Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-04
THE COUNTY cHAIRMANS SHIP.

There is going to be something do
ing in the York County Democratic
convention, which meets in Yorkville
next Monday. Such is the outlook from
present indications. The anti-dispen-
sary people are after the county chair
manship and they are calculating on
defeating Mr.. ]. s. Brice for that po"
sition with Mr.. w. H. Stewart.
People who understand the political
situation in this county best, have been
looking for a development Of this kind
for some time. Because York county
has been the principal source Of the
dispensarys troubles since the organ
ization Of the institution and especial
ly since Senator Brice began his brave
fight against the state liquor machine
in the interest of the people OF the
state and the perpetuation OF Demo-
cratic government, the dispensary ele-
ment has been ardently desiring his
overthrow.
But while 1t has been known that the
dispensary element In this county
would like to secure control Of the par
ty machinery, and while people gener-
ally understand that there are a num-
ber of discredited politicians who
would like to get In the swim again at
any price, there has been practically
nothing doing In the campaign leading
up to the reorganization of the clubs,
and the people have not even been
aroused to the fact that there may be
contest.
There has been some quiet under
ground work going on however. SO
quiet has 1t been that 1t must have
been done mostly in whispers. In antic-
ipation of it THE ENQUIRER has sev-
eral times made inquiries with view
to getting some light. Mr.. w. N. Ell
DER Of the state dispensary clerical
force was up in this county few weeks
ago. That was a circumstance. Mr..
w. H. Stewart has been travelling
around through the county in the in
terest of the Southern Cotton asso-
ciatfon. That was another circum-
stance. The lists Of delegates as al
ready printed include q certain per-
centage Of well-known dispensaryites,
and that Is still another circumstance;
but II Is not until the news has come
from without the county has Ii been
practicable to get comprehensive idea
of what is doing.
| The afternoon papers Of Tuesday and
some of the morning papers OF Wed
nesday contained a story sent out from
Columbia to the effect that Mr.. w. n.
Stewart was to be elected county
chairman and the dispensaryites gen.
orally were to take control OF the poit-
ical affairs Of the county. The dis
patch was printed In the Greenville
Herald, Greenville News, Spartanburg
Journal, Columbia Record, Charleston
Post and perhaps other papers, and
was calculated to give the impression
that the whole matter had been perma-
nently and definitely decided. The dis
patch appeared in different forms In
different papers; but the following
from the Columbia Record revealed the
origin Of the whole story:
"The dispensary people of York coun-
ty have organized their forces to oust
J. Steele Brice, state senator, the anti
dispensary leader and author OF the
Brice act under which fourteen coun-
ties have voted out their dispensaries.
| 1.-The representative OF the RECORD
who was at Rock Hill this week, was
informed by q number of dispensary
leaders that Senator Brice's defeat for
reelection as county chairman on the
| 7th of May was now practically GER
tain, enough delegates having been
elected last week to accomplish that
end. w. H. Stewart, who has served
a long number Of years as reading
clerk of the senate. and who Is a
splendid organizer, Is to be put up to
beat Mr.. Brice.
"In addition to this a conference is
to be held at Rock Hill in the imme-
diate future for the purpose OF nomi-
mating four straightout dispensary
men for the legislature. Mr.. Brice's
term as senator does not expire for
| two years and he therefore cannot be
put out altogether until that time, but
| his defeat as county chairman means
almost certainly his defeat as senator
two years hence and the elevation In
his place Of Mr.. Stewart, 1t being GUS
ton ary throughout the state to elect
the county chairman senator.
"Mr. Brice attended the recent anti
dispensary secret conference here re-
Gently. The meagre information given
out about its doirgs disclosed that II
was the intention of the anti-dispensa-
ry people to organize throughout the
state So 1t Is thought likely that the
anti i-dispensary people Of York Will
also put out legislative ticket. In
that event other counties will In all
probability follow suit. The York
| fight appears to mark the beginning OF
drawing sharp lines on the dispensary
issue in the coming summer campaign.
"The storm centre at York appears
to be at Fort Mill, where a straight
Stewart delegation has been chosen TO
|
hand seems to be that Of ex-Represen-
tative J. r. Halle, Of that place, who
Is backing Mr.. Stewart.
"The Yorkville Enquirer Is, OF
course supporting the Brice faction,
though all the other newspapers OF the
county are said to have lined up on the
other side. The threat against the su-
premacy of Mr.. Brice seems to carry
| with It a threat to the domination OF
| the Crisis of The Enquirer"
Upon being shown the foregoing on
Wednesday, Senator Brice said that 1t
was the first he had heard OF an EFFORT
to defeat him for the county chair
manship. He is very well aware OF the
fact that he Is persona non grata to the
dispensary faction as represented py
Messrs. Stewart and Halle and al
though he has made no special effort
to secure the election Of anti-dispen-
sary delegates to the convention, ne
does not think that Messrs. Stewart
and Halle will be able to control that
body. II am quite sure" he declared
that they will never be able to send
dispensary representatives to the gen.
eral assembly"
THE PENSION MONEY.