The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-01-04
Dispensary System
Passes Into History.
Political Football Meets Death at Hands of People After
Spectacular Career-Alany Changes in Low During
Past TtUenty- five Years

the late Senator W. D. Evans Of that
county. by resolute efforts, succeeded
in causing to be exempted.
Law Attacked.
The constitutionality Of the law was
attacked in the state courts. Opposi-
ton to the law was intense through
out the state, but it was generally and
firmly supported by Senator Tillman's
faction, who we're decided majority
of the people. In the spring of 1894
occurred the Darlington war;" as it
was popularly called, which resulted
in the killing and wounding Of three
or four men of both factions, result
ing in the proclamation by the gov
ernor that the counties Of Darlington
and Florence were in state of in
surrection. About a month later the
supreme court of the state, then COM
posed of Justices Simpson, MCGOWAN
and Pope, declared the law unconstitu-
tional. Mr.. Pope dissented. For some
weeks following whiskey was retailed
freely without license as there was no
license law in existence and the dis
pensary law had been held null and
void. In August the personnel of the
supreme court was changed, new test
case was brought and the former de-
cision was reversed. The dispensary
system was again in force AT the ses-
sion of the legislature Of 1893 and at
subsequent sessions the law under
went various changes, the essential
regulative methods of selling intoXi-
cants being retained. In 1895 the con-
stitutional convention incorporated
the dispensary plan in the organic law
of the state in clause which Senator
Tillman has said that he wrote.
The Downfall.
In 1905 the Brice law, introduced
by Senator J. Steele Brice Of York,
was enacted which permitted county
option as between dispensaries and
prohibition, and very soon the dispen-
saries were voted out of numbers Of
counties, especially in the Piedmont
section. This was the beginning of
the downfall of the state dispensary.
In 1905 and 1906 an investigation OF
the system was undertaken by COM
mittee of the legislature and it resulted
in unearthing far-reaching scandals
and frauds in the States liquor bust
ness, long suspected and alleged, but
not hitherto proved. Endeavors were
made to tighten the law and eliminate
possibilities of fraud, but the legisla-
ture did not succee2. In 1906 M. f.
Ansel of Greenville was elected gov
ernor on an anti-State dispensary plat
form and general assembly III SYM
pathy with this idea was elected with
him. The legislature in 1907 abol-
isheG the state dispensary and substi-
tuted the county dispensary system by
what is known as the "Carey-Cothran"
Law. In August, 1909, the 21 counties
having /dispensaries, by order of the
legislature, held referendums as to
their abolition or retention and all the
except six voted "dry." Since
then about nine counties have voted in
county dispensaries.
The action of the legislature Of 1915
submitted a statewide prohibition law
10 a state referendum which resulted
in an election in September, 1915, in
accepting the law. The statewide pro-
hibtion of the liquor traffic which be-
gins today is in accordance with that
act and referendum