The Portland daily press., 1894-01-23
SOUTH CAROLINA LIQUOR LAW.
It's Practical Notwithstanding Fea-
lures and Beneficial Results
[Corr.iN. Y. Post. ]


Greenevile, SC, January IS.
Six months of experience with the
liquor dispensary law in South Carolina
has been sufficient to prove it an irritat-
ing measure in the eyes of large ma
Jority of the voting population. But for
the fact that it was framed and passed
by Gov. Ben. Tillman's orders, it wuold
probably have been repealed at the last
sion of the legislature in December.
That some of the results of its operation
have been good, no fair-minded person
denies, but the contempt for other State
statutes that has been engendercd by at
tempts to enforce the radical provisions
of this one, is considered to have lar
more effect for evil. Many persons who
concede that thererrwould be general sat
istaction over the proper regulation OF
the liquor traffic, declare that the pres
emit law transcends the authority vested
in the legislature by the constitution.
Others say that if the sale of liquor Is a
legal business, the State has no right to
monopoly of it, but if illegitimate, it
should be suppressed.
When the law was passed, it was eX-
pected that it would be source of con-
siderable revenue to the State and the
county and city governments. 1t pro-
vides that each of the three shall receive
a certain percentage of the profits. But
the receipts from the dispensaries have
not been nearly enough to make up for
the loss of liquor licenses, and as a re-
suit, most of the municipalities are up
to their ears in debt. AS for the State
and counties, they are the gamers, rs
a matter of course, FOR it is a new reye-
nue. for them. In this town for instance.
the receipts were--July, S32. ~; August,
$i63 81; September, $194. S.; October,
$323 o. The law went into effect July l,
and no money has been paid since Oc-
uober. This time last year the town
drew an income of Sc, 600 from the sa
looms. The profits of the dispensary may
be easily computed by using the figures
given above and bearing in mind the
method of buying and selling liquor.
Briefly it is this: the State buys from
the distiller and brewer and sells to the
county dispensary for about SO per cent.
profit The county sells to the consumer
for about the same advance, and divides
the premium equally with the county
seat SO that the State carries the little
end of the log, getting as much as the
other two together Something may be
argued from the increase motto each
succeeding month in the amount of money
taken in, butit is not thought that the
dispensarie will ever become popular
institutions. In the first place it is
mean" liquor that IS sold, and in the
second, it is hard to get. Then there is
a sentiment against patronizing them on
account of the anti administration feel
ing. COMMEMORATIVE are for the most
part Tillman men-and negroes are the
best customers. There is only one dis
pensary in this county, and that has a
neglected appearance inside and out. A
visit to it almost forces the ejaculation:
what chance the reform party had
to give the dispensary law the advant-
ages of common sense application and
healthy, dignified surroundings, and
how they have misused the opportunity.
AS matter of fact a State constable
has the right to enter the house of a citi-
zen suspected of having liquor on the
premises. If any be found, whether for
medicinal or table use, all in that house
may be confiscated by the State unless
the spirits are in dispensary bottle. 1t
vision is very odious, and have fire.
quently heard men say that if a Till
man spy came into their house it would
be over their dead bodies. A negro at
temped to prevent the searching of his
house some week ago in neigh boring
town and was killed, after shooting at
the constables, and wounding one seri-
ously The men who take the appoint
ment of spies" are not generally the
most popular in their communities.
AS for the good that has been accom-
plished, many men who heretofore drank
to excess now are sober, having no open
saloon door to attract them For the
same reason they spend more evenings at
home.
There is little illegal selling of liquor
tains are said to dispose of great quaint
ties of corn whiskey. Many citizens pro-
cure their wine and spirits by express
from outside the State.
VS.