The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-01-17
THE DrsPENsARY Law.
Mr. Thomas p. Cothran Will Suggest
Several Amendments.

Several Amendments.
Early In the present session of the
general assembly it Is said that Mr..
Thos. P. Ccthran, one of the authors
of the Carey-Cothran law, will en-
deavor to secure several amendments
to that act. While none of Mr.. Goth
rams proposed amendments affect
the material principles Of the law,
still they are interesting and will go
far toward smoothing over some of
the defects which Messrs. Cothran
and Carey have long recognized as
existing in the law.
The most interesting amendments
to be proposed by Mr.. Cothran are
those providing for county chem
ist, or a chemist to be appointed by
the county dispensary board, who
shall test all liquors and beverages
to be sold in the county; permitting
county dispensary boards to deliver
ell samples of whiskey to dispensers
for sale, provided such samples bear
proper certificates; allowing county
boards to sell alcoholic liquors in
bulk to the State hospital for the in
sane; changing section 2S by strik-
ing out the personal use clause,
and making it misdemeanor to Of
fer for sale or solicit the purchase
of any liquors.
This last amendment will COM
pletely knock out the whiskey sollc'
iting business for personal use,
provided Mr.. Cothran succeeds in
having it blended into the present
law. Mr.. Cothran's proposition
would cause section 2S to read as
follows:
ANY person who shall in this
State offer for sale or solicit the pur'
chase of, any liquors or beverages
mentioned in section l of this act
whether for present or future de-
livery, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor. and upon conviction
in a court of competent jurisdiction
shall be punished by fine Of not less
than 500, or Imprisonment for not
less than three months"
In the present law, the words
"other than for personal use ap-
pear just after the word "act." Many
big whiskey houses in other States
under protection of the personal
use" clause. have reaped rich profits
by soliciting in the dry towns for
orders for home consumption. If
Mr.. Cothran succeeds in his efforts
to wipe out the personal use feature
of the law, whiskey drummers will
be exceedingly scarce in this State
The amendment with reference to
the sale of samples will permit coun-
ty boards to make use Of a COM
modify which heretofore has been
the source of much difficulty. There
was no provision made in the origi-
nal law in regard to samples, and
Mr.. Cothran would obviate this
source of annoyance by making il
incumbent upon the county boards to
turn over all samples to the dispen-
sers to be sold as purchased goods.
IF Mr.. Cothran's proposed change
in the present law as to county
chemists is enacted into the liquor
Legislation county boards will be able
to test their liquors without sending
them to Columbia to the State chem
list. The present law make no pro-
vision whatever as to who shall
make the tests and where they shall
be made.
There are quite number of min
or changes among Mr.. Cothran s
proposed amendments. aimed prin-
cipally at errors which appeared in
the actual operation of the law which
were not apparent to the authors
when the bill was drafted.