The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-08-21

|
ehce they onco possessed and have
learned to smuggle. to hide, to lie, to
play spy and iuformer, 8. eak behind n
door to take II drink, and to do many
other mean contemplate things that
South Carolinians once scorned. Then,
| too, the Dispensnry constnbles are too
| busy dnbbling III politics and watching
the few blind tigers of the hated
towns to pay any attention to tho con-
traband whiskey that is daily peddled
all over the country and sold at almost
every Negro church where religious
services are held. As to getting auy
revenue for the State, that Is not
worth considering, since there are too
many opportunities to steal, too MANY
doubtful characters who know their
opportunity. always ready for ad-
dlton, division anl silence" is n tt
translation of the Latin motto on their
bottles. However, the heavy expense
OF the huge, ili-d,vised, impractical,
unwlse scheme woulu forever prevent
the State making any money ont of it.
Every wel!-governcd State in tho
world derives much, if not most of its
revenue from tax ON stimulnuts-
"a heavy license on their sale. Either
the state, the counties or the towns Of
South Carolina formerly got no. much
short OF 100000 revenue from tie
sale OF liquors, but that sort of thin~
Is ell gone and shul! stay gone as lone
as the present Dispcnsary hu:nbu., il
attempted to be enforced. No dcubt
the barkeepers would readily pay
South Carolina 800, 600 for n nonon-
oily of the privilege to sell whiskev
throughout the State rs now provided
In the new Constitution, and each bar
Keeper would be his own spy or hire
his own constables. The State would
then De ut no expense, as was the case
when she received n revenue from
whiskey before the dispensarv farce
was lnauSurated. The license fees sh,
then charged were all clear profit. but
there Is no profit nowhere can be
zone. Yet the statesmen who estab-
ished the diSpensary and still cham
plon 1t promised the people thnt the
profit should he SO great that it would
almost prevent the necessity of collect
ing any taxes; that it would bring in
revenue of about $500, 600.
1t is deplorablc that once legitimate
business--not the most reputable. it is
true, but still recognized rs legitimate
has been coEiiscuted and monopo-
IZed 10y the State in the confident ex-
pectatlOn OF deriving big revenue
from 1t: yet alter three or four years
trial 1T has proven n failure, rs all the
profits OF the business including re-
bates, except what made be stolen b,
employees and their partners, go to
pay au army of about three hundred
Idle droncs to carry elections, harry
the people rs well rs shoot them down
If they Indignantly resist oppression.
Unless judgment has fled to british
beast and men have lost their reason.
our people will some day tear with in
dlgnnnt hand from the statute book the
page that is stained with such II law.
lie essence and the test of civil lib
erty III its 'ast analysis is consent of
the governed, aud what more shame
less, vulgar tyranny could be inflicted
than to force cisprnsary whiskcy shop
upon prohibit. on community. Think
of how deeply the principle of self
government is wounded by establish
ing retail dispcl say in town or
county which has for years refused to
license the sale of liquor.
Local option cannot be improved
upon and rs communities are like in-
hvlduals In having their sober spells
and drinking humors, better let them
alternate between license and no IL
cense, thereby going to hell or heaven
In their own way and as long as they
tread on nobody else's toe it is no.
body's business but their own and
their Gods. Hence the present com
pulsory dispensary ought to be abol-
lshed because it forces the sale of
liquor on the whole State, whereas
every separate municipality should be
allowed to govern itself in its own way
not only ns regards liquor but as re
CARDS everything else.
Let us hope that we shall have real |
trne-bluc genuine reform Mt no distant |
day. The most hopeful sign in sight !
Is that every white man in the State |
seems t" be registering, apparently de- |
termlncd to vote at the next or the |
succeeding election and appears re-
solved to have his vote correctly !
counted or know the reason why. The !
best plan to break up ring here and /
have honest elections once more, with |
n fair count and higher class Of sue
cessful candidates for Office is to cstab-
llsh township elective government like |
they have ut the North in lien of our .
nppointivc local government. We once ,
had and elective county government (
by three county commissioners, chosen /
10y popular vote, but our reform
Leaders. IN order To strengthen their
ring organization, abolished that and .
established the present mixed system