Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-02-27
The new LIQUOR Law S|MPuf|ED.
c0THRAN TELLS IN CONCISE WAY OF ITS
VARIOUS PROVISIONS AND WORKINGS.
fGreenville News.l

No one is better prepared to d,s-
cuss the numerous features of the
Carey Cothran county option bill
than Representative Thos. p. Goth
ran himself. When seen by repre-.
sentative of the Greenville News,
Mr.. Cothran said:
"Bearing in mind the two princi.
pal objects to be accomplished by
what is popularly styled the Carey
Cothran bill,' it's provisions can be
more readily followed and under
stood. These objects are the aooii.
tion of the State dispensary and the
establishment of local option in every
county as between prohibition and
what may be termed county dispen-
saries.' AS a matter of fact there
can be, under the constitution, no
such thing as dispensary owned
and operated by county. The con.
stitution permits the General Assem-
oily to authorize county officers under
the authority and in the name Of
the State,' to engage in the business
of buying and selling intoxicating
liquors. This act comes within this
Limitation of the constitution by de-
claring that the various county dis
pensary boards are county officers
and are authorized, under the au-
thority and in the name of the State,
to engage in such business.
"The abolition of the State dis.
pensary is accomplished directly by a
provision declaring sthat the State
dispensary is hereby abolshed.' 1t is
also accomplished indirectly by a
provision that the sale of liquors, ex-
cept as therein provided, is prohib-
tied.
"The only method provided for the
sale OF liquor is that by the county
Iispensary boards and manufacturers.
,As the feature of most interest is the
sale by county dispensary boards,
shall briefly dispose of the matter of
sale by manufacturers and then pass
to that of sale by county dispensary
boards.
"Sale by manufacturers is prohib.
tied except in counties which have
permitted, by vote or inaction, the
operation of dispensaries under the
old law. In other words, distillery
can be operated only in wet coun-
ties in which dispensaries are now in
operation. The manufacturers are
required to pay license fee of from
$500 to $4,000, according to capacity.
The manufacture in any county may
be voted out in the same manner as
provided for voting in county dis
pensary.'
"Now as to sale by county dispen-
sary boards, which, for convenience,
4 shall refer to as county dispensa-
ries.' Every wet county is to re-
main 80 until an election be held vot-
ing it dry and the dispensaries now
an operation are to be continued as
county dispensaries.' Every dry
county is in like manner to remain
dry In wet counties this election
may be held at any time during the
year 1907. In dry counties it can
not be held until the next general
election, which occurs after the expi-
ration of four years from the date of
the election under the Brice law.
AS to Greenville county: The elec-
tion under the Brice law was held in
January, 1906. The first general
election after four years from that
date will be in November, 1910. The
question cannot, therefore, be re-
opened in Greenville before that
time. There are specific exceptions
to this rule which apply to certain
counties.