The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-05-08
NEW TURN IN BEER FIGHT.

NEW TURN In BEER FIGHT.
| Columbia Bother Begins to Sell Di-
rect to Consumers ON Lexington
! County Orders.
Columbia, May 1.-The contest
over the sale of beer in this county
took a new turn today, when Mr.. j.
Best Letton began to sell beer direct
to the consumer on orders through
! the board Of control Of Lexington
county. Schlitz beer is now being sold
by Mr.. Letton at rs cents per dozen
bottles. The price charged by the
beer dispensaries is ten cents per bot
tie or s1.20 per dozen.
Mr.. Letton is one of the beer bot
tiers whose license was recognized
and continued in force by the Carey
Cothran act, and he has been party
to the fight made to shut out Charles
Neary, whose license under that act
was also recognized by the Richland
county board These beer bottlers
under the law. have the right to sell
| to any county board in the State, not
being confined to the county in which
their plant is located or their license
issued The county boards also
have the right to sell in any county,
Section 6 of the Carey-Cothran act,
reading as follows: eThe members OF
the county dispensary board are
hereby declared to be county officers,
and are hereby authorized and en-
powered under the authority and in
the name Of this State to buy in any
market and retail within the State Ii
| quors and beverages as provided
herein
Having fled his bid with the Lex
ington county board for Schlitz beer,
and the bid having been accepted by
that board, Mr.. Letton is now au-
thorized by the board to fill. orders
| in Columbia. Regular request blanks,
such as are used in the Lexington
county dispensary, are provided, to
be signed by the applicant for beer,
and they will be countersigned by a
clerk of the Lexington county board
in this city. Mr.. Letter proposes to
put his wagons on the streets and
supply the trade He began busi-
ness today and is said to have done
good trade, although it was not
known generally during the day that
this arrangement had been made.
Meanwhile the Richland county
board today. began the operation Of
the bottling plant which it leased
from Mr.. L. L. Bultman, formerly
beer bother, and is now bottling
supply Of Augusta beer. The board
has announced the purchase Of 700
barrels Of Schlitz beer, direct from
the brewery, and 700 barrels Of Au-
gusta beer besides large purchase
of bottled beer In case the county
boards supply runs short before
these orders can be filed, the scheme
Of Mr.. Letton means picnic for him.
The sales Of beer in Columbia amount
to almost $500 per day.
And then the right Of the county
board to bottle its own beer will
doubtless be contested in due time,
though no intimation of what course
Will be pursued Oh the line has been
given by Mr.. Letton. Whether or not
Mr.. Lotions right to sell beer as the
representative of the Lexington board
Will in turn be contested is not
known. Mr.. Letton has evidently
acted only after seeking legal advice
as TO the rights and powers of himself
and OF the Lexigton county boatd.
Messrs. Bellinger & Welch have act
ed as his attorneys all through this
matter
L may be said that the clause in
section Of the Carey-Cothran act
which makes the county boards
agents OF the State instead Of the
counties. was so worded and framed
because of the constitutional inhibi-
ton on the sale of whiskey except
By the State or individuals licensed by
the general assembly. The Morgan
bill made the county boards agents
Of the counties. but this was consid-
cred defective and in framing the Ca
rey-Cothran law the authors were
careful to make the county boards
agents of the State, so that the law
might be free from attack as to its
constitutionality on this point-News
and Courier