The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-15
War Among WhIskey Men.

dealers arc not altOTetner SallSleu Will
the way in which their brethren i'll Char
lesion are preparing to fight the Evans
Dispensary bill. While the up.country
dealers are perfectly willing and anxious
to cooperate with the Association, which
has it's Headquarters in. Charleston, they
want to know, what is to be done and
hcw it is to he attempted. They want TO
hear something about the Associations
attitude towards the case from Chester,
what counsel they expect to employ and
how and when they expect to act. Whilo
the outside dealers recognize the fact that
they are in q minority they think that
sonic consideration is due them as to the
movements Of the Association. To-day,
so far as l can understand the situation,
the outside dealers are disposed to hold
aloof until they are given to understand
"where they are at p
Thore are few dealers in Columb bia-
not those who attended the Convention
pecting Just little too much. They say
that thcy show disposition to ignore the
other dealers. There is little incident
which they say shows how the wind is
blowing. The Charleston Convention
was ualled for the 9th of January, and
one was called for the 31St in Columbia.
Some say that the Charleston Convention
was called after that at the Capitol, but
the slight that is felt is that the Charleston
dealers called their Executive Committee
to meet on the same day as the Colum-
bia Convention.
The Colum bia and up-country dealers
are perfectly willing to cooperate and
make uuited fight, but they want to
have say in the matter and know ex-
actly what to expect. The idea here is
that everything is going TO harmonize,
but the Columbia dealers, who are living
amongst Fighters" want to see some
body get on fighting clothes.
So far as ia known there seems to be no
change in the original programme of the
liquor dealers in the fight on the consti-
tutionality of the dispensary bill. Gen
eral counsel, perhaps at three or four
places, will be employed to take charge
of all of the fighting that will result out
of the law.
Governor Tillnan told me to-day, while
talking over the appointment of the State
Commissioner in charge the sale Of
liuuor, that he has not had time to think
of the matter and does not know when he
will make the appointment. The Asso-
citation OF Editor Nettless name with the
position does not seem to have any spe-
cial provocation, except that MIR. Nettles
CdllHu Ou oOFO1 AOl 4AiAldd JOokCluaJs
The copartner in the Nettles, Roper &
Co. bill seems to be reconciled to the
Evans bill
An exemplary business man and one
who has made a marked success in life
said that he could not understand where
thinking people got the idea that the dis
pensary system would prove profitable.
He would venture to say that every dol
lar of the $4,000 appropriated would be
lost within six months by the heavy eX-
penses Of the system. It surprised him
that no one had thought that the law pro-
yided that only "pure and unadulteratedn
liquors could be sold. Such liquor would
cost S6 to IS a gallon. The sale Of any
other kind of liquor would be illegal. If
the required profits were put on this class
of liquor it would be entirely too high
priced for ordinary use. and many who
were able to buy il would not patronize
the dispensary. The State will not do
any of the single drink business, and this,
together with the "shorts," is the chief
source of revenue of the present dealers.
The dispensaries cannot in any event use
any adulterations or water, and with their
restrictions, he said, could make no non
ey. He prophesied that the dispensary
advocates would have to ask for another
appropriation next year if they operated
on cash basis. The State would have a
generous rivalry from the wagon VEN
ders, and it will be absolutely impossible
to stop this class Of business.
have it on the very best authority
that the railroads will as soon as the law
goes into effect, if at all, test the right Of
the State to prevent package containing
whiskey from being shipped, say from
Louisville, Ky, to Chester. The rail
roads will claim the right to handle such
shipments under the Interstate COM
merce law, and decisions based upon it.
Mr.. N. w. Brooker, who is Edgefield's
Cornmittee, and who is seeking the ap
pointment OF State dispenser, was seen
TO-DAY and asked about State Chairman
Childs manifesto. He said:
eyes, read Mr.. Childs's paper and /
think I understand him fully. If I
thought the plan he proposes would
establish prohibition in the State might
agree with him, but it will not. 1t an
tagonizes the Legislature, which is a
prohibition body and which did the best
they could for prohibition bill. have
great respect for the body of Christians
and Prohibitionists who worked in the
Legislature day and night for the good Of
the cause, and finally agreed that this
bill should pass. think they ought to
be sustained in their efforts to advance
the cause Of prohibition. To antagonize
them now will result in the repeal Of the
law at the next session, or force them to
position yet more unsafe and undeslra-
bic for the cause Of temperance. They
will not be baked in their purposes aud
will so amend the law at its next sitting
as TO make it operative all over the State
if it is not 80 now, or will repeal 1t en-
tirely, re-establishing the bar rooms. In
ernor Tillman suggests, will have cause
to regret it. They could give the Cover
nor The power to appoint dispensers.
Again, Mr.. Childs's position forces abso-
lutte prohibition upon the people in some
cities and towns, depriving them of tho
right to get it even for medicines. This
never was designed by the Prohibition
lists and such state ofthings will not and
cannot be endured. AS a medicine the
stuff is q NECESSITY. The Legislature did
not design that Prohibitionists should
take advantage Of the latitude given them
to defeat the purposes OF the law by
refusing TO establish dispensaries. 1t did
design that Prohibitionists should have
tho power to control the dispensaries by
having such men as dispensers as would
| control the traffic in its Legitimate and
proper sphere. They have the power
absolutely to take the business in hand
in every town and city, and !! think they
| should do so, The County dispenser has
| large discretion, and ifa Prohibitionist
and teetotaller is appointed he will not
see the design of the law abused. They
will be appointed if recommended.
take 1t that q Christian can with propriety
become a dispenser under this law as
nuch so as Christian can become q
| druggist and dispense liquor under any
law. Sustain this law and we will have
prohibition in South Carolina in year
or two fully and firmly established /;
| defeat the law aud the cause fails indefi-
nitely. The situation has become alarm
| ing"