Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-02-01
ALLEGED DD|SPPEHSARYY D|SPPEEH|ISSARYY CCAuCUS
QUITE A STIR IN THE DiSPENSARY DOVE.
COTE-lT MAY LEAD TO
OPPOSITION TO GOV. insolvency
Within tho Ranks OF The Dlspensary Support
ors-E Fair Question.

IN to tho holding of caucus and the pre-
paration Of an administration disponsa ry
bill. If thero DO truth in those rumors.
split in tho disponsary forces is inovita-
bio which may cause Governor McSwoo-
ncy to have opposition he is not now
counting on.
| An ardent disponsaryito, who koops
posted Oh all developments in tho Logis-
laturo affecting that institution, discuss.
ing thosc rumors yesterday evening,
| said:
81 am informed and bolievc, and can
submit proof if challenged, that Mt tho
| instance of Governor McSwConcy Il Log
islativo caucus was hold this wock, at
which he WAS present and whose dolib-
Grafton ho was largely influential in
| shaping.
"rhis caucus discussed tho dispcn-
sary situation and proposed legislation.
Pursuant to tho advice of Governor Nc
Sweeney 4 committee was appointed to
draft bill which will place control of
| tho dispensary in n state house board, of
! which tho Governor shall be chairman.
traton influence.
''TEo Governors anxiety to got con-
troll Of tho dispcnsary-wllich will add
to neither tho honor nor emolumcnts of
his oflicc-will need explanation. There
is general sentiment against tho dis
ponsary being mado a political machine,
but it is hard to conceive of any other
| nm 1,n, ,,f l.>.J
the Governor. If he persists in that
| plan, ho will bring Il bitter fight on him
| self"
Discussion Of tho alleged caucus and
its bill was very general yesterday and
to-day and it was freely predicted that
tho outcome would 10 tho gubcrnatorial
candidacy of l.. j. Williams or some
other advocate of the present system Of
All elective State board. this complica-
ton would put tho result of tho primary
in much greater doubt. Mr.. Williams is
generally recognized as tho strongest ad-
vocatc Of tho dispcnsary in tho State and
is looked to rs tho leader of tho simon
pure supporters of tho disponsary prin-
ciplc. Mr.. Williams's views have
great weight with dispcnsary supporters
| because of his familiarity with its affairs.
He has had longer service OH the board
of control than any other man and his
| official conduct has been such that not
| even any insinuations OF wrong doing
have been made against him.
While MI Williams las for years made
4 strenuous fight for changes in tho con
duct OF dispcnsary affairs, he ailirms that
the financial and moral results Of the
dispcnsary under an elective board of
control - despite all tho wrangling
and contention of its mcmbers--have
been superior to those under the provi-
Gus system Of management.
Later to-day it WAS asccrtainctl that
the defeat in the Senate yesterday of pro-
position for Il State House Board had
led the administration followers to be-
licvc that no proposition for Il State
House Board could pass this Legislature,
and there has been an entire revolution
of their plans.
The scheme is now said to be to abol-
ish the present board Of control and
elect Il board Of control of three mem
bcrs in its place. The idea is that the
new board Of commissioners will be in
touch with the administration and will
help it politically.
| The inSupcrablo objection to this
scheme, if the dispcnsary is to bo con-
tinucd, is that the board would be com
posed of new and green men, who would
have no experience and would have to
travel over the rocky road the board
travelled 20 acquire its experience, whose
valnc is demonstrated by the better
! financial results Of the diSpcnsary's ope-
ration.
The probabilities are that the G.i,ydon
diSpcnSary bill has received its death
blow. The Senate last night refused by
vote of 80 to 7 to lay the Mayiicld sub
stitutc for it on the table and that mea-
sure rs now before that body. Its fate
is in doubt, but the Indications arc that
it will so like the Graydon bill.
During the discussion Of the measure
last night ScnatorManning asked Scna
tor Ma. field whether his bill had not
been gotten up in caucus in the execu-
| 'lSt 'iilTc 1T WHICH inc Governor pre-
| sided
Senator Mayiicld replied that he had
written ont his ideas on tho dispensary
and had consulted with three or four
Senators and others about it, and as a
result his substitute was offered
lie did not think however that anul,
consultation should injurc tho chances
of the bill, as no dispcnsary law had been
the product Of one mans intellect.
The Senate proceeded however TO
knock the second section into smithc.
rccns. It provided that the "board of
dlrcctorS' Of the dispcnsary should be
the Governor, chairman of the finance
committee OF the Senate and chairman
OF the committee on ways and means.
Senator Henderson had an amendment
that the Governor should appoint three
men OF moral character who will serve
for two years and receive The Same pei
diem AID mileage AS members of the
Legislature.
Senator Cannon offered as substitute
that tho board be- elected by tho Lcgisla-
hrc. At this point further considcra.
ti"n Of the bill WAS postponed until to-
night.
| lhc Governor was an Interested lis
irncr TO the debate. He occupied a
chair with Lieutenant Scarborough on
the roStrum. After ad journmnnt ho was
asked about the caucus. lie said that
|