The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-09

laws. In the matter OF the liquor
laws, as has been called attention
to, the prohibitionists were in the ano-
malous position of effecting com
promise among themselves. The Re-
formers in the legislature put II
squarely up to the prohibitionists to
pass a "bone-dry" law. The proh1-
bitionists had their quart-a-montn-
upon ption-of-a-physician Dill,
which they saw could not get through.
They had various other measures to
reduce the amount of liquor which
one might receive during a calendar
month. A few of them supported the
"bone-dry" measure of Mr.. Richey,
and the "bone-dry" substitute of Mr..
Boyd, but they could not get their
forces together upon "gone-dry"
measure. Neither could they get their
forces together upon any one OF the
''liouor reduction measures which
were proposed from their side, nor
upon any of the measures proposed
reducing the amount of strong drink
and substituting a limited quantity
of light wines and beers in lieu there
of. Then they flew to cover and COM
promised, cutting out the physicians
prescription necessary to 'cure
quart per month for medic. 81 pur-
poses, but retaining the medicinal
purpose" feature and providing that
the person ordering his quart per
month for sickness must secure
certificate from the probate Judge,
upon affidavit, and the payment OF a
fee of ten cents. The whole matter
was arranged in free conference COM
mittee, composed Of three members
of the house and three members OF
the senate. 1t was in such a COMMIT
tee of six that the general approprla-
ton bin was also finally decided upon.
AS matter of fact, the people OF
South Carolina have really had leg
islation enacted for them, both upon
the general appropriation bill and up
on the liquor question, by commlttees
of six each. The two houses nave
never really, by majority vote.
agreed upon either one of these meas
ures. AS was predicted in this cor
respondence some weeks ago, during
the early days of the session, Tree
conference legislation was finally
agreed to, during the closing hours OF
the general assembly, really against
the wishes of a majority cs the mem
hers of the legislature This is shown
conclusively by the following facls:
The house expressed Itself, by a de-
cisive majority in favor of bone
dry" prohibition.
The senate expressed itself by a
decisive majority against "bone-dry
prohibition, and in favor Of the Du-
Rant quart-a-month-ph -physicians'-pre-
scription bill.
Neither branch Of the general as
sembly got what it voted for. The
measure as passed provided for
quart per month, but the probate
Judge is the arbiter, even though the
liouor must be for medicinal pur-
poses."
Again, in regard to the general ap-
preparation bill:
The house did not want to accept
the senate increases-though the
house itself had made some large IN
creases over the amount cgrrled oy
the appropriation bill OF 1916. The
house kicked-and kicked vigorously.
The senate stood by its guns, and the
house was either forced to accept
the report of the free conference COM
mittee embodying the senate In
creases. or stay here and go through
the whole matter again, which would
probably have taken a couple weeks.
The members Of the house had been
here forty-four days. They wanted 70
get home They saw no chance or
bringing the senate TO the views OF
the house, and after stubborn hght,
they gave way to the senate ana
agreed to the free conference COM
mittee report. The sufferers are the
taxpayers of the State.
It is not to be inferred that the
economists in this State want to hold
the appropriations down below "nat
is actually necessary for the running
expenses of the government. Ihe
point which they are stressing is that
this is no time for extraordinary ex-
penditures, or for the creation OF ad-
ditional Offices, or for the erection
of new buildings, etc.
No matter what course the leglsla-
ture of 1918 may take, all these mat
ters are going to have their effect up
on the campaign Of 1913, and it ls not
at all unlikely that there may be
complete political revolution in TINS
State, such as occurred in the days OF
the nineties.
The two political races IN 1918
which will be the centre OF interest
will be those for governor and United
States senator.
Former Governor Blease, upon his
return to Columbia today. found
voluminous mail on his desk, lnclud-
ing many letters from prominent lead
ers in different sections Of the State
urging him to enter the race for gov
ernor, and to announce himself now.
Some of these letters were from men
H.