The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-13

ha
handed and tyrannical course ne ""'
.avad class against class IN o'''e' '''0
:, that sort which induces 10 CIV" wal
,,e world will not be less apprenen-
=, outbreaks amongst an eNci'eo
aoo,,e under such provocation, merely De-
.arse they are conservative ana peace
able in their dispositions.
,,oo,,,me an interesting question is
pressing itself upon public attention In
south Carolina, and that is: What be-
co-oes of the profits that have arisen
from the sale OF liquor up to this time'
rho special correspondent of the Charles
ION News and Courier at Columbia wrote
his paper n few days back 1T Is stated
,,non the very highest authority that not
a cent has been paid by the dispensary
into the general expense account or the
state" The paper says editoriaiy'
commenting on this statement: where
has the money gone? What use has been
made of it? There is no doubt that the
system has been proftable;' and 1t
quotes the following from an article by
Governor Tillman himself, in the North
American Review: 1.-THE gross sales to
consumers for the past four months,
under all the difficulties and obstacles,
have been $166,Gi3; expenses of the state
dispensary, ST., 566; expenses OF the county
dispensaries, $2o,O5l; net profit Of state
dlspensaries, sS2,l9S; of the counties
$40 295." This only covered the first four
months Of the law, at the beginning OF
which period the people of the State
had provided themselves with large sup
plies in anticipation Of the new system,
so that the sales for some weeks were
below the normal.
The three months following the four
covered by the Governors article includ-
ed the holidays. when the old private
stock was nearing its end, and the con-
sumption of spirits must have increased.
There must, then, be added TO the
profits mentioned above those for De-
cember. January, and February, so that
there should be a considerable profit from
the sales somewhere. Yet nothing has
been paid into the State Treasury, and
many Of the municipalities have not re-
ceiyed what is due to them. "some of
Them says the News and Courier" eve
believe, Columbia among the number,
have received nothing for the whole seven
months. and others have received very
little. The State Board Of Control have
notified several towns. Columbia and
Darlington among them, that their share
Is to be withheld from them indefinitely
The same paper continues: How much
Of the profits belonging to the towns and
cities has been retained by the State
Board we have. of course, no means Of
ascertaining. If 1t is as much as 5000
only, the whole amount Of net profits
accounted for, is not less than $50 900.
and is probably very much more" None
Of this money having been paid into the
State Treasury, the News and Courier
repeats, what has become Of this
money! 1t asks if all Of it has been ex-
pended in the employment Of constables,
and it asks if 'the dispensary system has
answered no better purpose so far than
that of providing them with work and
wages?'
Going over this same ground, the New
York Journal Of Commerce remarks:
Questions of this sort must be very
exasperating TO Governor Tillman. and
they go far 10 explain his anger toward
the State press. Our only interest in this
fractional quarrel in South Carolina is
in observing how a State succeeds In
carrying on a business it has taken away
from individuals. Governor TillInan and
his supporters are Populists who believe
the state should not only administer the
saloons, but also the railroads. telegraphs,
and warehouses. raise the price OF cotton
and wheat, reduce freight rates ana in
terest. provide an adequate volume Of
currency. and in all other ways make men
comfortable and happy"