The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-11-20
Will OPEN AGAIN.
The Dispensary Board viii Put
DispensaTy at ElIoree.

The Efforts OF the People Of Ellore,
to Get Rid Of the Dispensary TO,
Past Three Years Recalled.
At meeting of the orangeburs
county dispensary board, held or
Wednesday, it was agreed to reoper
the dispensary at Elloree. Mr. Johr
W. Berry, for several years vel
Known merchant of Orangeburg and
now doing business at Elloree, has
been elected dispenser and is dispos,
ing of his mercantile business 50 as
co devote all of his time to the man.
agement of the dispensary.
We have seen no statement from,
the board as to why the dispensary
Will be re-established, but we do not
believe the board would force the
dispnsary on the town unless a ma
Jority had asked for it. We have
heard that the boar had numerous
requests to reopen the Elloree dis
pensary so sent representative
there to ascertain the wishes of the
people and his report showed a ma
jority of the citizens of the town as
desiring to see the dispensary re-es-
tablished.
1t also stated on authority that
the well known fact of there being
several blind tigers in the El!oree
section, had nothing to do with the
decision of the board to reestabIlsh
the dispensary. They say they were
prepared to handle the blind tigers
and that their sole reason for reopen
ing the dispensary was the expressed
wish of majority Of the Elloree cit
izens that they do so.
It can hardly be true that over the
protests of 2 majority of the citizens
in Elloree. the county dispensary
board has decided to place the dis
pensary back in that town, as stated
by the CSolumbia State. We are sat
isfed that if majority of the peo-
pie of Elloree do not want the dis
pensary that the dispensary board
will not force it on them. Possibly
the board has been deceived about
the matter. If that is the case the
matter can easily be arranged as
soon as the true facts are brought to
the attention of the board
The reopening Of the dispensary
recalls the long, hard fight made by
the people of Elloree to get rid Of the
and means probably they
will make another effort along the
same lines The efforts to remove
the dispensary started about three
years ago a petition was forward
ed the State board of dispensary di-
rectors asking them to close the Ell
loree dram shop. 1t was signed by
all except four or five of the voters
Of the precinct and the State board
decided TO order the place closed.
However, the dispenser, J. NJ.
Weeks, brought action before the su-
preme court to order the dispensary
reopen on the ground that the Brice
law had been violated and that under
that law the board had no right to
close any dispensary, where the coun-
ty retained the institution as whole,
lust as the board was required to
close all dispensaries when, under the
same law, they were voted out. This
contention Of the dispenser was sus-
.ained by the supreme court and the
lispensary was reopened.
When the Carey-Cothran act was
passed the citizens of Elloree again !
made a strong effort to have the place
closed under the opportunities given
under the act for local self-goVern-
nent. They presented a petition to
Gov. Ansel and also wrote Attorney
General Lyon for an opinion on the
matter. Before any test was made.
however, the county board Of Orange
burg announced that the place would
be closed and up to the time or the
election OF a dispenser recently the
place has been without dispensary
The State says recently, however.
ne of the leading citizens OF the
own heard that the county board
contemplated reopening the dlspen-
sary, and, although they were inform
ed By members of the board that this
would not be done against the will
Of the majority, a petition, signed oy
nearly every taxpayer in the township
in which the town is located, Fas
presented to the board.
Since then, however, according 10
Rev. John A. Brunson, one OF the
leaders in the fight to keep the dispen
sarv away, others have been at work
for the dispensary and the decision
Of the Orangeburg board means that
some legal steps will be taken to
keen it closed and-should there be
no section in the present law war
rantiug thiS-that an amendment
will be introduced at the next session
Of the general assembly making It
possible.
The contention that county board
has no right to close any place open
at the time Of the passage of the
Carev-Cothran act is easily overcome
t1v