The sun., 1895-05-05
TILLMAN'S WIIISKEY LAW.
THE OUTCOME or THE EIPERI-
MENT UP TO THE PRESENT.
Disnppointing In the Matter OF Revenue 20
the stnte-L Litigation ms TO the Consttu-
t1on niity OF the Law Smuggling Tricks.

| WASHINGTON, April 9i.-Tho famous liquor
| dispensary of South Carolina occupies an ugly
| looking building on tho main business street
of Columbia, n couple of blocks from the en-
trance to tho unfinished Capitol. The cellar is
full OF barrels of wine and whlskcy OF various
brands and ages. cases Of bottles and demi-
| johns, and patent apparatus for washing
them. Tho main floor has the appearance OF
| a wholesale liquor establishment, tho front
| portion being filled with high piles Of packing
cases. while In the rear at the alley entrance
| are several patent bottling machines and long
tables Mt which lot of girls are rasting labels
| upon bottles and putting seals over the corks
| At the curbstone. when visited the place, was
| all ordinary farm wagon, drawn by sturdy bay
horse, which they told me had been contlscated
| u few weeks before while engaged in hauling
contraband whiskey down Mt Orangcburg.
Up stairs In the front room the Commits
| sioncrs in charge OF tho state dispensary and
their clerks, we'll the officials of the State
| Department OF Agriculture. while in large
back room. which seems to have been originally
| intended for public exhibitions and entertain
mcnts, Is n collection of curiositics that illus
trate tho ingenious methods smugglcrs have
adopted to evadc the law and swindle the State.
There are cases Of tomato cans filled with
whiskcy, sugar and barrels with false bottoms
that held few inches OF sugar or Kerosene,
wns the rest Of tho Rar barrels were lea Win
kegs, large glass jars. such as are used for ship.
ping chemicals. aud all sorts of packages. Dem,
flour, sugar, and meal and IT has been favor
ite ruse To- pack bottles of whiskey in hogsheads
Tho agent in charge told me that over 5000
pounds Of bacon had been coniscated for being
foand s"i bottles M OF Ghsiev concealed OF in tho car
cass OF hog. One man went TO the trouble
whsS Ge 't sH %nsksy sna
into the STATE they don't know how. many
times, checked as baggage. But it Is verv
cnpes detection. because the official returns
show that the entire consnmpti9n for the state
July l. 1898. when the law went into forge. to
Dec ~ lsn5. cost only Slsss,9In; 81, @ The liquor
was N profit l Of SDd.Sia to the treasury of the
State: The official printed reports show that
only Sa3.29s worth of whiskey has been sold in
the city of Charleston during the last eighteen
months which is most incredible, because be-
fore the Disprnsary law was enacted more than
that was passed over the bar at the Charleston
The agent in charge of the State dispensary
told me that the sales were now about S2O.O00R
| week, which indicates decided increase. But
these accounts have been questioned. The oppo-
that there has been great deal of swindling and
stealing, and that the Commissioners themselves
haven't the slightest idea OF the amount OF bust.
ness that has been transacted or the sum OF
money that has been stolen under tile system.
The books show that the State agents now owe
will be very difficult to collect. They admit at
headquarters that the agents are very slow in
sending in their returns and that some method
must be adopted to compel monthly settlements.
but at the same time they say that all the
not iose 90 anything If they do not pay up as
promptly as they ought. The whiskey is bought
in the open market at Baltimore; CINCINNATI,
and Louisville. but distiilerles III the State are
given the preference, although they produce
nothing but the lower grades. which. however.
lima drinker likes to have his liquor take hold.
The state has $4,000 capital invested In the
business, which was appropriated by the l.egis-
effect. in July. 1888.
The original idea Of Gov. Tiilman in proposing
this plan was to secure larger revenue Tor the
state. lie used To argue that the liquor dealers,
wholesale and retail; were getting rich upon
treasury OF the state and relieve the people
which amounts to about 81. 600. 600 with whis:
figures. the profits thus far have not justified
his expectations. and. unless the state agents
out OF pocket by its experience np to this time
They cite as an evidence OF Illlman's disap-
conservatives concerning the new Constitution
he failed to insist that the ispensary idea should
be embodied % d IN hat Instrument ns it was ex-
The adoption OF the dispensary law was the
resul t of "A vote of the Democrats ut the pri-
maries In 1890. when a majority OF the white
people declared in favor of prohibition. Up
TO that time both prohibition and local option
sentiment was strong everywhere. except in
the larger cities and along the coast. Those
the prohibition idea. and. when Tillman came
into power ut the succeeding election, he en-
g s to pas'ts h"t Sy
was not his own idea, as people generally sup
pose, but had been in operation Mt Athens: TIA.
u university town. for several years. and had
succeeded very well in protecting about 1000
students from the saloons. 1t is also said to
have been adopted in Indiana in 1850 and pro-
nOunCeu unconstitutional Dy the courts.
In his first message Tillman did not assume
TO be Il prohibitionIs,, but declared that pure
recommended the closingof all the saloons and
@ II v Gk OF Of sea 6a s,nppes de-
Gated. The law authorizes TO retail business,
but permits the sale OF sealed packages contain
not lie opened Or consumed upon the premises.
The Board of Commissioners has the power TO
retail over bars. and there are q number OF such
establlsImeen's, usually at hotels. This trans
keepers to the State: and agencies were np-
pointed 6y the Governor in Response 70 petitions
ons FOR licenses H,s TO sell quSr Inc in other pnpes a.'
There are eight agencies in Charleston. the
S i y G 19Ha in any ns sy but in
none. The agents are appoin nted upon political
influence. and receive salaries Of IRON $500 to
$1,000 II year. The whole business Is and was
intended to be II political machine. and it Is a
very powerful agency at election times.
State constables who are employed exclusively
to regulate the liquor traffic at. n compensation
Of 81 per day. These men, who are nothing
more nor less than spies with police powers, ex-
ercise an enormous politica! influence Tor every
man who sells liquor. Lawful lly or unlawfully,
il In their power. and 1t IL charged that Il gen
eral system of blacknnl prevails throughout
the STATE. The law is, however. pretty generally
enforced except in the larger places. There
are saia to be 100 blind tigers" in Charles
ton Vhey are restaurants. cafes, groceries,
clubs, &c.. and | am told that most
OF them pay tribute to Tie constable IN charge
service in the interest Of Senator Tillniun and
the reform" party. The courts are full Of
indictments for violation of the law, but only
two dispcnsary agents have ever been indicted
for breach OF trust. although 1t u 81. id that
many OF them who stand III /" with the con-
stables are constantly swindlng the state by re-
filling the old h0si,rr with contraband whiskey.
The sale of beer is regulated In similar manner.
both by hottl and keg, one brewer in Charles
ton having the monopoly.
Immediately after the adoption of the plan its
opponents tested It's scunStiiutiOnalily In the state
courts OH tho ground lI that 1t WAS unlawful
for the state Government TO enter into trade;
r.i that 1t was unlawful for the Legislature to
appropriate, S1o,O0o Of money raised by taxa
tion, had been done, TO enable the State to
enter into mercantile business; 90 that the sale
OF liquor by the state was repugnant to the Con-
Hti and in yiplnt q ile sDirt nj i'm