The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-11-22
Effects ci . Dlspensary Act,

WV 49,
snection with the Dispensary law which
should lead the advocates Of this lsw to
stop awhile and think. Those so-called
PrOhibitionists who were in the Legisla-
sure and voted for the law have little
reason to congratulate themselves Oh the
results of their experiment. DR.. Ensor
! is q man who sees, thinks, reasons and
arrives at conclusions. he has no special
feeling for or against the dispensary law
because its operation would not affect his
work one way or the other, provided
but right here arises the trouble.
M In speaking Of the Law be refers to the
habits Of the people in this up-country,
ssheir customs and political conditions.
he says that during the years in which
he has served the Government In the
revenue department, going from county
to county IN every part Of the State, he
found that in nearly every house shere
was more or less whiskey kept. Men
who never drank themselves kept whis-
key for medicinal and social purposes.
purchased at saloons Ia the county seats,
as rule, and not from blockaders. The
cost of gallon Of whiskey was Sl.50 or
81. This whiskey was bought along dur
ing the year as the farmer would have
business at the Court House.
81 Such were the conditions before the
passage Of the Dispensary law. Another
TACT he mentioned, end spoke Of it as a
fact, that at the time Of the passage OF the
DIspensary law blockading was merely
nominal, only here and there small stills
hidden away In the mountains, the output
not sufficient to attract the attention Of
the deputy marshals or the people living
in the immediate neighborhood where
located. He asserts, and he knows what
he is talking about, that since the Dispen-
sary law went into effect the -moonshine
distilleries have increased ten to one, or,
to be emoreexplicit, there are ten blockade
stills running now where there was one
before the Dispensary Act became law.
Heexplains this condition very reason
ably. The up-conntry people may be
poor, and many Of them not cultivated
lin the fine arts and fashions, but they
have native pride and love OF liberty
which no law can bend or break. They
have an utter detestation of being req1ir-
ed to furnish sponsor and then sign
their names as required TO do II they get
goods from the Dispensary. Another
and very practical objection Is paying
three dollars tor gallon OF whiskey
which they believe inferior to the dollar
and q half article which they formerly
got from the saloons.
The natural result of such conditions
opens market for the blockader. DR..
Ensor says the -hole country 10 full OF
WAGONS lOa3ed with whiskey-men and
boys with jugs peddle from house to
house and theL eLmoonshiners run their
stills day and night to osupply the demand
supplied by the saloon: The
town people refuse to patronize the Dis
pensary and the block ader finds not only
ready sale, but q negative protection.
s The spy system Is 30 obnoxious that
people will aid and abet the blockader.
These spies dare not invade the strong
holds In the mountains. They are not
looked upon with the respect shown
( United States officers, because they do
not show the courage Of the latter in
boarding the lion in his den.
And SO. the Illicit distillers are increas-
ing every day and the Dispensary law
encourages this increase, as IT does not
strike at the root but seems satisfied to
capture, now and then, negro retailing
drinks or dealer in rice beer.
mentioned. Towns and cities are filled
with constables watching and smelling
around for blind tigers. Great stress is
made Of the fact, or the claim, that drunk
enness Is decreasing in the cities and
towns; that there Is less disorder and
fewer riots. Grant, for argument, that
this is true; on the other hand, whiskey
Is pouring into the country by every
road, and men and boys are buying 1t,
and It seems that'th town boys will be
made sober and the country boys drunk
ards by the practical workings Of the
slaw.- =
DE-. Ensor has been all over the State
attending to his business Of destroying
Illicit stills, and he asserts that the oppo-
sition to the Dispensary law is increasing
every day. asked him if he thought
the Dlspensary law would affect the
political ambition Of Governor Tillman..
be said that the people who were engaged
in blockading and those who seemed the
most bitterly opposed to the law were
Tillmanites. he referred to the people
outside Of the towns. Possibly they
would continue to support the Governor,
and at this stage he thought they would.
But the Governor was very impolitic.
Re acted as If the Dispensary law was
bis own personal property-and resent
ed any objection to it as q personal attack
on himself He seemed to consider every
other interest secondary to the Dispen-
sary. The Doctor seemed to think that
the Governor could have retained per.
sonal following by asserting the fact that
tho law was q law passed by the Legisla-
Lklre, and his Office required him to see 1t
executed. All Of which is true. But he
has made it a personal matter and the
people in turn may make it a personal
matter and turn their backs on the Gov
ernor at law.
From the foregoing it may be summed
up:
First. That the Dlspensary law cncour-
ages the unlawful dfstilling Of whiskey.
Second. That it is increasing the use
and abuse Of liquor In the country outside
of towns.
Third. And DR.. Ensor gave expression
to this view, that the Dispensary law may
be the means Of retiring Governor Till.
man to private ife.-Special to Neaos and
~.