The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-28
BOTH SIDES.
A Hot Debate--GOy. Till
man and Chairman
Dickie,
PROHIBITION AND STATE DIS
PENSARIES.
The Representative Wants It's Read
ers to Hear Both Sides.

The debates between Senator Ben
]am1n Il. Tillman, of South Carolina.
and Chairman Dickie attracted large
crowds to the auditorium in Prohibi-
tion Park, and they were we'll repaid
for going. The first debate was held
on Thursday evening, August 8, and
the question was stated as follows:
us the state control Of the LIQUOR
traffic the best method of promoting
temperance refOrm?''
DR.. d. S. Gregory presided, and an
nounced that Senator Tillman, on the
affirmative, would speak 25 minutes,
then Professor Dickie, on the mega
tive, 35 minutes, with 20 and 10 min
utes respectively for rebuttal. A local
jury of p gentlemen, party Prohibi-
tionists and IA not party Prohibition
lists having been named to pass on the
merits of the debate, Senator Tillman
was introduced and warmly welcomed.
He produced bottle of dispensary
liquor for his text, and began:
SENATOR TILLMAN SPEAKS FOR THE
DISPENsARY.
1.-The question is, How best to con-
troll the liquor devil. 1t is an issue in
every state in some form or other, and
as the world progresses this one black
spot seems to grow blacker; men are
puzzled to know what to do with it.
Every sensible man believes the
abuse, the excessive use, Of liquor is a
great evil. How to reduce the evils to
a minimum in the problem. BY acci-
dent my state has hit upon a new
scheme. l present the South Carolina
system on it's merits as the best solu-
tion that is at present in existence.
I'VE have state liquor-monopoly.
Every ounce passes through the
hands of a state commissioner; is an
alyzed, sealed, certified, in quantities
from one-half pint to five gallons, dis
tributed to other state bonded off,
GERS, and placed on sale at common
store-places between certain hours in
the morniDg.and evening.
ut must be sold only to those of
age, and not to drunkards; the appli-
can't fills out slip for what he wants
and leaves with his purchase-he can
neither drink it nor open 1t on the
premises. The profits over the cost
go to the state; the first profit is to
the state. the second profit, from the
local dispensary, is divided between
the county and the town.
A BITTER FIGHT AT THE BEGINNING.
"When the system was inaugurated
the Democracy were divided into fac
tions as bitter as Tammany and it's
opponents. Consequently, when the
law went into effect the other side op-
posed the scheme without any regard
to merit. On top Of the whisky devil
we had political devil to fight. We
have had one big riot that you all
know about, and altogether three
constables and seven blind-tiger men
have been killed.
"There are three general ideas of
control of the traffic: First, license or
some form of local option; second,
Prohibition; third, the dispensary,
modification of the Norwegian sys-
tenn. License is the giving Of mon
state takes it for the benefit of the
whole system how can you call that a
monopoly? License breeds the open
saloon and all its enticements to evil.
WHAT DOES PROHIBITION BREED?
"a hole in the wall, the 'speak-easy'
and hypocrites with their 'prescrip-
tiOnS.' After eight years of Prohibit
tion in. Iowa, the Republican party
has given it up and returned to Local
Option. The system in Maine has
bred abuses. Its failings are notorious
everywhere. We propose to minimize
the abuse. Treat men as they are,
not attempt to make them good by
is here to stay. When men want
liquor bad, even Roosevelt can't keep
them all out Of the side doors.l
WHAT THE DIsPENsARY DOES.
1.-THE dispensary does not say you
shall not have it. 1t says, If you have
it, take it pure, and let the profit 90
come to get it, treat it as any other
commodity. All other systems don't
keep men from getting it.
"Dr. Shaw, of The Review of Re-
views, saw that the system had re.
duced drunkenness and crime and
ministered to peace and order. DR..
Dixon gave like testimony. I have
letters fromthe mayors and chiefs of
police in the state showing that the
dispensary had reduced the consump-
tion Of whiskey. and that in some
towns the policemen had been dis.
charged because there was no use for
them.
THE BUSINESS CONDUCTED FOR THE
MONEY THERE IS IN 1T.
"What is the main central idea that
causes all this warfare of whisky
against society? Why do men hang
on to the business in a manner
worthy Of any cause? It is the ele-
ment Of profit, the money they make
out of it. When you eliminate that
private profit you close in on the evil.
you draw in and manacle it, and You
do all that practical common sense
can do. The element that is the
handspring of the whisky question is:
Who shall sell it and how shall it be
sold? Under license the state goes
into partnership in the business. We
have stopped that. Salaries are fixed.
Thor is M pnf,icjnr oifhor IN Tho s,,-.