Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-01-04
ernor. He will be at the

of control, and this last selects the
county dispensers. So, in point of
fact, Gov. Tillman will dominate
and control the manufacture and
sale of intoxicating liquors in
South Carolina. 1t is RESPONSE
bility he has sought, and a respon-
sibility he cannot share with any
other. I admire him for it and
predict that he will wisely and
fearlessly discharge the high du-
ties thus self-assumed. In justice
| to himself he must see to it that
the law be carried out to the letter
so that any evil which springs
from it may not be laid at his
door. But this law which we are
to have in.South Carolina isn't an
experiment by any manner of
means. Almost just such a sys-
tenn has been in operation in Nor
way and Sweden for number OF
years and the results are amaz-
ing"
Jim-.Tell it agin Governor, as
Cary McCarty said at the campaign
meeting. Now you're comm down
to hard pan. Bill, I don't trust
any mans theories on the liquor
question, but VIXEN you give me
the cold hard facts I'm your meat.
Tell about Norway and Sweden,
Bill. You must have been readin'
the geography"
Bill-"It would take all day to
tell it all, Jim, but 1 can give you
the results. The liquor law in
Norway and Sweden to-day is the
same substantially as that passed
by our last Legislature. This law
has been in operation in those
counties for thirty-fve years. But
before I give the results of the law
I'll give you little history: From
1911 every farmer in Norway and
Sweden was allowed to distill his
own corn. As a consequence in
1880 there were more than 10000
stills in Sweden alone. AS another
consequence the people of those
ice-bound States drank more liquor
than any nations on the globe. I
give you these facts, Jim, that you
may see that the law in Sweden aud
Norway had few friends when first
introduced, the farmers there be-
ing it's bitterest enemies by reason
of their interest in distilleries, In
South Carolina, thank God, the
farmers are not opposed to this
liquor reform, and if good resulted
in Norway and Sweden, how much
more may We expect from the
same law in South Carolina. Now
for results: The reports show that
IN Sweden. during. the last savap7
Ffsgmyears. cases Sof detirsum he-
mems have sunk from 131 yearly to
40, notwithstanding the fact that
the population has nearly doubled
during those years. The consump-
tion Of liqu RS in the same period
has decreased in the proportion of
16 to 20, or nearly one-half. The
very latest statistical report shows
falling off in consumption of
liquors in the ratio of 5 to -, or
nearly two-thirds. Arrests for
drunkenness in one year fell off
from 1913 to.729 Notwithstanding
the increase of population. Instead
of bar-ronms coffee houses have
been substituted and they make
money. One town of fifty thous-
and inhabitants has in thirteen
years accumulated a fund of four
millions of dollars which, under
the old system, would have gone
into the pockets of bar-room men
and distillers, but which now is
appropriated to identifying and
adorning the city, water-works,
public buildings, charitable insti-
tutions, school-houses, parks, etc.
And all these good results are
ascribed to the public control of
spirits. Now if all these good
things came to Norway and Sweden,
with fewer obstacles in the way
why may not our own old State do
better2 Say, Jim, why not?"
Jim-"There's one thing I want
to ask you, Bill. After this law
goes into effect can't we ever, you
and I, get another drop? No egg
nog, no syllabub? Shall the snakes
up in Sodom be allowed to eat me
up? Say, Bill, give me some
hope"
~, tfx1 1o,,,4