The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-10-08
VIEWS ON THE DISPENsARx.
Current Comment Upon the Control
or the Liquor Traffic.

| -" " ON Ati' a/ss'b bSN'S<AScNs
Current Comment Upon the Control
OF the Liquor Traffic.
Hampton Guardian.
! The advocates Of the dispcnsary sys-
| TEN as tho best mOdo OF regulating
! the liquor traffic so rs to minimize its
| evils are most dcsrOuS that it shall be
kept free Of everything which might
have even the appearance Of wrong
doing or even irrcgularity. There
must not be even taint or u suspicion
OF improper conduct in any who have
it in charge or who have any dealings
with IT,
There arc many, among the oppo-
ncnts OF the system, who claim that it
must end in failure because it is insep-
arabic from improper or dishonest
practices on tho part Of some Of those
who have in hand it's different work
ings. The Guardian does not share
this opinion. We bclieVc that the sys.
tenn can be so run, so conducted on bus
mess principles, that there will be no
more danger OF irregularity or miscon-
duct than there is in any other State
institution or in u well regulated bank
1t would be unreasonable to expect
that in u business Of such variety and
such magnitude, there should mover
"S>". " i'i'SeeiNNS w ihuSSN, OlltLb IilcIC
should never be single act Of impro-
priety by any one Of the large number
OF persons employed in different capa-
cities. Nobody but Il simplcton, or one
totally blinded by prejudice could cx-
pcct such Il state Of perfection. But
the people have the right to expect
and they do cXpcct-that every pOssi-
bic safeguard should be employed to
put the system, for all time, on strict
ly busincsslike basis, and to reduce
irregularities to 4 minimum.
At every stage Of inquiry there must
be the determination to ascertain the
truth, and to protect the good name of
| the State.
| Columbia Evening News.
The dispensary system should have
no place in the governmental machn-
| cry 0f IL" state. T''n sale OF intuxi-
cants should Du commitr>u 10 rr.Don-
slblc, reputable individuals p.;,ned
under bond to carry out the law, ;rd
Suhlccted to proper supervision by III.
cials commissioned for the purDuin
This vicw will sooner or later be
taken by the Legislature OF South
Carolina, speaking for the pcorlc
Of the State. Meantime, however,
| tho dispcEsary system rcmains--
authorized by the constitution. So long
| 10 viz it" lClll dlllS vi !OIcc, So liir
| should it be Obcycd and respected.
Mere opposition is not enough to dis
place it. SO long as tho legislative
department shall see fit to let the sys-
TEN stand, it must continue. No court
in the land can set aside the grant. in
our new constitution, to the Legisla-
turc, of the right to authorize the
agents Of The State government to sell
intoXicants. 1t is for the Legislature,
so long as the present provision of the
constitution shall stand, to say whether
the diSpcnSary scheme shall continue.
In this state OF tho law, it is plainly
the part OF good citizenship as vol as
OF common sense, to make the best of
the dlspcnsary system by throwing
around it every possible safeguard
against irregnlarity. excess, oppression
and !raud. Any regulation, within the
limits Of reason and Justice, which
looks to that end must commend itself
to right-thlnking pcoplc---to advocates
and opponents alike.
GalTney Ledger
Instead Of the clouds rolling away
and allowing us to sec the sunshine,
they arc gathering afrcsh ana the en-.
tire dispcnsary horizon looks more
ominous than ever. Just when tho
people were beginning to look will,
|
q partial revelation that puts everyone
on the top rail Of expectancy. This is
bad for the dispcnsary; it places it at
a. disadvantage. TO tell US only little
looks like Keeping back a great deal
and SO the people will draw their con.
clusions. Perhaps, however, it is the
only way that Il thorough investigation
could have been insisted on by all
classes. And this means that II thor.
Ough ovcrhaulinE must be had Of the
entire system. OF course those who
have done no wrong have nothing to
fear.
The State commenced in q modest
way to try to restrain the drinking OF
Intoxicating liquors, but it did not last
long. Ono after another the barriers
were broken down, and Tho dispcnsary
is now run for the money there is in it,
and this will ever lead to mischief and
wrong doing and corruption. Soon dis
pcnsarics were forced upon communi-
ties that didn't want one in thoir midst,
and the appeals Of her citizens wore
not heard.
Gods curse is upon him who puts the
bottle to his ncighbor's lips, and the
State is no less responsible than the
individual