The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-11-17
high LICENSE BILL
MAY BE- THE SOLUTION
COL. B.. A. MORGAN TALKS OF
HIS PENDING MEASURE.
Author May Amend The Bill-lm-
possible Now to Say What the
General Assembly Will Do
at Coming Session.

Greenville, November 13.-Repre-
sentative B. A.. Morgan has given
close study to the whiskey problem
and he is probably one of the best
informed men in the state on the sub
iect. In an interview with the States
correspondent he had some interest
ing things to say and the mooted
question "After the dispensary-
wfat?" was commented upon at some
length.
In reply to that query Mr.. Morgan
said:
ssI wish 1 could tell you. Ordinari-
ly on questions of great moment one
can pretty we'll tell what the legis-
qature is going to do, but in this in
stance it would not do even to guess
at it.
"You see, when we adjourned last
winter, bur one county had voted the
dispensary out, and since that time
such a number have gone dry that
unless you knew what effect the 60
ing dry would thave on the respec-
tive representatives, it is idle to es-
innate the action of the house. If I
remember correctly, some counties
have voted out the dispensary whose
REPRESENTATIVES were standing by IL
heretofore"
"Do you think the legislature at the
coming session will take action in the
natter%
eyes, I think there will be posi-
tive action of some kind in the legis-
lature the coming session. under
Z stand there are number OF bills be-
ing prepared by various members,
and that bills covering almost every
phase of the question will be intro
duced" .......... ....
"What about your license bill, Mr..
Aorgan?"
: "I have felt a little lonely with my
license bill last session. At that time
but one county, as before said, had
voted out the dispensary and any idea
looking to abolishing the machine was
quite foreign to most of the members,
SO, when I introduced bill to that
effect and it was promptly referred TO
the committee on the dispensary and
that committee as promptly return
ed an unfavorable report, was left in
a class all to myself. In the five ses-
sions I have attended not a session
has passed but some bill looking to
a change in the dispensary law has
been introduced, but not one Of them
went TO the root of the thing and
. sought to dig it up entirely. Such a
bill was so out of the ordinary, the
Brice bill was not excepted, that it
really seemed to some as fooEhardy
and some newspapers criticised it
only SO far as to say that if its author
thought he was mailing short cut
to fame he was wbefully mistaken.
But if I mistake not, some counties
3 in which such criticisms were made
have since administered the dope.
"My license bill is on the calendar
for next session, being No. 400, Ih'av-
ing been introduced last year and con-
tinued. think, now, that will amend
the bill so as to make it Of force in
all counties alike, in order to con-
form to the constitution, and will,
therefore, make it in the first place a
pure and simple prohibition meas
ure, with provisions allowing the peo-
pie in the various counties to vote
upon the question whether liquor
shall be sold in such county Under the
license or county dispensary system.
If the people vote against both sys
TENS, why, the county remains dry.
In other words, it is local option be-
tween prohibition, q1igh license and
county 'dispensary."
'Is high license barroom system,
Mr.. Morgan?"
mo, high license is not barroom
system. Why, I will take the consti-
tuition and prove to you that it is
the most prohibitive system under the