The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-01-03
COTHRAN PLANS AMENDMENTS
One of The Authors of Carey Goth
ran Law Proposes to Cure De-
fects in The Law.

Columbia Record says: At the COM
ing session of the state legislature,
Hol. T. P. Cothran, who, with Rep
resentative J. P. Carey, Of Pickens,
framed the present liquor law, known
generally as the Carey-Cothran law,
will endeavor to secure several
amendments to that act. While none
of Mr.. Cothran's proposed amend
.ments effect the material principles
of the law, still tney are inter estnig
and will 60 far toward smoothing
over some Of the defects which
Messrs. Cothraa and Carey have
long recognized as existing in the
law.
The most interesting amendments
to be proposed by Mr.. Cotnran are
those providing for a county chemist,
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 all sam
pies Of, whiskey to dispensers for
sale. provided such samples bear pro-
per certificates; allowing county
boards to sell alcoholic liquors in
bulk to the state hospital for the
insane; changing section % by strik-
ing out the 'Epersonal use'' clause,
and making it misdemeanor to Of
fer for sale OF solicit the purchase
Of any liquors.
This last amendment will complete
~ly knock out the waiskey soliciting
business for t1Personai use," pro-
vi.!ed, Mr.. Cothran succeeds in hav-
ing it blended into the present law.
Mr.. Cothran proposition would cause
section % to read as follows:
|*Any person who shall in this
state offer for sale, o. solicit the pur-
chase Of, any liquors or beverages
mentioned in section of this act,
whether for present or future deliv-
cry, shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demea1or, and upon conviction in a
ecurt Of competent jurisdiction shall
be punished by fine Of not less than
cne hundred dollars, or Imprisonment
eor not less than three months. !"
In the present law, the words 10th
er than for personal use" appear just
after the word "Act." Many big
whiskey houses in other states, un-
der protection Of the Ffpersonat use
clause, have reaped rich profits by
soliciting in the "dry towns'' for or
ders for home consumption. If Mr..
Cothran succeeds in his efforts to
wipe out the personal use feature of
the law, whiskey drunmers Will be
exceedingly scarce in this state.
The amendment with reference to
the sale Of samples viii permit coua-
ty boards to make use Of commodi-
ty which heretofore has been the
source of much difficulty. There was
no provision made in the original
law in regard to ssnples, and Mr..
Cothran would OBJ q this source
Of annoyance by making it incumbent
upon tie county boards to turn over
all samples to the dispensers to- be
sold as purchased goods.
IF Mr.. Cothran's proposed change
in the present law as to county chem
lists is enacted into the liquor 'legis-
lation, county boards will be able to
test their liquors without sending
them to Columbia to the state che
mist. The present law makes no pro-
vision whatever as to who shall MAKE
the tests and where they shall be
made.
There are quite a number Of min
or changes among Mr.. Cathran' s
proposed amendments, aimed prinel-
pally at errors which appeared in the
actual operation Of the law which
were not apparent to the authors
when the bill was drafted.
:Mr. Cothran was asked by your
correspondent if he intended to
make any amendment to section q,
with reference to the destruction of
all liquors seized in dry couRties.
Gas far as I am concerned,' he
said, "'there will be no amendment
in that respect. What eles is there
to be done with contraband liquor
in those counties? What right aas
the county Of Greenville, for in
stance. to do with what it prohibits
its citizens from doing? Then
again, what whiskey establishment is
going to purchase contrabaad IL
obr,, Nd