The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-11

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AS I have said, Athens is a bigger
place and q richer place than Green
vile, aud does more business, han
ding from 10000 to 100000 bales Of
cotton year. It is the whiskey me-
tropolis for wide stretch of country.
There are about $4,000 people in Clark
County and the five or six neighboring
counties are all "dry."
With all these advantages the Ath-
ensdispensary does business of ST.
600 a year. Now, can Greenville ex-
pect or believe that her dispensary
would do more?
There are no restrictions here. Any
moderately sober man over twenty-one
years and not a student can go to the
dispensary here, put down his money
and get what liquor he wants. There
is no form to be filed out with ink"
and fled, as required by the South
Carolina law-no obstacle to buying
all the liquor human appetite may
demand. Then, public sentiment gen.
orally accepted the dispensary as set
tlement of a long standing and bitterly
contested dispute which had divided
the town into warring and nearly
equal factions, prohibition having car
ried by majority of only Is at the
last election. We know how public
feeling is in South Carolina commuai-
ties and the natural wrath that would
follow the closing of business places,
the vacation of dwellings and loss of
means of livelihood by men engaged
in selling liquor and kindred occupa-
tions-for, as IS proved by experience
here, when the bars are closed in a
small city, billiard and pool rooms and
restaurants dry up rapidly. There is
one billiard room in this city of 10000
or more people. The experience of
Athens likewise tells US that even in a
city where half, at least, Of the popula-
ton is heartily in sympathy with the
dispensary, blind tigers cannot be ban
ished and continue to cut into the le-
gally protected trade.
Liquor will have to Re sold higher in
Greenville than present prices. Ath-
ems buys direct from manufacturers
and manufacturers agents and pays
cash. The State of South Carolina
can buy no cheaper. The cost Of bot
Ting, handling, freights and running
expenses at the States dispensary and
the States profit will have to be added
to the original cost.
The people in each town and city
can figure for themselves by process
of proportions, using Greenville and
Athens as a basis.
If Athens clears between $9, 900 and
$4,000 a year from her dispensary,
cannot see or imagine how Greenville
city can expect to clear more than
from $4,000 to $4,000. She is required
by law to give half of that to the, ,coun-
ty. That leaves her liquor income
from ST. 900 to $4,500 year at the very
best instead of the SIG, 600 she now re-
ceives from that source; and it will not
diminish her police expenses or her
share of the cost Of the county court q
single dollar.
It may be argued that the city will
receive considerable relief by reduc-
ton of State taxes. The thing would
figure out very prettily. # an inland
town with 10000 people does $4,000
liquor business, our seaport city OF
60, 900 people should do a 100000 busi-
ness. Then thirty other counties at
an average of $50, 900 each would make
81, ,500,0 900 more, and % per cent.
profit on the $1,000, 000sotal would be
$500 ,OG0, which would.take more than
two mills from the State levy. But
there are several things to be consid-
cred which are not likely to be sug-
gested without direct observation of
the dispensary system.
Tile Athens dispensary carries q
stock representing between $4,000 and
$1,000. Tie State is going in now to
buy and bottle and keg and ship to
local agents stocks fer about forty dis
pensaries, aud she has a capital of
$50, ,0C0 to do it with. The bott,ing is g
very considerable item. Pint TASKS
for corn whiskey cost between two and
three cents piece, and to transfer a
barrel of liquor into half pint, pint and
quart TASKS represents much time and
labor.
I suggest this feature Of this subject,
which is new one to me. People who
are interested can figure out for them
selves how many gross of TASKS and
how many Jugs and kegs and bow
much bottling must be provided for
out of that $50, 900 before any OF it can
be spent for liquor.
'But the States credit is capital
enough" Is it? Will many liquor
dealers or manufacturers be eager to
sell $4,000 or $4,000 of their wares to
the State, taking the chances of the
dispensary scheme being financial
failure or Of the law being declared un-
constitutional or invalid? Suppose a
distiller sells the State bill of $10,0 ,000
and the law is knocked out in the
courts? Who is he going to sue or
look to for his money? Will he take
chances on the legislature making good
his losses, remembering the experience
of Mr.. Wesley in advancing money to
South Carolina and the scores of hon.
est claims which have been dragging
through Congress scores of years?
Business men consider these matters.
When they sell their goods they want