The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-11-29
coM1oAI A1rasMEsrs AND A11rANcEss.

In the efforts 10 obstruct and defeat It,, .News-
papers which have always fought prohibition
and those known as the organs OF the Whis-
Gates OF prohibition. Prohibitionists who are
so radical In their vIows that the uncharitable
call them "cranks." have been found should
or to shoulder with barkeepers and whiskey,
nent divines have lent 1t their aid and endors-
ment, others are bitter In its denunciation.
The more moderate prohibitionlsts arede.
bitter In their opposition to it than they have
ever been toward prohibition.
The law wertinto effect July lst. and on the
night of the 30th OF June every bar 10 the
tion. organization and arrangements for the
contr Of so mammoth business had been
going on for several months. The illness OF
Comptroller-G General E!lerbee and the heavy
burden of litigation which the Attorney-Gen-
eral had to bear $iny colleagues on the state
Board OF Control), together with the long con-
tinued illness OF the State Comm issioner, Mr.
D. H. Traxler devolved most Of this work on
my shoulders; and this together with the or
gan ization and direction Of the State Consta-
bulary provided 10 enforce the law, has more
than doubled the labors OF the executive OF
fice. II is safe to say hat no member Of the
General Assembly. and very few others-cer-
tanily not myself-ever conceived the magnl-
tude Of the undertaking; and yet, after u Gas
been in operation four months, the ramluca.
tions, complications and ultimate growth OF
the business are still subjects OF conjecture
and wonder.
All OF the legal whiskey traffic has been
turned into one channel, flowing TO Columbia
the central distributing depot. Agricultural
Hall, l. large two-siory building With cellar,
thus making three stories 167 feet by 30 feet,
has been turned into botting VOTES. u as as
much larger quarters on the railroad VIII Dc
necessary. Fitty.four employees, working ten
hours every day. are kept busy botting, ana
Dispensares in stock, and that, too, when
think 1t safe to say that not more than one.
half OF the liquor being drunk In the State at
this time has passed through the Dlspesnsary:
Large quantities were purchased IN ADVANCE
or In anticipation OF the law going into eneet,
by consumers. while there is hardly tram
entering the State. day or night passenger or
freight, which does not haul conI1a1ana I3a.sno
measure OF obedience to the law, but most OF
them ,openly defy 1t or lend their assistance 70
smuggle liquor into the State. The hicn-
mond and Danville system and the Sontn
Carolina In particular are bending every en-
ergy to defeat the law. SO much Ior tns
present conditions.
have prepared tables covering tne: opera,
tions of the State Dispensary and OF the
county Dispensaries up to the 3lst OF Octooer,
the end of our fiscal year. They are printed
in separate report by the Commissioner.
careful examination of these ngures Will sho"
the following results:
The Dispensary has been more than SELF
sustaining, and the net profits TO the StaLe n
for The first four months have oeen S5s,lSo.lo.
The gross sales to consumers have been
slsG .O48 Sc total expenses of State Dispensary
81, 6G36 ; of County Dlspensaries. sls.s9oOo.
The three principles items Of expense, as
will be seen. are freights, glass bottles and the
Constabnlary.
During the month of July twenty-nine
Dlspensaries were running; in August thirty
nine; in September forty,seveni In Octooer
flfty-one. One has been discontinued, leav.
Ing fifty now in operation: The, number OF
clerks ioDspensers and assistant twentyhtoor. hsar
lxed by the State Board, and range from
81 900 to 500 per annum Where {, s,d the s,5nsg mag
ser is given one or more assistants, but IN no
case is the snlery more than 81 ,0Oo:
| Having shown the status OF the business as
n business, IL Is not improper to make some
deductions purely from nancal nanCsa syste ssaaa
4! The several Counties have derived revenue
500 for each license aggregatng last year
onnties-Charleston, Beaufort, Berkeley and
% CoIIeton-received $1,000, leaving $4,000 for
the other thirty-one counties. The State