New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
THE SOUTH CAROLINA EXPERIMENT

THE SOUTH CAROLINA EXPERIMENT.
The operation of the South Carolina liquor
law has been stopped Just as the country was
beginning to watch the experiment with in
tercst. The suit in which permanent iniunc-
ton has been granted and the law declared
unconstitutional was brought to restrain one
of the States newly appointed agents from
opening the di>pensaly at Darlington. Judge
Hudson, of the Circuit Court rendered the
decision, and until his opinion is reversed the
law must remain void. An appeal will be
taken to the Supreme Court. and doubtless
the procedure will be expedited in order that
the period of uncertainty may be as brief as
possible Judge Hudson has a high repute for
learning and acumcn. and his decisions are
seldom OveIrulcd There seems. therefore, to
be prospect that the novel device for solving
the liquor problem which South Carolina has
laborlously contrived and was just putting to
a practical test will have to be abandoned, or
at least laid aside until a new law for putting
it in operation can be paSSe?
This sudden and somcwhat unexpected com
plication will disappont great man! persons
in all parts of the country who were prepared
to give serious attention to the working OF an
original excise system upon a large scale and
under conditions designed to determine its
general cfiicicnc:. Probably not Il few of
those who feel most concerned about the TEN
pcrancc question were hopeful of bcnciiccnt
results from the opcrat on of the singular sta.
ute which made State wholly responsible for
every detail of the liquor traffic within its Dor
dcr>. including the quality of the luidS dis
pcn>cd under its authority. Many less san
gune persons were equally interested III an
experiment which the! expected To- fail, and
perhaps a still larger number. moi all Of whom
by am means are Indifferent to a monstrous
evil. have been anxious 10 have the imposs'
biity of governing appetite by statute demon
stratcd in large and conspicuous way. What
ever the hOpcS, expect ItiOns and points of view
of numerous observers. there ccrtainl, has been
of late a widespread interest in the TillmaE
plan.
1t is to be regretted. we think that the
operation of the law has been interrupted. II
is, to be sure, exceedingly improbable that
unanimous verdict as TO its merits would ever
have been reached il il had encountered no
lldicial obstacle. A system sufficiently similar
TO be AT least suggestive is in force in Sweden,
and after long trial has failed TO furnish CON
elusive proof of its utility. 1t has been strong
" upheld and zealou>ly defended by statistics
but il has also been denounced and condemned
with equal emphasis. Not the less on this ac
count, however would another application Of
the same principle or theor! in an American
commonwealth under widely different social
conditions have been interesting and lnStruc
tive. If the validity Of the law had been sus
tanned, there is little doubt that it would have
had fair test: as il may have hereafter If
Judge llud sons decision j. reversed, though
the delay may develop unexpected opposition
and produce unfortunate cmbaIrassments. In
general the people of the state. including the
liquor dealers have shown Il disposition not
only to obey the law. but to give it fair trial,
and 50 far it has beer possible TO forcSec,
the novel system Of state dispcnsaries would
have stood or fallen on It's merits, 1t il still
to be hoped that the Supreme Court will he
able to declare that the law is constitutional
for another opportunity to enlarge public
knowledge and experience on subject of great
importance to the common welfare by similar
means is not likely to occur in the near future.