Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-09-20
WALHALLA, 8. G. +.
Josh ASHLEY ON THE DlspewsaRY.
"Boys, u We Can't Cut on Its Head, Cut on
the Snakes TAIL"
CThe State.1


dispensary investigating committee
from day to day,-I am beginning to
think that my position on the dispen-
sary will be sustained by the people.
was member of the Legislature
when the law was enacted and op-
posed it and gave as my reasons the
very things that the investigating
committee have brought out in the
testimony, that there was room for
fraud, and that the liquor machine
would at some time have too much
influence over the government. Can
anybody point to single act thai
has been passed in the Legislature
since the dispensary law was passed
that was very strongly opposed by
the dispensary officials, with the ex-
ception possibly of the Brioe bill,
and that was not passed without
rider that the dispensarites thought
would prevent the law from being
tried. They thought little one
half mill tax would scare the voters
off, but it seems the voters are not
so much afraid of the increase of
taxes, for every county that has had
a chance to vote on the question has
decided against the dispensary re-
gardless of the half mill tax. Ihave
believed all the time that the system
was rotten, and have said so publicly,
and it seems the committee investi-
eating it is proving it to the world.
Now as to the remedy that will
cure the sick man. Senator Tillman
says kick out the present board and
put in new one. That has been
done two or three times and this
committee that is kicking up 30 much
dust is finding that there were some
things rotten way back in the good
old times. The Senator SAYS to
make the Governor chief barkeeper
and let two of the other State Off
GERS stand by to help him dish it out.
We'll, we have tried that plan, too,
and the time has not been so long
but that few of us remember that
his Excellency, the Governor, was
accused of taking rebates. Mr.. Edi-
tor, you are old enough to remember
that far back, / am sure. Now, it
seems that none of these so.called
cure.alls is the proper remedy, so
now what are the dispensaryites to
do?
am not surprised at the results of
this investigation, but there is one
thing that is following these county
ele ctions around that don't under
stand. Who employs these lawyers
to follow these county elections and
ask for injunctions to prevent the
will of the people from being carried
out? Does the dispensary pay them
out of it's prophets? l am very we'll
acquainted with one of these Gin
junction lawyers" and i am per-
suaded that he is getting pay for his
work. So who pays the bill (?
There has been another objection
to the county elections. Senator
Tillman says to wait and see what
the Legislature will do with it next
winter. There will be the same set
of men there next winter that was
there last winter and what did they
do? Then again, the Senator says
if the Legislature don't make the
thing decent and almost beautiful,
we can have State election next
summer and decide or the dispensary
question by putting out dispensary
candidate and prohibition candi-
date. Now, everybody knows that
is not fair test of any measure, be-
cause the personality of the candi-
dates will come in for big vote re-
gardl ess of the issue. Senator Till
man also says that we ought not to
have an election under the Brice
law because the law was undemo-
cratic, that all the citizens were not
4