Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-08

when so many people seemed to think
that the dispensary law was the best
solution OF the liquor question" and
stated that he was glad to know that
most of these were seeing their mis-
take. To illustrate the predicament
of the others he told the story OF a
man who saw a hat in the centre of a
muddy road and on lifting it found
the head of a live man underneath
He at once attempted to pull the man
out, but the apparently unfortunate
fellow objected, saying that there was
a wagon and team underneath, and they
must be saved first. There is wag-
on and team under the dispensary
people In the shape Of personal inter-
est and they are not going to surrender
those interests. 1t Is impossible to
purify the dispensary-impos and
absurd. You can't purify a hog pen
by putting a nice clean hog in 1t. The
hog will soon become as filthy as the
pen. That is the way with these dis
pensary people. Put good man In the
OlSpeilSdTy dIlu hC Will DeSoAiiS 60
as 1t is. Mr.. Hafners remarks pro-
voked liberal applause.
Rev. DR.. ]. L. Stokes made a few
brief remarks in which he expressed
himself as believing that the Brice
law Is the best solution Of the liquor
question. He felt quite sure that Gov
ernor Heyward would not levy that
special tax unless 1t was necessary,
and he had come to the conclusion that
the tax feature, instead Of being
hinderance as the enemies Of local
self f-government had intended. was
really a help. In conclusion, DR..
Stokes appealed to the people OF the
county for assistance and promised 70
give all the help he could in removing
the dispensary.
Mr.. Thomas F. McDow, on being
called upon, said that he felt In
somewhat awkward position because
he was unable to agree with anybody
who had spoken on this subject. He
said he was familiar with conditions
as they existed in Yorkville before the
dispensary came here and he thinks
conditions were a little worse then
than they are now. That was his opin-
ion, he said; but Ii is honest. How
ever, | am against the dispensary and
I want to see II run out Of the state.
I said when l ran for the legislature
that the dispensary was born In bitter
ness and strife and had cost blood
shed, and that we should give 1t fair
trial. 1t has had fair trial and 1t has
proved an ignominious failure. l still
think 1t impossible to honestly ad-
minister the law. Its parent In a
speech said he smelled something rot
ten, referring to the fact that OF the
$500, 900 worth Of whisky now In the
hands Of the state, 100000 worth OF II
is down I'm Columbia, much Of it as dead
stock. The senator wants this situa-
ton investigated; but 1t does not seem
to require any investigation. Anybody
knows 1t Is the result Of midnight
poker games and other dark proceed
ings. But how are we going to purify
the dispensary? II the senator with
all his great ability. all his power and
influence has been unable to purify IT.
how should he expect others to do IT?
Then, again when the senator talks OF
the old conservatives being responsible
for his nasty bastard brat. don't he
know he Is lying? 1t Is not my pur-
pose to specify where the corruption
lies, whether with Nixon, Traxler. Ia
tum, ETC.: but there Is not a word Of
truth In the assertion that the legisla-
ture was responsible. The legislature
was subservient to him and did his bid
ding, the system was adopted. The
senator also claims that this opposition
to the dispensary is a fight on him,
/ wonder II the time Is never coming
in this glorious state when the people
cannot repeal an obnoxious law. with
out some servant threatening to beat
the tom-toms Of factional strife. Mr..
Mellow said that he had never admir-
ed Senator Tillman, but had never boil
ted his ticket and never intended TO
do so as long as he remained party
man; but he believed that the people
should have a right to think and talk
as they pleased and so far as he was
concerned he proposed to exercise that
right He thought that the dispensary
should be wiped out root and branch.
Mr. NJ B. Jennings made a few re-
marks in response to call. He SAID
that the dispensary started out small
affair." owned by the state, and now II
Is a big affair, which owns the state.
He said that the will Of the people
had already been side tracked more
than once by making a state issue OF
dispensary, and ne thought that, II the
people persisted In their determination
to make 1t a local issue II would be their
time to win out. Referring to that
$500, 900 of dead stock. he declared that
the dispensary authorities were bound
to get rid of 1t, even II they hau 10
close II out at 2 cents quart. and the
effect Of a flood Of cheap liquor over
the state was a proposition that ne
did not like to contemplate. He
thought the people Of York would do
we'll to run to cover before the flood
is turned on. Mr.. Jennings said that
the dispensary was established before
he had reached his majority and he
was glad that he had no responsibility
for 1t. He is glad now Of being
voter because he will have the honor
Of helping to wipe ii out.
Mr.. Brice. upon the conclusion of
the remarks Of Mr.. Jennings, took
occasion to reply to what Mr.. McDow
had said with regard to his opinion of
conditions in Yorkville now as COM
pared with the conditions that pre-
vailed previous to the establishment
of the dispensary. Mr.. McDOw had
made his statement merely as an eX-
preston Of opinion, said Mr.. Brice.
and I want to state that my own i'm
pressions Of conditions are very diff
ferent. 1t was because of the notice.
able increase of drunkenness follow
ing the dispensary that / was induced
to try to place in the hands of the
people a means of removing dispensa-
ri hn acfahliS hman nf