The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-01-31
AN ADMINISTRATION PLAN
a CAUCUS MEASURE DEFEATED
Senator Mayneld's Substitute Dis
pensary Bill Was SummariIy
Killed.

The Senate had under considerable
the Graydon dispensary bill, Of whic
the hrst section relating to the con
missioner ana his saary mad BE-,
adopted, when Senator May field move
as substitute the bill he had previous
ly offered
Senator Sheppard moved to strilI
out Section 2 OF the amendment whic
constitutes the board of control OF tn
Governor, chairman OF the committe
ways ana means and chairman OF com
mittee on foanceS Of the Senate.
Senator Henderson oifered the fol
lowing as u substit Ito for Senate
Sheppard's ap&ldment : Strike ou
Section 2 of Substitution and insert
Immediately upon the approval of thi
Act tho Governor shal! appoint thre,
men OF good moral character, VIII,
shall be known as the directors OF til,
dispensary, whose term Of Office shal
oe Tor Two years, unless sooner re
moved by the Governor, and who shal
receive tne same per diem and mileage
a5 members Of the GeLeral Assembly
to be paid. out OF dispeusary funds al
other bills are paid, which said boaro
| shall be charged with the duties here
In after provided ana shall meet within
ten days after their appointment
| once, and organize as u board.
Senator Sheppard thought it best to
consider one tniug AZ ttme. The
| hrst question is Us to whether Section
z shall stand. Let it be considered on
its merits and not be complicated with
other propositions.
Senator Henderson said his substi-
tute was to eliminate all State officers
AND he saw no reason why it shouldn't
be considered now.
Senator Maytield thought his amend
ment should first be voted on and then
amendments could be made.
Senator Sheppard said if it was the
settled policy Of the Senate that no
State ohcers should be on the board
then he had nothing further to saw.
No result followed from this prellm-
mary skirmish and Senator Manning
addressed the Senate. He said he had
opposed the dispensary at first because
he thought IT unconstitutional and
that 1t would build up huge political
machine in the State, which would be
fruitful source OF fraud and corrup-
tion. But it Is now the law and should
be obeyed. His observation has been,
nevertheless, that the law has been
beneficial. The habit Of drinking has
decreased among young men. Candor
and honesty require tnat he should
state this in this public way. He would
lend every effort to do away with OBJ
jectionaole features and improve the
law. He said he had been informed
That this substitute is tho outcome of a
caucus or conference that has been
held In the Cflce OF the Chief Execu-
tive OF the State, conference over
which tho Governor presided. He felt
that thl; vas a matter the people
should be informed Of. He asked the
Senator from BAN berg whether this
was the origin of the b.n.
Senator Maytisld in reply, said he
had for days been getting up u bill.
He had consulted with Senators. He
had written out his views, and there
was a meeting OF three or four Sena-
tors, and some others, to consider plans
for the renovation uf tho dispensary.
In connection with thess Senator'S his
was agreed upon. He did
not believe euch action ought TO juro
the chances OF the bill. He moved to
lay on the table the amendments of
Senators Sheppard and Henderson, but
withdrew the motion.
Senator Henderson said ne was not
connected with any caucus, but Nc Ia
hero TO try and see that the dispensary
is properly and honestly admiuisLe red.
He had not talked to a man who did
not think the board OF control should
be abolished. That is the end looked
TO. The Graydon board has been de-
featod. His own plan propOeed that
no State officer should be on the board.
We nave tried electing members OF
tho board. There is no use mlnctng
words. Politicians are elected, and
they are not wanted, but business men
are; according to the Msytield bill the
commissioners Is to be elected by the
beard. That will make him creature
OF the board, which Is not wanted. He
sod II hie amendment was adopted he
would follow it up by an amendment
to Section 3, as follows: "There shall
DO appointed by the Governor q State
llquQr commissioner, upon the approval
OF this Act, who shall act as such until
the election OF his successor as herein
provided, and that hereafter such
liquor commissioner shall no elected by
the people at ench general election,
and shall hold his Office for period OF
two years, and until his successor shall
be elected and qualified" One trouble
with the present management was
that the members had different terms,
and this caused constant wrangllng.
Senator Graydon, referring to Soma
tor Manning's remarks, said shat his
bill was not the result of caucus, but
WAS the product of his own brain. His
bfll has been dubbed by the newspapers
the administration measure. 1t ls not.
The administration had nothing to do
with 1t. He alone Is ccsponsi bic for it.
He thought the dispensary law the
beat solution OF the liquor question
ever evolved anywhere, though he at
first opposed 1t. He went into gen-
eral defence OF the system. There is
no reason, he said, why the dispansary
cannot be conducted as honestly as the
Treasurer's office, or any other State
Office. The Legislature is competent
to elect a commissioners, and there was
no need OF having another elective
Office.
In reply to Senator Henderson he
said he trusted the people, but some
good man running for tie Office might
be defeated by false charges that he
was being supported by the whiskey
element. He had no objection to Sena-
tor Hendersoh's idea ABOUT tho com.
position Of the board, but he was Cd.
posed to the Mayfeld nondescript sub
stttute, which could not stand.
Senator Mayfield said that he could
not help smiling when Senator Gray.
don said that he was the sole author OF
the bill. The vote OF tho Senate yes.
terday showed that they knew that
the law which he praises 80 highly
Ori p mated In n ran,,us Ho than ru-