
proposed the plan editor:ally.
It was in the latter part Of Octo-
ber, think, that conference was
held between Senator McIaurin-
who had just returned from Mt.
Airy, N. g., where he had been re.
ouperating after his physical break
down during the campaign-Gover-
nor Ellerbe, Colonel Neal, Mr. Wes-
ton and myself, having for it's OBJ
ject the adoption of some common
policy IN regard to the liquor ques-
tion which should be urged in the
governors annual message Various
plans we're discussed, the local op,
tion one, however, meeting with more
favor than any others. All Of us OK
cept Governor Ellerbe were substan
TALLY agreed upon it, and after l haG
explained it fully the governor sale
that it struck him moro favorably
than any solutionhe had heard ant
asked mo to write out for him IN de
tail my views for carrying out thu
proposal, as he wished to study tn
matter carefully. With that th
conference broke up
Not long afterward-aboutf fai
week, IthinL-Senator Tillman cam
to Columbia and visited Governo
Ellorbo He had hardly left tn
city when the governor, about i
O'Clock, at night, telephoned the re
porters, summoning thcin to the ex
ocutive mansion, and there gave on
III interview in which be committe
himself absolutely to the maiutonanc
Of this dispensary system. [ be
loved at the time that Tillman, b
some secret hold he had on tho exec
ntive, had forced him to do thi
For until after the interview ba
been given out did any Of us-M
Laurin, Neal, Weston or myself
suspect that he had had such pu
pose. We were taken by surprise
this abrupt ending of our project
take the question out of politics on
settle it democratically according
the principle of local self gover
ment.
OF course this ended our hope
INllr rho fn tn