The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-13
CLARKR's DIsPENsAaY.
he Experiments at Athens Declared
a Complete Success.

Complete Success.
ATHENS, GA, Feb. l2.-The dispensary
established at Athens for the county OF
Clarke has passed its first years existence.
The plan was adopted after heated cam
paign between prohis and ants as a solu-
ton Of the much vexed liquor question.
The experiment was a novel one, and
Athens, as well as many other southern
cities, have looked forward to the result
with no little anxiety. From its estab-
lishment many have looked favorably
upon the scheme. and as its practical
workings have been demonstrated from
time to time new friends have been at
convincing, the most ardent Of the sup
porters were in the beginning the most
violent in their opposition to the plan.
A sixteen months test has afforded the
people of both oity and country ample OPP
portunity to estimate its merits and to
make up an intelligent verdict. Not only
this. but they are enabled to make a COM
parison between open saloons. prohibition
and the dispensarY system. all tested in
Athens within the preceding ten years.
The most striking advantage that the sys-
tenn possesses over the saloon arises from the
fact that 1t takes this most dangerous Of
the articles of commerce out Of the control
of a iawless and irresponsible class Of men
and places it in the hands Of the law itself.
In licensed saloon customers congregate
and in a social way drink to intoxioaUlon,
and as a rule an intoxicated crowd scarcely
ever disband without general fight which
sometimes results in murder. Under dis
pensary law such as ours liquors are not
sold in quantities less than pint Gus
toners are not allowed TO remain in build
ings longer than is necessary TO make
purchase, and no one Is allowed to drink in
side or near the dispensary.
Again, another manifest ad vantage OF the
dispensary system is the absolute prohibi-
ton OF sales TO youths. No law has yet been
enacted so severe as to make saloonkeepers
ignore their own interests to such q degree
as 10 refuse to sell liquors to young men
under age. In dispenssry there is no such
stimulant Of self-interest to cause liquor to
be sold to minors.
Liquors when once placed in the hands of
few unsorupulous men are sold at the highs
est possible price aud are oftenest of the
most inferior quality and adulterated.
Under the dlspensary plan all liquors sold
are required to be analysed and only the
best grades offered to the public. The goods
are bought by experienced men and only a
small percentage added to make the selling
price.
Prohibition and what Is vulgarly known
as ''bind tigers" are insepRrable, the one
begets the other They have always been
deemed the bane of prohibition and by
many they have been considered worse in
their influence than open saloons. The dis
pensarY system possesses two features that
make these "blind tigers next TO impossi-
bic, viz, pure whisky and cheap whisky
People prefer to buy from q dispensary
because a skilled chemist Is required by law
to analyze the liquors sold and to condemn
all that are impure and poisonous. The
WHISTLES sold by "blind tigers" is known
to fall far short of purity. In the next
place, liquors sold by q dispensary are re-
Quired TO be sold at mere nominal profit
hence "bllnd tigers" cannot take the risks
and compete with the dispensaries at such
prices, and so must retire from business.
The new plan has this advantage over
both prohibition and saloons-there is less
drunkenness and disorder on the streets.
The truth Of this statement is verified by
the experience of Athens for the last six
teen months This, after ALL is the object
to re accomplished, and the plan which re-
duces drinking aud intoxioatiOn to q mini
mum is the one that should be adopted.
While the dispensary was never estab-
lished as a money-making machine, still one
of the incidental advantages is that in a
years. time it brings into the city and county
fair revenue, which helps to tighten taxa
ton. This revenue and much more under
the old barroom regime, went into the
pocket Of the saloonist, who was able TO buy
the monopoly from the county. The report
Of the dIspensary commissioner at Athens
will show something of this feature;
REPORT OF THE BUSINESS OF THE ATHENS DIsPEN
sARY FROM ITS OPENING OCT. |, 1891 TO FEB. ],
1898:
Merchandise bought per invoices .... .S56, S79 a
Less discounts allowed .,............. S35 25
1885, 44 10
Sales for 10 months. ST, 1923 o.
Mdse. on hand ........ b,1lS 81. ....S82, 435 IS
Gross profits .....,.,..... ..,.....,.S2o,o $50 u
Expenses deducted ..........,......... Il. 197 30
Net profits ....... ...........,...,..S14,69 3 81
Assets Feb /, 1898
Cash in hands of city treasurer ......$ $3.50 So
Merchandise on hand............... 5,ll3 Al
s146q3 %