The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-02-20
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
HAS ADJOURNED
THE IMPORTANT PROBLEMS
LEFT UNSOLVED.
The Dispensary Situation Unchanged
Biennial Sessions Voted
Down-Fox Question Not
Touched.

eral assembly, which adjourned to-
night, was expected to deal with three
most important matters: Taxation,
the dispensary and biennial sessions.
1t did nothing on any one OF the
three topics. The record is a blank;
perhaps, more than blank.
Just for the moment it may be we'll
to give the finale on the dispensary
legislation. The whole situation is
expressed in the trite expression,
<sNothing done.'' Not syllable in
the act in force when the members
came here has been changed. One
proposition to amend the law after
another was killed. The house stood
to the finish against the state dispen-
sary, while the senate on the other
hand, insisted and persisted that the
state dispensary must stand, and the
thing to do was to purify the state
dispensary and not abolish it. AS
was said last night the house would
have agreed to almost any reasonable
proposition that would have contain
ed the abolition Of the state dispen-
sary. It wanted local option, and it
voted to that effect time and time
again. The senate, with its forty-one
members, blocked everything that was
proposed by the house, and persisted
in it's one idea that the state dlspen-
sary could be purified by its bills.
Last night, when the house by the lar
gest vote recorded, rejected the SEN
ate bill, practically all hope Of legis-
lation was gone. Some seemed to
think that there might be something
done eby the conference committees,
and if the senate had agreed to- the
proposition to abolish the state dis
pensary>snd let the counties run the
dis% fy, where they wished, and
49, Inhibition in those that have it,
ay would have been very clear.
This morning there was a whisper
that the general assembly would ad-
iourn without electing the new board
or commissioners, and In this way
force Governor Hayward to appoint a
board of directors. It was urged that
in this way a business-like and good
board would have been selected by the
governor. Governor Hayward. how
ever. did not care for this to be done
and thought the general assembly
ought to meet it's own troubles but if
left to him he would do the best he
could. but he much preferred not to
have a thing to do with the appoint
lnents
The first bill which went to confer
ence ana then to free conference was
the remnant of the Morgan bill. The
committees on this bill were:
Conference Senators Blake and
Williams. and Messrs. Browning, Gas
ton and Otis.
Free Conference-Senators Walker
McIver and Efrd, and Messrs. Rich
ards, Sanders and Whaley.
Then the Rucker relict went through
the mill. On conference there were:
Senators W. J. Johnson and J. B.
Black and Messrs. CASTOR. Arnold
and Ashley. On free conference
Senators Stackhouse, Bates and Wells
and Messrs. Richards. Otis and Nash.
All the work Of the conference COM
,nittees counted for nau@ht, and both
of the bills were reelected and abso-
lutelv nothing was done in the way OF
dispensary legislation, except to elect
the executive officers Of the dispen-
sarv under the old law, which pro-
vides for the $400 salaries, about
which so much has been said.
The free conference committee on
the Morgan bill brought about one
verv curious development. Is 4 gon~
eral thing II i~ ret known what hap
pens IN these conference meetings,
bit there is an intorcstiM" story in
5his meeting.
7he coase~3nc3 Sc, s2.:;;or..
zvn,,.. 80. r~.." c~onn.>:.r .r..>.,:.;;
WAS submitted Oh the Mrr~an ~?