Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-02-03
DEATH OF THE BRicE BILL.


viding that incorporated towns shall
have the right to remove dispensaries
from their limits whenever major
ity Of the qualified voters so desire
came up for consideration on Wednes-
day, and occupied the attention Of the
senate for several hours. Senator
Brice spoke In favor Of the bill as did
also Senator Mauldin Of Greenville,
and Senator Cole L. Blease Of Newber-
ry led the opposition, delivering a
lengthy speech against the proposition.
The bill was killed by vote Of Is to
IL. The News and Courier Of yester-
day gives the following summary OF
Senator Brice's speech on the subject:
Senator Brice said he had introduced
the bill, frankly and honestly, for the
purpose Of giving the people Of South
Carolina a chance to vote out the dis
pensary, root and branch. He is ever
lastingly and eternally opposed to 1t
In all Of its features. II the naked
Devil would come to the earth to en-
act a liquor law the dispensary law
would be the sort Of law he would
make. This law was adopted as an
experiment and was enacted at a time
when a political faction would do any
thing that was told them. It was en-
acted to deceive the people. Actually
the papers compliment the managers
on making a splendid financial show
ing. The object is to increase the sale
rather than restrict the sale OF liquor.
Towns were given a part Of the profits
to f1 laho
them favor the system. His bill, he
said, is strictly in the line Of local self
government. He said he did not favor
the Mauldin bill, which would abolish
the dispensary and might cause the
state to lose money, but his bill Will
give the people the opportunity to
say whether they want dispensaries
or not.
In speaking Of the effects Of the dis
pensary he said negroes hung around
them Saturday night like carrion crows
around a carcass. The only objection
against his bill is that 1t will kill the
ed. Seventy-five thousand voters Of
the state today are opposed to the oc-
topus and It will be futile to attempt
to refuse them what they want. 1t Is
useless for men to wash their hands
like Pontius PLATE. to rid themselves
Of responsibility. The people OF the
state are convinced that the system
cannot be improved. You cannot make
a clean thing out Of this vile dtspensa-
ry law. Referring to Cherokee, he
said they had voted out the dispensary
In spite Of the tax.
Some men claim that they do not
worship the dispensary but their gen
Infections before the South Carolina
Bacchus would satisfy the most ardent
advocate OF the system. The tax Is
undemocratic and that feature Of the
law prejudges counties. 1t Is tax on
morality. The law Is considered so
sacred that 1t must be enforced, even
when other crimes are not especially
run down. II It is q state matter why
is 1t not a national matter? This dis
pensarv Ia trying to ram something
down the throats Of the people which
they don't want, and II that Is not the
government running the people, rather
than the contrary, then he didn't know
what 1t was
We had local option in South Car
olina prior to the dispensary law. Lo.
cal self government Is the cardinal
principle Of Democracy.
olina gave little children books In one
hand, telling them Of the evils OF alco-
hol, yet in the other hand they are
given a dispensary bottle. The people
Of South Carolina will repudiate the
dispensary whenever they are given
the opportunity. Some counties may
remain in the dark for q while. AS a
he felt 1t a duty not
to encourage citizens to drink and
debauch themselves. They will drink
enough anyway. They ought to be dis
In those counties where
prohibition prevails the sale Of liquor
is under the ban and its drinking be-
comes more or less a matter Of odium
on the one indulging. 1t Is said that
ought to be established
because people will drink anyhow:
Well. II that Is so, you might as well
license murderers, because murders
will be committed.