The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-02-15
Bill Passed to a Third Reading
in the House.
HOW MEMBERS VOTED

Have to Accept Prohibi-
ton or Establish Dis
pensaries.
The Morgan local option bill, which
abolishes the State dispensa1y and
creates county dispensaries or prohi-
bition, according to how each county
votes, except in Charleston, where
they can issue liquor licenses. estab-
lisa dispensaries or adopt Prohibition
passed its second readirg In tie
House Of Representatives IN Tuesday
of last week by the same vote 1t
passed its first reading week before
last. The bill passed it's third read
ing on Wednesday and was sent to
the Senate. Should 1t pass that BODY
and receive the governors approval 1t
will become a law at once, unless 1t Is
attacked in the courts, which Is prob
able, as some good lawyers hold that
the provision in the bill giving Char
lesion the right to issue licenses
makes the bill unconstitutional.
There were efforts made to kill the
bill, then to amend 1t, but Mr.. Sand
ers, who was the floor manager, kept
the bill intact, and Mr.. Whaley, to.
gether with the other members OF
the Charleston delegation, kept the
Charleston license clause intact, al
though thers was fierce onslaught
on the license clause. It was expected
that there should be fight on the
bill going through. Col. D. o. Her.
bert, of Orangeburg, took up the
fight. against the bill. he stated
plainly that he was opposed to Char
lesion having high license and then
went on to sympathize with Charles
TON wanting something different from
the other counties. Col. Herbert con.
tended that this was wrong In princi'
pie as well as unconstitutional. He
protested against the passage of this
bill. It has been stated that under
this bill as Ii now stands general pro
hibition can be had. This Is a mis-
take. If the Prohibitionists believe
this, they are being deluded. This
bill, this thing of threads and patches,
will not secure prohibition. Uader
this bill counties having dispensaries
will have to pay 10 per csnt to the
State, whereas Charleston, having
high license, will be exempted from
paying anything to the State. Col.
Herbert said this matter of county
dispensaries won't do. It won't do at
all. He insisted that it was all wrong.
Every dispensary in operation to-day
under this bill became a county dis
pensary. Simply changing the name
did no good. He voted fer prohibi'
tion because he thought anything
better than the Morgan bill. This
Morgan bill would bring lot Of fes'
tering sores all over the State.
Capt. Hamel said this was not the
experience OF Georgia and North Caro-
lima.
Col. Herbert said the bill was abso
lutely without restrictions. The coun.
ty boards could buy at any old price,
kpy old liquor, and pledge the credit
of the county Rithout limitation. II
this bill be passed the State simply
multiplies by 35 or 40 times the op
portunities for stealing. The people
cid not seem to appreciate the seri-
tusness Of county dispensaries. The
committee bill regulates the purchase
# liquor. In this bill there are no
restrictions of the county board. The
till, he thought, Was directly in con-
aict with the Constitution. he urged
that the Constitution was written In
the distinctive, and never contem-
plated county adoption. There Is no
local option In the Constitution, and
be did not think there had ever been
any argument against county adop
tion.
Capt. Hamel said the county dis
pensaries were simply the Lesser Of
the evils, and the county dispensaries
would certainly get rid Of the State
dispensary.
Mr.. Otis pointed out that the credit
OF the counties could only be used for
the first purchase, and only the first.
Col Herbert insisted that the coun-
ty dispensarips were unconstitutional,
and could not be legal!zed.
Mr.. Hemphill took q turn at Col.
Herbert, and showed him some Of the
wagon ways In the dispensary bill.
Mr.. Hamel said that II the dispen.
sary advt Gates had gone with the
Prohibitionists the license question
would never hsve been an issue. He
related how the Prohibitionists In the
Constitutional Convention aided the
diSpensary advocates, and made 1t
possible to have a license system. The
ProbIbitlonists in that Convention
fought against licenses, and the dis
pensary advocates forced the license
system into the Constitution. The
Frohibitionists were simply trying to
h.