The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-19
LOCAL OPTION BILL
Passed by the Senate and So to
the House,
AFTER ALONG AND HOT DEBATE.

Under Its Provisions Any County
Can Vote ont the Dispenaary
but Such County Must
Enforce Prohibition.
Senator Brice's bill to amend the
dispensary law by granting counties
the right to vote out an established
dispensary was brougt up as special
order on Monday night of last week.
Senator Brice made a vigorous attack
on the dispensary law, alluding to
many OF its best known and, to some,
Its most obnoxious features. Senator
Sharpe, an ad3ocase Of the law, de-
tended 1t, and opposed the bill.
Senator McIver made q clear, thought
full speech for tho bill and Senators
Hardin and Peurifoy suggested
a .nendments. Debate was adjourned
at 10 o'clock, Until Tuesday morning
at IL. The suggested amendments
will be printed inSthe Journal.
When the bill was brought up SEN
ator Sharpe moved to strike out the
enacting words. Senator Brice ii
response said that though he had once
voted for the dispensary he now
thought it iniquitous. Instead OF be-
Ing the "best solution OF the liquor
question" 1t is the worst ever con-
ceived by man." Under the barroom
system lower element sold liquor
butunder the dispensary system it is
the Palmetto State.
Heidi rot thing that communities
who would vote out the dispensay
would sanction blind tigers. York
Vile has given the dispensary fair
trial and has enforced the law. He
believed that all the senators would
vote cOnscientiously on the bill and
asked them to point to him a part
Of the bllltdoing wrong to anyone. If
the bill passes Yorkiville will abso-
IuJeiy DO AWAY with the dispensary.
He would be willing for purely local
bill but he knew that other communi-
ties wanted their dispensaries remov-
ed.
Senator Sharpe, who spoke next,
was one of the committee who report
ed the bill unfavorably. He aunounc-
ed at the outset that he was in favor
OF dispensary law. The reason why
the dispensary law has apparently
never reduced the tazes is that
large expenses have been incurred
each year. He alluded to the expendi-
ture for Winthrop in Senator Brice's
own county. BE had always been a
Democrat but this is State PROPOSE
tion. Senator Sharpe denied that the
courts In his section of the State had
been corrupted by the dispensary or
any other Influence. He said that he
had been asked by some one in York
cprt1ty. to fight against Senator .Brtce's
bill, he Knew from personal obserYas
tion that the dlspensarY was run we'll.
He did not believe that the news
palsrs had been bought up by the
dis censarY. There were some in Co.
lunibia which still preserve the free
and. untrar1elled right to fight it. He
wanted tho bill defeated.
Senator McIver said the bill was
an attack On the dispensary system.
That Is too fixed for anyone to expect
an attack upon it. The bill offered
by Senator Brice is a good one, and
he hoped that 1t would be adopted. !.
The people should have the right to
vote out Il dispensary should they
wish. II community that voted for
the system, thinking it o good one,
wished to rid itsel: It shonld be so
allowed. The bill is essentially
Democratic. The agrument that
some Of the larger towns, by voting
out the dispensary, deprive the State
OF revenue, should not be used az 1t
Is not Democratic. Practically speak
Ing, few o. the larger towns which
derive considerable revenue from the
dlspensary would vote 1t out. Still
all should have the privilege. The
advocates OF the system seem to fear
that any bill upon the dispensary Is a
direct attack at the whole system.
Senator Peurifoy wished to amend
the bill by allowing a town to vote
out the dispensary without submitting
the question to the entire County.
He thought the bill admirable but
that this amendment should be in
serted. Often town and county pre-
judice Is divided. He also thought
the dispensary law is here to stay,
but the privilege should be granted.
1t is not right that this Democratic
measure should be refused in this
boasted seat of principle.
Senator Hardin asked Senator
Sharpe to Withdraw his motion to kill
the bill 80 that an amendment might
be read. This was assented to for
the time being. Senator Hardin's
motion was that In counties or COM
munities where there are no dispen-
saries and where the officials will not
enforce the laws as to Illicit sale OF
Liquors, tho government shall enforce
the law at the expenses OF that com
munity or county. Senator Hardin
Offering this amendment said that
though he had been one OF the com.
mittee who reported the bill unfavor-
ably, he would feel that he must vote
for 1t If 1t was not 30 amended.
Senator Sharpe's motion to kill the
bill was then put to vote, resulting
as follows:
Aye, Senator Aldrich, Blake, Dean,
Gaines, Herndon, Hydrick, Sharp,
Williams, s.
Nay, Senators Brice, Brown, But
ler. Carpenter, Douglass, Hardin.
Holiday, Johnson, Marshall, Mccall,
McIver, Mcleod, Peurifcy, g. w.
Ragsdale, Raysor, Sheppard, Stack
house, Standard, Talbird, vonKolnitz,
20.
Thoae not nresent vhap tho yoto