The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-02-07
OUR COLUMBIA LETTER.

hibition and the county dispensary in
every county except Charleston, where
the option includes high license also.
The bill in which tho principles are in
the Senate, and it remains to be seen
whether that body will in any way
agree 70 the policy which the house
has outlined
The opposition to the retention Of
the State dispensary has been marked
all during the session, and even those
who have in debate upheld the State
institution have not defended it's man.
agement, but have had to content
themselves with claiming that the case
against the management has not been
proved. But since this debate in the
House the revelations in regard to tho
purchase Of labels by the State Board,
brought out by the Investigating COM
mittee now in session., may have viii
the Senate may have to take another
turn. At any rate the sentiment of
tho people as reflected in the General
Assembly is against the State dispen-
| sary as an institution Of moDopolistic
and grating tendencies and In favor
Of county control Of the whiekey ques-
tion and in favor Of the dispensary
| tuition. The prohibition sentiment,
as revealed in the several county elec-
tions under the Brice law, is recog-
nized and the victory for prohibition
in county elections hae led sincere pro-
hibitionists who would favor State
prohibitory law to accept county op-
tion as advantageous to the prohibition
| as reflected in the General Assembly
is also unmistakably opposed to any
license system, although under the in
tIhence of the Charleston delegation
and certain other influences the House
came near having to accept high
license provisi IN in the local option
law it has p 'sted. The Morgan bill,
however, was amended 30 as to exclude
high license in every county in the
State except Charleston. This amend
ment wae not opposed by even Mr..
Morgan himself, the author of the
measure. 1t was formally proposed
ny MIR Sanders, of Spartanburg, but
| was really the product Of a conference
among the friends OF the Morgan bill.
fight for the bill. This fight lasted
practically the entire week, as nothing
else was done BY the House on Friday
and Thursday while the bill was also
under discussion at the night session
of Wednesday and Tuesday. The
fight for the dispensary-for this is
what 1t amounted to-was led by Mr..
Pritchards and Mr. Pollock and others,
ana the debate was very general.
This Is as it should be, for jf the SEN
ate agrees to the measure it means
that the policy of South Carolina in
its handling of the whiskey problem is
to be radically changed.
1t is significant that the bill said to
embody the views Of the staunchest
disp%e;nI93-tJ tas %;I3 supporters. au, such as sena-
eidesa.i0n. This is the meaeure to
purify and reform the State dispeneary
by putting safeguards around tho par-
chase Of Whlakey. Similar measures,
at leaat with similar purposes, are
pending In the Senate, and is ia not un-
likely that the attempt will be he made szsssAe :: &c
Rnf R the celebrated Rayser;M Manning
substitute for the Morgan bill -tpn It
comes over from the House This
might throw the matter into 4. xon-
ference committee and complicste tho
situation considerably.
Senator Manning, who ie q probable
candidate for Governor, is still dis
tenn. Speaker Smith, who 10 alao prob
ably a candidate, voted against the
Morgan bill, and is thereby ,olassed
with tina dispensary people. Senator
Biease, who is an avOwed candidate, is
Q staunch dispensary supporter.
Lieut.. Gov. Slonn has not yet had the
opportunity to express himself by vote
md may not have. as he votes only in
case OF tie, but he is also understood
to be u dispensary man. The Morgan
bill Is almost identical with the plat
form announced about n year ago by
Mr.. NJ. F. Ansel, of Greenvilie, an
avOwed candidate for Governor. So
we are beginning to zee where we are
at in the race this summer. It must
not 5S foT Tsottal. however. that Sena-
tor Tillman has promised to take the
stump in defense of the dispensary.
The House last week placed itself on
record on another important matter,
that Of compulsory education. The
mild bill making provision for the
compulsory attendance Of children on
school for 100 days of the school year,
1Fsit5HaassG FioSsness vas Dyk yk,laa bv yS;s =; 70 e
SO. This: however. is the largest vote
that has yet been cast for the principle
OF compulsory education, and 'shows
tlse sentiment i8 changing in favor
OF the reform that has been advocated
only for the last few years in this
State. The next legislature will like
~ pass compulsory. education BILL.
important measures but has been
working steadily on matters of toca!
or minor importance which have to be
disposed Of before the other measures
come over from the House. 1t has dis
cussed the reformatory and seems to
be favorably disposed In that project.
It has passed the bill increasing go
ltc!tors' salaries, making the amount
$1,700. ~ -, I......- 7'.#7.,s' -
The House has refused to consent
70 the establishment Of q model school
building. at Winthrop on the ground
that the building is not needed. The
House has passed the bill to create
the position of bank examiner, az
thonEh,. to be sure, the conslitution
estahltsses the Office aud the legisIa.
tnre hass nsyer followed out the COZ
es!tltlonal ipjunetion. The salary OF |
$1,000 ia TO be paid by the banks, tc
The Legislature has yet to consider
the the appropriatl9n bin and the supply
week most likely. There arc now Just |
two 9soks remaining Of the session
and In chat time tho work will bo |
r1shed. An adjournment: was taken |
Saturday 4nntil 81. noon Tuesday |
In 4 order >s* 10 allow l. tho mem.
bers to- be at home today. whlch ia |
salesday,' and when they return two |