The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-01-18

QEy.
With a!l these advantages the Athens
dispensary does business of 1000 8
year. Now, can GrceDville expect or
believe that her dispensary would do
more?
There are no restrictions here. Any
moderately sober man over twenty-one
years and not student can go to the
dispens Try here, put down his money
and get what liquor be wants. There
There il no form 10 be filled out with
ink" and filed, as required by the South
Carolina law-no obstacle to buying ell
the liquor human appetite may demand.
Then, public senc.,r ent generally accept
ed the dispenaary as settlement OF a
long standing and bitterly contested dis
pute which had divided the town into
warning aud nearly equal factions, pro-
hibition having carried by majority of
only l3 at the laat election. We know
how public feeling is in South Csrolins
communities 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 occupations
for, as is proved by experience here,
when the bars arc 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 peo.
pie. Tho experience of Athens likewipe
tells US that even in city where half, at
least. of the population is heartily in
sympathy with the dispensary, blind
tigers cannot be banished and continue
to cut into the legally protected trade.
Liquor will have to be sold higher in
Greenville than present prices. Athens
buys direct from manufacturers and
manufacturers agents and pays cash.
The State of South Carolina can buy no
cheaper. The cost of bottling, handling,
freigbts and running expenses at the
States dispensary and the Stats profit
will have to be added to the original cost.
The peopie in each town and cilv can
figure for themselves BY process Of pro-.
portions. using GreenviiIe and Athens as
q basis.
IF Athens clears between 50 900 and
$4,000 q year from her di+pensary, l
cannot see or imagine how Greenville
city can expect to clear more than from
SS 900 to $4,000. She is required by law
to give half of that to the County. That
leaves her liquor income from $4,000 to
81. 500 a year at the very best Instead OF
the $4,000 she now receives from that
source; and it will not diminish her
police expenses or her share of the cost
of the County court q single dollar.
1t may be argued that the city will
receive considerable relief by reduc.
ton of State taxes. The thing would
figure out very prettily. If an inland
town with 10000 does $4,000 liquor
business, our seaport city of $4,000 pao
pie should do $500, 900 business. Then
thirty other Counties at an average OF
$4,000 each would make 81, 500, 600
more, and 20 per cent. profit on the
81 100000 total would be S4O0,000
which would take more than two mills
from the State levy. But there are
several things to be considered which
are not likely to be suggested without
direct observation of the dispensary sys.
tenn.
fhe Athens dispensary carries stock
representing between $4,000 and $4,000.
The State is going in now to buy end
bottle aud Eeg and ship to local agents
stocks for about forty dispensaries, and
she has capital OF $50 900 to do it with.
The bottlipg is very considerable item.
Pint TASKS for corn whiskey cost between
two and three cents piece, and to trans.
fer barrel of liquor into half pint, pint
and quart TASKS represents much time
and labor
suggest this feature of this subject,
which is q new one to me. People who
are interested can figure out for then-
selves how many gross of aaaks and how
many jugs and kegs and how much bot
tling must be provided for out of that
10000 before any of it can be spent fol
liquor.
"But the States credit is capital
enough" Is it? Will many liquor
dealers or manufacturers be eager to sell
$50 900 or $4,000 of their wares to the
State, taking the chances of the dispen'
sary scheme being financial failure OF
of the law being declared unconstitution.
al or invalid Suppose diatiler sells
the State bill ofSlO,OO0 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 gooi his losses, remembering t5e
experience of Mr.. Wesley in advancing
money to South Carolina and the scores
of honest claims which have been drag
gipg through Congress scores of years
Business men consider these matters.
When they sell their goods they want
some tangible responsibility with the
purchaser.
Certainly the liquor interests of the
country will oppose the dispensary bill,
and they have il in their power to destroy
it. Suppose the distillers' trust passea
the word around in the trade that no
liquor is to be sold to the State of South
CaroliDa7 That can be done. If it is
done will the Hon. John Gary Evans
introduce in the South Carolina Legisls-
ture bill requiring all distillers and
dealers who refuse to trade with the
State to appear before His Exsellency
the Governor and have their heads chop