The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-03-05
THE DISPENSE AMENDMENT.
Tho House Refuses to Pass tho Law to Re
strict tho Sale Of Liquor.

Nv iiOuSc lNcIuS0S 10 ass mo la" 10 Ne
strict tho Sale of Liquor.
The bill to amend the Dispensary
law by restricting the sale OF liquor
only for mechanical, scientific, medici-
nal or sacramental purposes, was next
read. Tho bill Is that introduced by
Mr.. Whitmire by request Of the Gospel
Temperance Union. Mr.. Tatum moved
to strike out the onacting words.
Mr.. Whitmire said the bill did not
antagonizc the Dispensary law, but
and beverage features. A great many
| members Of this House were elected
on Il strict prohibition platform. At
the timc the law was enacted it was
understood that It's purpose was to les
sen the evils Of drink. We don't need
Dispcnsary money for schools. We
don't want any blood money. We were
told 1t was but step towards prohibi-
tion and it was now the time to take
that stop. The Liquor Commissioners
| report all through calls for moro facili-
we want. Every citizon is a partner
in this business and he for one didn't
want to be in it. He had been inform
cd too that the law was not being en-
forced.
Mr.. Hough said that he would sus-
tain the bill to the best of his ability.
1t was simply o question of right or
wrong as far as the sale of whiskey is
concerned. He had voted against the
Dispcnsary, was against 1t now, and
intended to die against it. They say
it is an Improvement on the barroom,
but you can't improve whiskey or whis-
key selling whatever you do with it,
If there was no profit in tho Dispensary
would you keep 1t up? If you take
the profit out 1t wouldn't last three
months. With the same strength and
same force the Dispensary has prohibi-
tion could be enforced much better
than tho Dispensary system Is. 1t is
not right from moral standpoint. Who
do you bleed to get your revenue? The
poor unfortunate women and children
of South Carolina. This was the last
speech he would ever make and he
wanted the last words he uttered hero
be for prohibition. We had passed a
prohibition law but it went out Of this
House a white cat and came back q
black cat.
Mr.. johnson of Pickens said he felt
that he would be untrue to "his God
and conscience" did not he raise his
voice in defense of this measure. Our
people by large majority in 1892 de-
clared for prohibition and representa-
tives wero sent here to carry that will
into effect, but instead they enacted
tho Dispensary law. Ho then believed
that it was but q stop towards prohibit
tion. Since coming to Columbia and
seeing what he has see n he has come
to the conclusion that tho law was not
what the people believed it would be.
He saw crowds drinking, drunk and
cursing on the streets. Tho law has
boen 50 lax in It's enforcement that
soon 1t will be little better than tho
barroom system. What IS the differ
ence between a blind tigor and o Dis
pensary backed up by the State when
o man can walk in, buy whiskcy with
out S'gning ndstoss any pledge or being asked
feature is the responsibility thrown
around the Dispensaries. Mon go In
now and buy whiskey who mover did 80
before, because 1t was a Disgrace to go
into barroom and buy whiskey We
have q question before us that not only
| endangers the livos and welfare OF our
people, but threatens tho damnation
Of their eternal eouls. Governor Evans
and all the other bright lights have
failed to solve this question therefore
turn 1t over to tho Christian people OF
| the State.
MIR. Blackwell said that he did not
DelleVo InhI Tue people nad VOted Tor
prohibition in 1892, as it has been con-
| strued on this floor. He did not be-
| licvo that today the sentiment of tho
State favored tho total abolition Of
whiskey, because prohibition or no pro-
hibition four-ffths Of tho people arc
going to havo whiskcy. He asked Mr..
johnson If he had done his duty In not
reporting the violation OF the law he
had seen in Columbia.
Mr.. Johnson said he had reported it
to the Governor.
Mr.. Blackwell went on to say that
the Dispensary law had been q great
success. 1t Is u stcrping stone to pro-