The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-01-27
PASSES INTO HISTORY.
During Past Twenty-Five Years Dis
pensary system had Many Changes.

During Past Twenty-Five Years Dis
pensary >, stem had Many Changes.
The question or the aDOntlOn Oh
the whlshey tramc IN Soutn Carollna
began 10 De as4IaIeu suon a1'ei Cne
redemption OF the slate unuei Gen
eral hampton In 1910, out inns early
agllauon was Tor local aLLlon III
tew scattered counties. SPECIAL acts
OF the general assembly were lntro-
duced ana passed permitting Wet
and DRY elevllous ror ANDERSON,
OrangeDurg, Aaurens anu olner coun-
ties. The contest bet" cen the pro-
hibltlonlsJs and license men IN solne
of these counlles was heated. IN none
OF them winch succeeded IN Young
out the licensed sa4oons was pronlDl-
ton successfully enforced IN thoSe
DAYS and alter lew years most or
them returned to the licensed sa-
loon system.
In the legislature of 1890 bill lor
Statewide prohibition, introduced ny
the late l.. D. Cnllds, OF nIcnlano
county, developea great strength ano
narrowly tallea OF passage. inns
was the period or lntense 1actlona'
division between the ''Tlilmanlles
and the anti -rllimanltes ana potn
FACTIONS inctuded numbers OF men on
both sides OF the liquor question.
Neither Iaculon, as sucn, was wllllns
to take stand on elrner slde OF the
question. In 1892 when the contest
for governor was between b. Il. MI
man and John C. Sheppard, the State
Democratic executive committee con-
sented that IN eacn precinct separ-
ate box snould be placed IN winch
the people at the primary election
might vote as between promo1uon
1and licensed saloons. The toLal vote
cast for governor at this elecIlon Was
q little less than $4,000 ana the vote
on the whiskey question totaled lit
tie more than 10000. The prohibl-
tionists won in the referendum by
about 10000, the vote 1or license
being about 10000 and that for pro-
hibition about 10000. When the re-
silt became known it was taken for
granted that the legislature would
enact the Childs bill or one similar
Ito it. Mr.. Childs did not return to
the legislature and the new prohibl-
tion bill was introduced by Mr.. Rop-
er, when the legislature met in NO
vember. The Tillmanites or Re
formers had overwhelming majori-
ties in both houses. The leaders OF
their faction were afraid of prohi-
sbition. They apprehended that it
might. if enacted, cause an increase
OF taxation and in other ways divide
the Tillman forces. The Roper bill
was, however, promptly passed by
the house. In the senate number
of bills bearing on the whiskey traf-
fic were introduced and at one time
it seemed as though the subject
would be so confused in that body
that no legislation would result.
Gov. Tillman already had taken the
position that the profits Of the sa-
looms. which hitherto had gone en-
tirely into the. town treasures,
should be divided with the counties,
SO that the rural section might share
in them. Marlboro county at this
time was dry, as it had been since
day preceding the War Between the
Sections, and there may have been
one or two other dry counties.
AS the end of the session of the
general assembly approached the dis
pensary bill was introduced by sena-
tor John Gary Evans, then of Aiken.
The dispensary system, modelled up
on the Gothenburg system of Nor
way, was already in operation in
Athens, Ga. T. Larry CAN'T, then
editor of the Columbia Register, had
lately come to South Carolina from
Athens, and it was said that he sug-
gested the Athens plan to Gov. Till
man. At any rate Gov. Tillman be-
came enamored of the scheme. When
the bill was introduced in the senate
no one took it seriously except those
of the inner councils of the Reform
ers," but it was said that the reform
members of the general assembly, or
some of them, held caucus and de-
cided that it should be enacted. The
measure came up in the senate for
discussion at time so close to the
day fixed for adjournment that it