Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-02-19
THE BRICE BILL.

Senator Brices local option bill was
discussed in the house last Wednesday
night for two hours, and the indica-
tions seemed to be that the dispensary
advocates were very much afraid Of it
more afraid in fact than they would
have been of a bill to repeal the law.
Following Is Mr.. August Kohn's report
of the proceedings:
| Senator Brice's bill on the removal of
dispensaries was taken up ats o'clock.
Mr.. Dorroh moved to strike out the
provision for a tax Of one-half Of one
mill in counties without dispensaries to
enforce the law. Mr.. Dorreh proposed
that. this tax should only be imposed II
the governor deems 1t advisable.
Mr.. Peurifoy said he had heard the
discussion in the senate. The bill came
here with big majority Of the senate.
His county was not for prohibition; he
was personally a Prohibitionist. He
was a supporter of the dispensary.
Some men abuse the board and some
men say they get rich quick, but no
man Is guilty until convicted. Last fall
nearly every man signed a petition
asking for the dispensary at Saluda to
be closed. He and others asked that
the dispensary be closed at Saluda-
All that could be said was urged to
board. He consulted Mr.. Williams
about his bill, because he regarded
him as a good man and knowing all
about the dispensary. This bill comes
here with favorable report. The time
has arrived to perfect an imperfect
law. The state board denied the re-
quest from Saluda because Of the law,
which, the board said, would not allow
a dispensary to be closed. He was glad
he could say he was Democrat and
under that banner he fought for local
self-government. He presented the
Journals, showing the names OF the
best men in Saluda asking that this
bill be passed, and similar petitions
came from all over the state. He be-
lieved the house would pass this bill,
and he pleaded for the passage OF the
bill in the name Of the womanhood OF
the state. He was a friend Of the dis
pensary, but he wanted to exempt Sa-
luda from the dispensary system.
Mr. Towill, as a friend Of the dis
pensary and a member Of the new
board Of control supported the bill. He
believed it looked towards prohibition.
people for some such legislation, and
he favored the Brice bill, because he
regarded it as the best step now to-
wards temperance. He advocated the
bill because the people want 1t. There
has been opposition to the provision
that counties with the dispensary
should pay one-half Of one mill 1or the
enforcement of the law. He believed
this was right and proper. He did not
believe there was county In the State
where the law was enforced. He said,
in reply to an inquiry as to why the
tax should be imposed before the mon
ey was needed, that he believed that
liquor was the greatest curse on Gods
green earth, and 0y people was fortu-
nate that did not have the sale of IL
quor. He believed the bill was good
one, and believed 1t meant much to the
success Of the dispensary and the bet
ter enforcement Of the law. He made
a vigorous plea for the bill, for the dis
pensary and it's management.
Mr.. Mccain doubted II the author of
the original bill would recognize the
bill. The senate had so am nded the
original bill as to taxing non -dispen-
sary counties as to entirely change the
bill. With the tax feature the bill was
not what was wanted. Let the gov
ernor decide whether the law Is en-
forced and whether the tax Is needed
to enforce the law or not before COL
lecting this money. He wanted to say
that York has as fine citizenship as in
South Carolina, whether or not the
dispensary caused drinking. He
thought personally he would vote to
keep the dispensary at Yorkville. put
that was not the principle involved
here. The essence was that Of self
government 1t would be as we'll to
have no law, as the bill as 1t came
from the senate with the tax amend
ment that came from he did not know
where. He believed in majority rule
and let the majority rule. We ought
to carry out the will Of the majority.
MIR. Pollock offered two amendments.
One was to have the voting at a pri-
mary Local self-government Is not