Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-02-10

i a-mill in Kershaw for the purpose OF
enforcing law against lynching. Who
ls to be the Judge? The present gov
ernor has not done 30, but suppose
there should be a hot gubernatorial
campaign. the governor could send his
minions and spies into that county and
make the county pay their expenses.
The dispensary has been a power for
evil and Is still latent power for evil.
He charged that this Is not Demo-
cracy. The dispensary people say In
effect. Yes. let the majority rule In
your county. but they must pay PEN
atty for It." He declared vehemently
that this is the most concentrated des-
potism ever enacted into law. One
man is the sole judge. there is no. ap-
peal. He wants no profits. merely the
right to govern themselves.
Mr.. Irby stated that he had been out
with the constabulary and he had seen
that although the dlspensary law Is
enforced In the state yet there Is evil
dent a terrible determination on the
part of the blind tigers to violate the
law. What then would be the effect
II the dispensary law should be re-
pealed In a county? The constabulary
even pow is self supporting out Of the
sales of confiscated liquors. What
would be the effect II there should be
no restraint placed on the liquor trust
In its efforts to get young men to drink
liquor? The dispensary Is the best So
luton Of the liquor question. A coun-
ty ought to have prohibition when 1t
asks for it, but It should be willing to
go down in its pockets and pay for
prohibition in order to enforce the law.
Mr.. Otis said in reply to Mr.. Irby
that since the dispensary has been run
out Of Gaffney there has been but one
case Of drunkenness reported against
28 for the same length Of time when the
dispensary was In existence.
| Mr.. Irby gave incidents to show that
liquor Is being sold in rural districts,
even in counties where the dispensary
is In operation.
| Mr.. Otis wanted to know what the
magistrates and their constables are
doing, why are they not stopping this
Illicit traffic?
| Mr.. Irby gave as an instance Of the
eagerness Of the blind tigers that he
had seen the constables bring in SO
sack Of coffee in which was half pint
Of liquor, showing that 80 determined
are they to sell liquor that they would
jeopardize property Of far greater
value. Mr.. Irby opposed local option.
however: IF a county wants prohibi-
ton, let's have 1t, but let's don't have
the old barrooms under the name Of
prohibition. Don't let's be hypocrites."
He denied emphatically that the dis
pensary is a political machine. The
reason 1t has appeared to be machine
is because the majority Of the people
believe II Is the best solution Of the
liquor question. and when a man at
tacks the so-called misconduct at the
| dispensary he Is suspected Of hostility
toward the dispensary and down he
goes. But let a man who Is known to
be a friend to the dispensary make
charges and 1t will be seen that the
dispensary Is not machine. He
charges that more blind tiger liquor Is
sold in Greenwood than there Is dis
pensary liquor sold in Abbeville. And
yet that Is prohibition! He charges
that in. Greenwood a man Will sell
piece of bacon with a bottle of liquor
hid under the skin. There are too
many blatant hypocrites In this coun-
try he said after telling Of a contro-
versy in which he had engaged with
a preacher in Greenwood county. He
alleged that to vote out the dispensary
without this half mill tax would be
but blind tiger system under the
name Of prohibition and hypocrisy it.
self. He is In favor Of actual prohibi-
ton, and for that reason favors the
system which throws protection around
the young men.
At this point the house took recess
until p. m.
Night Session.
Mr.. Ford Of Fairfield was the hrst
| to speak on the Toole dispensary bill
at the night session. The people OF
South Caralina have endorsed the dis
pensary and he wants to see the law
enforced or repealed. Mr.. Feather
stone, Col Hoyt and Col. George ID.
| Tillman had failed Of election for gov
ernor on platforms opposed to the dis
pensary. He has a bill to place a
prospective penalty on any county
which does not enforce the law. wheth-
er or not that county has dispensary
or has never had one He thought this
a better. plan than placing a levy on
county which votes out dispensary.
His bill would leave the matter to the
| discretion of the governor whether
that county has a dispensary or not.
That. he declared, is fair.
| Capt. Sellers Position.
Capt. John c. Sellers of Marion de-
clared this to be merely bill to re-
peal the half mill tax on county
which dares to do what It thinks Is
right The liquor question mas not Deen
settled and will never be settled until
It Is settled right This iniquitous law
which was passed last year was put on
the counties as a penalty and had Its
| prototype in the action Of negro
legislature in 1872 putting a special tax
on Laurens and Union counties to en-
force the, law against alleged "Kuklux.
It is not right, 1t Is not just. The dis
pensary system is in vogue In this
state. With $4,000 the state Of South
| Carolina went into the business OF
making drunkards Of her young men.
| Mr.. Laney-"Are you a prohibition
ist?"
Capt. Sellers-"Yes, sir, surely am
| Continuing, he said that the liquor
traffic was unrestrained In South Car
olina, but long, long ago the legislature
settled that 1t Is an evil, social evil,
a moral evil. The great mistake which
was made was not to meet an evil with
direct prohibition. 1t has been charged
that prohibition Is not common sense
He charged that those who oppose
liquor may be said to be deficient In
common sense He cited the history or