The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-27

THERE May BE NEW REFEIsEN.
DUM PROPOSED IN SENATE.
10 Let Wet Counties V0te-Elcc-
tion Would be Held In Angus, and
Counties May Vote to Retain or
Abolish Dispe,,Ssr,cs.



The State. ~eb. IS.
The whiskey situation In tho senate
nas within the past few days taken
Into Its fold referendum that is
somewhat In the na,urc Of a middle
ground" proposition. Although It Is
generally admitted that the local op-
rcnists have a majority In the sup
per branch OF the legislature. the pro-
r"sed amendment to the prohibition
measure comes from the local option
lists OF the senate.
There has. however. been no eau.
Gus but merely an understanding on
both sides that the matter would he
acceptable to majority OF the SEN
ators. There has not even been a
real caucus among the local option
ists. but the matter has been discuss
ed by several Of them and the pro-
posed plan seems to meet with gen.
oral favor.
Tie amendment which will be pro-
posed 10 TO the following effect:
PISS the prohibition bill for State
WIDE prohibition to take effect July 1.
1scs. Then on August I. 1909. let
tho county dispensary be closed. II
the counties. or any one OF the coun-
Ties. should vote prohibitions. then let
the county dispensary be closed. II
the counties. or any ,ne or moro of
,hIa. should vote foe whisk~y. then
let the county dispensaries remain as
they now are. or in as many Of the
c''rrties now wet" as may vote to
r.asln them.
rnis would give Statewide prohi-
bitien, practically. from July to An
gust I. being somewhat of the nature
Of the hiatus which existed between
the State dispensary and the county
dispsnsary system when the latter
was put into force.
A peculiar circumstance would
arise In the event Of the passage of
this bin with the amendment as pro-
posed. Some think that this would
practically do away with the Carey
cotlran act. In such a case there
would have to be some provision
made for enforcement of the law.
With this end In view. Senator
Christensen. after having conferred
with local option ren and those in
tere&ted. win offer an amendment
which VIII practically be the same as
the provisions now In the Carey Goth
ran act provides that the county offi-
GERS shail look after this part of the
whiskey traffic with appeal to the
governor In certain matters.
whether the referendum referred
20 a'oove would result In several coun-
ties going dry. or would result In all
the counties now wet" retaining the
county dispensaries. this amendment
as to enforcement would be neces-
sary- Senator Christensen has looked
into the matter and will offer the
prof'er amendment when the bill
comes up for consideration.
II will be recalled that at the be-
ginning Of the session II was stated that
there would be four prohibition hills.
ss follows: To provide for Statewide
prohibition; to provide for the clos
ing OF the various county dispen-
sartss: TO license liquor drummers; to
provide for the enforcement OF the
law. The last measure mentioned
has never been presented as a sepa-
rate bill. The license for liquor
drummers passed the senate with the
amendment making II unlawful foy
liquor drummers 10 do business n ere
at all.
There Ia not much doubt that the
proposition as contemplated by the
local option men. which has also me;
with some favor by both prohibltio--
: ists and middle ground" men. viii
go through the senate when present
&c. The local option men wish 10
throw every safeguard around Tho
enforcement OF the law. whether
there are dispenraries or prohibition,