The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-09
SOUTH CARoLINA,s FAILURE.

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It ought to be the expected that has
happened in South Carolina in con-
nection with the state dispensary sys-
tenn. It is said that the scandals
which have been brought to light in
conHeetion with the state administra-
ton in regard to the liquor traffic will
put an end to that system itself.
Charges are made against the various
officials Of corrupt completely in the
affair, and by the time that the scan
dial has been thoroughly investigated
it is probable that the people will be
ready to go back again to the old sys-
cants, however unsatisfactory that
may be. No other result could have
been anticipated. The connection be-
tween the liquor traffic and politics in
all Of the states is a prolific source of
evil. 1t has been the purpose of one
law after another in the different COM
munities to break off this relation, to
take the saloon out Of politics and to
take politics out of the saloon. The
scheme Of the Palmetto state, on the
contrary, tended to bind UP together
and identify these interests that are
mutually corruptive. The state, under
the advisement of the Populist Tillman
machine, which has had control there,
assumed to itself the entire right of
furnishing intoxicants to the people.
The state was sole producer and re-
taller, through its agents, to the pub
lie, retaining for itself the profits of
the business
1t could not be hoped that a govern
ment which entered upon this line Of
business, foreign to it's office and not
properly to be placed in such hands,
should escape the inevitable conse-
quences. A grander opportunity for
boodling was never presented in any
community, and human nature is not
yet sufficiently far developed to tempt
it thus with impunity. Hence the rev.
Citations in South Carolina, while the
scheme is yet in it's infancy, and the in
timation that voters in that state will
smash it at the earliest opportunity.
The experiment is one that ought not
to have been undertaken, both because
1t carries on its face the promise
Of it's failure. and because a it
is an imitation Of a different sys-
tenn that might just as well have been
adopted, and that has been tried In
European countries with remarkable
success.
We refer to what is known as the
Gothenburg system of regulating the
liquor traffic, in which, while the state
or local community assumes control of
it and limits it's maximum profit,
it does not conduct the business
itself. By this method a city council
or other governing body disposes of the
/ privilege of furnishing intoxicants to
the public to responsible companies.
who conduct the business, keep an
open account of receipts and expenses.
are allowed to retain a specified per
cent of profit on capital actively. in
vested, and turn over the balance to
the public treasury While this does
not eliminate intoxication, which
nothing can do except reform of
human nature, it has seemed to re-
duce it's evils to a minimum, and it
has been very advantageous in taking
away from the saloon business the in
centive of an inordinate profit, which
stimulates it's extension and makes
it work hard to enlarge it's custom.
South Carolina, if she wished to in
augurate a reform. might just as well