The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-05-13
Dispensary School Humbug.

Coming as 1t does from one Of the leading
Reformers of the State il will be Of special
interest. In a recent address at the Alli-
ance picnic at Cane Creek, in this county,
Mr.. Mayfield discussed the progress of
education in the State for the past few
years, and showed what had been done by
citing Clemson College, Winthrop College,
South Carolina College, the Citadel, Fur
man, Woffcrd, Newberry, Erskine,
Charleston and all of the female colleges
of the State and the condition of the pub
lie schools. lie then discussed the future
prospects of the schools. While discuss
ing this he was interrupted by some one
in the audience, who wished to know If
it were true that the public schools would
run six months. Mr.. Mayield said it was
not true, and showed why it could not be
true by calling attention to the fact that
the school funds could not possibly be in
creased more than one-third over what
they are now. He stated that the amount
from the poll tax would not likely exceed
the amount now raised from that source,
and that the poll tax at present was about
one-third of the whole school tax, and
hat the three mills would only increase
the total tax by about one-third.
Another person then asked how a suf1-
cient fund could be raised to run the
schools as long az was necessary. Mr..
Mayfield stated that there were but two
ways to do this. One way was for the
country districts to do like the cities and
towns of the State are doing, and that is
for ,bs people of q districtto vote an extra
tax On themselves, which the new Con-
stitution and the new law permitted them
to do, provided they do not exceed four
mills extra tax. Mr.. Mayfield said the
other way was to make use of the net in
come from the dispensary as far as it
went. This brought up the question as
to what the schools would receive from
the %dispensary fund this year. Mr.. May
field said that under the recent Act of
the Legislature the schools would get
nothing from this source this year as the
States net profits we're to be credited to
the schools, but the schools were to be
charged with an equal amount from the
general d%ispensary account and that the
money would 60 n the State treasury
for general State purposes, and that the
schools would not get one cent this year
from that source. MI. Mavtield respond
ed to q further question by saying that
the schools need not look for any eTenu
from the dispensary for at least two years,
as the profits for this year would not
equal the general d~ispensary accoun
with which it is being charged; that the
net dispensary income was such an un-
certain quantity that IL would not be safe
to count or it for any purpose until 1t
was already in hand, and therefore II
would never do to run ne schools n
expect to paw the school claims from thu
%dispensary net proceeds. Owing to this
uncertainty and delay, Mir. Mayield said,
be could give the people nc assurance as
to when they would receive any part of
the dispensary profits. Mr.. Mayfeld ex-
pressed great regret that the people WHIP
bad been depending on the dispensary
profits to help out the poll tax and three
mill tax to give them longer sessions
and better schools would lave to be dis
appointed 20 far az tho CIspensary profits
we're concerned. He said the law and
circumstance over which he had no con-
troll made this the case.
This brought up the question as to how
this uncertainty and delay could be avoid
ed. Mr.. Mayfeld vas asked to explain
this if be could, and he replied that under
under which the dispensary had to be
he could sec. Mr.. May6eld strongly
lax OhlOAS VI oAS
%dispensary law as long as it remained the
law. He earnestly declared himself in
favor of the dispensary idea. This state
ment indicated that be favored a different
plan to the one now in force, and in re-
spouse to a question he reati-med bal
be had always favored the idea, but did
not think the present system the best one
that could be found. lie said he had
never thought that the best plan for
carrying out the dispensary idea had
been adopted and that he had always ia.
vored another plan, which was a very dif-
ferent one from the one now in operation.
He said it was not his purpose to crlticise
the presenedispensary law, but he thought
bis plan if it were given a trial would
prove to be a very much more satisfactory
and better one He gave an outline of his
plan. saying that to 90 into details fully
would take too long. Briefly stated, it
was as follows:
There should be q separate and distinct
State department created 10 look after
this business, with a chief officer who
should be called State inspector; four
deputy inspectors, with the power vested
in the State inspector to appoint as many
additional deputy inspectors as occasion
might demand, docking to the opening
up of the business and extra occasions,)
all to be on salary and bonded officers.
He estimated that the total expense Of
this department ne. not exceed $4,000
per annum, which was a very small
amount compared with what is spent in
running the present system.
That no liquor should be sold in any
county. or city, or town, or place that was
dry by statute.
That no liquor should be sold except
within incorporated cities and towns
which were not dry by law, and that
none should be sold within such cities
and towns until the qualified electors of
such cites and towns mad passed on the
question by a direct vote.
That in those cities and towns where
the question had been settled in favor OF
allowing il to be sold, the mayor and
clerk should certify that fact to the State
inspector.
That no liquor should be sold in the
cities and towns which permitted its sale
except by such persons az the mayor and
county ST. supervisor should appoint, and
that the mayor and county supervisor
should vouch for the good character and
responsibility of each proposed vendor.
Each proposed vendor should give .
good and sufficient bond for his faithful
observance of the law, with heavy fines
imposed for its violation n with the
right of confiscation Of the entire stock
for repeated violations.
That the mayor and county supervisor
should notify the State inspector of their
action when an appointment bad been
made by them, and the State inspector
should serd a deputy inspector to vie"
the premises, with power to approve or
condemn.
That the proposed vendor should sub
nit to the deputy inspector three copies
Of the bill of liquors be proposed to pur-
chase, and if the liquors were OF approved
brands the deputy Inspector should send
one copy to the State inspector, keep one
himself and give the third to the proposed
vendor and should give him a shipping
permit for each package be proposed to
ship into the State, each shipping permit
to be dated, signed and numbered.
When the liquors arrived and the VEN
dor was ready the deputy inspector should
test the quality and gauge the quantity,
and authorize the vendor 10 put he liquor
into packages. That the liquor should
measure no more nor less than it meas
ures in bulk and the quality hould be
the same.
That for the privilege to sell the ven.
dor should pay to the State a graduated
privilege tax according to the amount IN
the package, and that the payment of this
tax should be shown by a label which
should be signed by the State inspector,
counters'gned by the deputy inspector,
dated, numbered, have ths amount of the
tax written on its face aud should be Sc
curely fastened over the mouth of the
package, that this tax should be some
thing like two cents for each half pint,
.:,t oi,It oor,ts q mart Giv-