The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-01-20
FIRST BILL OF SESSION TO BE
ORDERED FOR RATIFICATION.
VOTE 81 70 81.
A LAW ENFORCEMENT FUND
Ways and Means Committee Reports
FavorabIy Bill Appropriatlng $780,
600 to Enforce Prohibition.

house Of representatives to make
hard the way of the drunkard and of
the transgressor against prohibition
has developed.
! After lively debate tie lower
branch refused to recommit the SEN
ate bill, brought over from last year,
making drunkenness on the highway
misdemeanor In ITSELF Thereafter
the bill passed it's third reading and
was enrolled for ratification, being the
hrst measure to reach that stake dur
ing the current session.
The ways and means committee re.
turned favorable report on the bill
or Messrs. Crum, Sellers and Wagnon
to appropriate $4,000 for the enforce
ment Of the prohibition and gallon a
month laws Of South Carolina.
! Without debate the house passed to
third reading Mr.. Arnold's bill re-
quiring textile manufactures to pro-
! vide water coolers and to enforce the
use Of individual drinking cups In
connection Herewith. Violation of
the measure calls for fine Of $26 to
! $500, the money to go to the public
! schools Of the district Enforcement
of the law Is devolved upon the com.
missioner Of agriculture.
The house offered the use of the
hall to the University Of South Caro-
lima for the annual Founders day ex.
ercises which will be held January
II. On division vote the speaker
was instructed to invite Clarence Poe.
editor Of The Progressive Farmer, to
| f1,n
OF January 20. Other invitations to
attend addresses were accepted.
The general assembly, OH invita-
tion Of Gov. Manning, visited the
State Hospital for the Insane. where
many improvements have been made
as result Of the increased appro.
priation given in 1915
Mr.. Belser Of Sumter moved that
Senator Beamguards bill relating to
disorderly conduct, which passed Sec
ond reading in the house be recon.
mitted to the judiciary committee
from which 1t received an unanimous.
ly unfavorable report Mr.. Belser
maintained that it was too binding I'm
that any overzealous policeman may
arrest any person for taking Just a
10" ul VI
]. w. Boyd pointed out that OBJ.
scenity and disorder are punishable
i under other statutes. He claimed that
the people Of the state do not want
simple drunkenness made a crime,
He said that the state already has
laws sufficient for the proper handling
OF drunken people.
Mr.. Frombsrg said that he was
against those marrow minded bills at.
tempting to enchroach upon the harm
less personal liberties of man." He
said that the bill had dangerous ten
denotes.
Mr.. Dixon of Fairfield called atten.
ton to the unfairness Of the bill in
that any person, apparently drunk,
may be arrested and proven a crimi
nal. He brought up the expense Of
giving the accused jury trial.
Mr.. Dew, in favoring the bill, said
that he saw in the measure a means
OF protecting the people Of the coun-
try In like manner to the ordinances
prevailing in the states municipali
ties.
Mr.. Beckett, showing the "mem
bers the errors Of their ways" in pass.
ing the bill, read the existing statutes
on drunkenness and disorderly con-
duct. The Beaufort representative
discoursed on the varying categories
and degrees Of drunkenness. He pro-
posed the question, "When is a man
drunk?" showing the multiplicity Of
definitions. He called upon the legis-
lators to protect rather than punish
the man who can not refuse"
Mr.. Zimmerman called attention to
the unfairness Of the proposed legis-
lation and asked that the bill be
killed.
Drunken Man a Menace.
j. T. Lilies spoke in favor of the
bill, saying that there is nothing in
the arugument that man with a few
drinks In him will be arrested under
the proposed statute. He asked for
a definition Of the line OF demarca.
ton between oderly and disorderly
conduct Of drunken man. He called
the drunken man menace to orr
women and children while on the
public highway"
MIR. Massey said that arguments for
and against the bill itself are rIdicu.
lous. He moved the previous aues-
tion on which Mr.. Bradford demanded
the yeas and nays.
Bill Passes.
BY vote Of 55 to So the house
refused to recommit the bill to the
Judiciary committee. The house then
voted on the passage Of the bill, re.
sulting In 81 yeas and SO nays. The
bill was ordered enrolled for ratifca