The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-02-13
VOTED DOWN
The Raysor.Manning State Dis"
pensary Pnrification Bill
KILLED By SENATE

Ware Made by Senator's Thomas
NJ. Raysor and L. G. Wa ker
and Against 1t by Senator's
SlnkIer, and Others.
VisitorS throngsd the Senate cham
ber and galleries Tuesday night OF
last week expecting to witness 3 bat
tile royal between the dispensary and
anti. dspenssry forces, but they went
away disappointed. After listening
to ore address on the subjeet OF the
dispensary by seAator Rsysor, OF Or.
augsburg, author ct the "puridcation''
bill, discussion on all measures affect
ing the liquor question was poss'
poned.
Senator Raysor spoke for about 70
minutes in support Of the bill, outlin'
ing it's salient features SIS he saw
them, and presenting in . clear ano
torcible manner reasons why the BILL
should be adopted. He is considered
by his colleagues on both sides as be-
ing one Of the most conscientious,
straightforward, hon orable membera
Of either branch Of the general assem-
tly. Whenever he addresses the Sem
ate on any question he is listened to
most attentively, and the close, inter
estire hearing he received Tuesday
night was no exception to the rule.
Except when slightly interrupted by a
dog fight in the galleries, perfect
quiet raigned and his words were au'
dibie In every part OF the chamber.
Senator Raysor said, in part.
II introduced this bill because 1t
expressed my honest convictions on
this most important question. IN
troduced 1t with the honest purpose
of remedying the evils 30 apparent iD
the management OF the State dispen-
sary. The conditions existing in that
institution are intolerable and are q
rsproach to the State Of South Caro-
lima. While I cannot and do not In
6orse the State dispensa1y With It's
corruption and mismansgemsnt, ano
90 not excuse those who have hesr
guilty OF wrong doing. believe ehe
syBtsm purified is the besa solution OF
this problem and think it is prefera'
bis to local option. concede to thoss
who favor local option and 70 those
who hor as::ly isvor prohibition the1'
absolute in the advocacy OF those
measures. I have the highest rsgaro
for th.se gentleman who do no;
think IS I do. Personally I an practi
cslly prohibitionist, but 1 DO moi
favor prohibit by legislation.
"a CREST deal has been said, ane
very Justly said, about the corruption
in tie dtspenssry and about the mis-
management OF thai institution, ano
I can endorse almost every word that
has been ssid regarding it, but l be-
Iisvs she,e is virtue in the system ano
! II my bill is adopted believe 1t vii
to crest extent eliminate the wrong
doing and mismsnagemene. DO not
advocate this measure because l de
sire any notoriety, but because be-
iieye the system should be safeguard
ed in some measure as provided lr
this bill. do not think the question
of prohibition enters into this fight
The question Is. as I sec it, sQuarely
between State dispensary and coun
ty dispensariss and prohibition is not
to be considered. In other words,
shall We have one big dispensary OF
II smaller ones, with the same op.
portunities for mismanagsnent &C.
oonpanying? 1t seems to me that
the State dispensary, safeguarded ss
| I have indicated, would be far prefer.
able to numerous county dtspsnsaries
The opportunities for misrasnage
nent would be multiplied a times by
establishing county dispenssries, and
the State might be worse of than If
the present system is retsined. The
trouble with the State dispensary lies
In the purchasing power. The actions
Of the pprchasing power are response
bic for present conditions, and all the
.eprosch that has been brought uron
the system is attributable solely to
the Stste board OF directors.
''The State dispensary has IN the
past been considered q political ma.
chine; now, thank God. IL means =
political graveyard for almost ans
man that touches 1t. I an no longer
willing for 1t to be conducted as it has
been in the past Nor as it ia now con-
Quoted, and I am satisfied that the
people Of the State do nos want the
law to remain as Ii is. Under the
bill now before the Senate the oppor
iunisles for corruption In the pur-
chasing power will be practically done
sway with, and I believe that when
the State dispensary is honestly and
efficiently manngsds majority Of the
psople of the State will favor It,"
The speaker Was interrupted seV.
eral times by questions from Senator
Toole, and it cannot be Eaid that the
senator from Aiken got the best Of
the tilt.
Senator RaYsor In the course Of his
remarks gave an outline OF bis bill dt-
recttng special sttentioD to the pro.
vision that sl bids shall be opened by
8 committee Of ahrea citizens. to be
by the governor for that
purpose, and also to the provision In
tended to prevent the purchase OF
liquors OF alleged age whan as . mat
ser o. fact they are fresh from the
still. Attention was also directed to
the terms which provide that all
blending shall DO done st the State
dispensary under the supervision of
an expert bender and mixer.
The chamber and galleries were
packed beyond their capacity On Wed.
y