The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-13

| stnto Bars In South Carolina.
A correspondent OF the New York
Evening Post, writing from Green
vile, ). O.. to the Baltimore Sun, gives
the result of a study OF tho practical
working OF the State liquor dispensary
law. The new law, which resem bles
the law in vogue In Sweden, Ia design
Cd to g i've the State n monopoly OF the
liquor business, partly for tho revenue
TO be gotten from 1t. partly to secure
the use OF unauthorized liquors aud
IN part Tor the moral purpose of d..
mlnishing drunkenness. Only the
States agents are allowed to sell II.
quors In South Carolina. The Post's
finds the now system
upon the whole beneficial. 1t is too
early to decide upon It's merits, as il
has been IN operation In Greenvllle
but ak weeks. but tho balance OF I'D.
vantage lH said to DO thus far In liza
favor.
Tho dlspensnry In GreepvlIis is a
large store.room on the main street.
The front part Ia separated from tho
rear by railing beyond which slts
the disrenser- b. the local
negroes MIR. Spenser"--with pad OF
blank applications for whlskey on tho
desk before him. There is no mirror
III u gorgeous frame to enhance the at.
fractions Of elegant and costly bottles
No mint Ills tho ait with it's seductive
fragrance. 1htrs is no bar" with
cheese and crackefs No roasted coffee
lor spices arc at hand TO disguise q
teil.tale breath The walls are tare
Pictures ana statues are wanting The
beauty Of art Ia not enlisted to
n
The dlspensary IL II after oi-faet TO the
last degree ...-......-
Hye and ooIh wh,shey are nj est call.
ed Tor at Greehvilie One cannot got
less than nail pint. and II Ia not TO
Os drunk on the premises The wills.
aey 10 said to lack age md II comes
LlRh The State gets 81 q gallon for
an article tile saloon. keepers used to
sell tor Kiss Minors and habltual
drunkaras cannot get II any price. II
tries to get It Tor BIS use A subjects
himself to u severe penalty Besides
this mother, wife, sister or otter
near relative may ask the dispenser
not to sell liquor to n person, and
thehceiorth that person ia unable to
got It Nevertheless business lie pretty
brlsk, If thu he1hess OF The syatem bs
considered ....
Since Tho Greenvllle dispensary has
been upen sales have increhced until
at present thoy are about $500 day.
Last month the pTotits we're but S64
half OF which goes to lie city and
halt 10 The county But as time goes
on tho profits Are expected TO grow
The test customers oT tho saloons
laid IL supplies at cut prices when the
saloons we're closed, and their stock
IRE not yet exhausted Saies will
moout up, II Is thought, when con.
suDers cOns to rely wholly upon the
llspehsary Tor the abnteneht OF their
thirst.
. Opinion IA divided rs to the merit
OF the system. DISTINGUISHED citizens
are disposed to give 1t u trial The
police are said to Ind their lpbors les,
sened. There were fewer arrests In
july than in a Ike period tor years.
There vas but ono drunk" before tho
mayor in that month Fines wero but
SAY, as against fljs In July. 1892
There were but 30 "dis0rderlles," as
against 81 In the preceding July. The
negroes particularly arc quieter and
go homo earlier at night. In the alb
sence of lounging place attrHctively
furnished they cultivate the domes tic
virtues. and larger percentage Of
thor eHrnings go Tor eutbles,
4 Roys, il Is said. "go down town"less
at night than formerly. Soda water
Is consumed to All Increased extent at
the drug stores. but not enough to
lead the proptietOrs OF such places to
mako them acceptable resorts fot
loungers. The women folks are said
TO be charmed with the eilacts OF the
law. Farmers wives observe that
husbands. formerly biLulous. row
leave town earlier and reach home
sober. Look hyur. chtllue. colurcd
wife Is reported to have said to het
progeny recently, sec what dat MI
Spensrr done gone and done T. u.s. nt
the same time spreading on tho table
the bacon and Hour her reformed lord
had brought home.
But tho situation has It's dIsadvan.
tages also, one of them being the
doubtful constitutiOLality OF tho dis,
pensary law. The courts are whiting
away its substance, aud it IL feared
that the whole OF 1t will soon 10 luat.
As Governor Iillman is still supreme,
this might mean out.and-out prohtbI.
ton The enemies Of the law, accord.
ingly tight 1t with many misgiv.ngs.