The sun., 1895-02-24

Apparently ~ siieht Decrease OF Drunkes-
ncsa Gnder the DIsnen snrIsa.


COLUMBIA. s.. c., Feb. o. With the close Of
1904 South Carolina completed eighteen months
" her novel cnd"nvnr to solve tho liquor prob
lem. II ON July !, iSg3 that the licensed
saloons gave place 30 the dlspcnsarlrs.
The system Is still IN its experimental stage.
In the state it is difficult to find a person who
dcos not view IL from the partisan standpoint of
n Tillmanitc or anti-Tilnnnite. While 1t may
he impossible to reach n final verdict conccrn-
ing the law. the police records OF drunkenness
yield evidence OF value.
In Columbia. the capital and second city in
size Of tho state, with u population of 10000,
the prepondcrancc OF sentiment has been and IN
intensely against the dispcnsares Illicit deal
ors, or "bind tigers" have for tho most part
been looked upon with indifference ny most peo-
pic. At the same time the state Government,
having its seat here, hns been proportionatcly
active aud vigilant to compel strict observance
of the law The monthly reports Of the Chief Of
Police stating the number OF convictions for
drunkenness, with or without accompanying
disordcrly conduct, have been examined for the
period beginning with July /. 1892, and lasting
until Jan. |, 1895. Perhaps the fairest COM
parisoa may bc made OF the last four months of
lsn:,, 1893. aud 1904 During the first OF these
periods bars were open. and during the last two
the dispensary regulations were being RggrCs-
sively enforced by the special cUnstabulary.
Here are tho figures:
,.n,'.,-, Convictions.
isn3 ,d;srnsary, sg
Decrease from 1892, D per cent; from s99 A5 per
cent.
tisa curious fact that during the barroom
months 4S.T per cent, Of the convictions were on
the charge of drunk and helpless" unaccom-
panied with disorder. while during the dispon-
snry months only 100 per cent. were of this
character. 1t is asked whether the effect OF bar
room room ,whiskey % wa; to knock out the drinker.
brands simply aroused his angry passiUusi
The general inference to be drawn from the
figures appcars To be that under the dispensary
system AN extremely slight. yet actual and for
the most part steady. decrease in drunkenness
has occurred. The decrease. however has hardly
been SUFFICIENT to present a strong argument in
favor OF tho law when its Objectionable features
are considered.
Friends Of the law insist that its best influence
has been with wel-to-do young men, TO whom
doubtful II the contention has great merit For
many months the political animosity toward
young men would purchase or drink dispensary
liquors but with the allaying of this foelfng men
With money in their pockets, after buying by
the half pint pint, or quart are subjected to lit
tie Inconvenience in finding quiet place to
drink. 1t is asserted also that since the aboli-
tion of purchasing by the drink, country people
when they come into town buy in larger quanti-
ties ani drink deeper, and also that the atten-
given TO the towns. Illicit selling in the ruraldis-
tr!cts Is more frequent.
pensary law has tho supper; OF all classes aud
In these it may be said that slightly better
all the towns. the putting down of blind
tigers" has been left almost entirely to the
special constabes. the municipal police lend
ing little assistance. At the session of tho
General Assembly that was adjourned n month
ago. n law passed constituting the Gov
ernor and two other State officers a Board
empowered to appoint Police Commissioners
and to assume entire control of the policing
of any. town in which they believed that
the Dispcnsary law was not, rgdy EN-
forced. The fear of losing the privilege
of selfgovernment has stimulated tho towns To
take more active steps against the blind
tigers" and the Governor. in order to cut down
expenses. has withdrawn most OF the constables
and left the responsibility of making the law
effective with local police. Whether the latter
will be more successful than the COnstables re.
mains to be seen. II is noticeable, though. since
the beginning OF the year that many ex- bar
keepers who had remained in the state in the
hope OF a di.pensary collapse have left.