The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-04-05
lIshed IN the North American Review

llehed Ia the North American Review
only last February. What fUIldws Is
mainly an abstract of auid articlt
The prohibition sentiment is vel Y
strong in our Sister State and has
been growing stronger year by year
Prohibition was voted on at the
Democratic primariesin August, L 92
with this result: CONFORMATION 49,
$50, against Prohibition 30 AGA, not
voting 20,00S.
A Prohibition bill was passed on
the last night of the session of the
legislature, the lower House having
lad no I'll ne to examine or alter the
bill. BY it purchaser of liquor is
required to sign q written request,
stating his age,. residence, the guam
tity and kind of liquor wanted, pay
the cost, take the sealed package and
depart. The State furnishes the cap
ital and owns the liquor.
The Dispensary Law has been the
one absorbing topic ever since. The
whiskey men oppose it more than
they eyer did simple Prohibition.
Crank Prohibitionists oppose it,
while other Prohibitionists favor it.
Some ministers endorsed it, some de-
nounced it.
Few people ever conceived the mag
nitude of the undertaking. Agricui-
tural Hall, Columbia, q big building,
167x35 feet has been turned into a
bottllng establishment. Much liquor
is, however, Struggled into the State
on the railroads. In four months
the net profit of the State dispen-
sary was $50, 1913; of the counties,
$2O,295 There are some so of these
in operation.
Gov. Tiilman says the law was not
enacted for purposes of revenue al
though the revenue is not to be de-
spised. At first there was a complete
cessation Of Illicit sale, but as time
wore on the men who had always
dealt in liquors and grown rich be-
came emboldened to disobey the law.
One result of the law has been to
decrease the arrests for drunkenness
and disorder in towns and cities
nearly one half. The Governor points
out that the United States Govern
ment considers liquor proper source
Of revenue and from it derives about
| 300, 00O,O 900 annually.
The arguments for the Dispensary
system are thus summarized: /. The
| element of personal profit being de-
stroycd, the incentive to increase
sales is removed. 2. 4 pure article
| is guaranteed. 3. Consumers obtain
honest measure and standard
strength. 4 Treating is stopped az
bottles are not opened on the prem
Uses. 5. No liquor is sold at night
6. Liquor is sold for cash and work
men 90 not squander wages
| Z. Gambling dens, pool rooms anc
/ lewd houses are reduced to mini
mum. o. AOCtbi WHiohSy IIHSS W llicl
(! have cursed State and local politics
| have been broken up.
Gov. Iillman emunerates the OPP
ponents of the law rs follows: 1. Citi
zens of towns whose taxes are in
creased by loss of revenue formerly
derived from licenses. 2. Liquol
dealers and their friends. 3. The
men who were turned out of powei
and their followers. The life of Thu
law, the Governor declares, is TIL
State constahulary, appointed b.
the Governor and charged with it
enforcement. Compared with th
saloon system lie ayers that it is {
success; three-fourths of the citizens
are so pleased with it that there will
never again be licensed bar keepe
in the State. In 1892 there were Cox
saloons and 400 druggists engaged
in the sale OF liquor. Under the new
law the number of Dispensaries will
| never exceed 125 and the consump
ton of liquor will be reduced so pc
cent.