The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-10

of ages in a day. You can't legislate
away the desire for stimulants you must
educate it out. 1t is not possible to ex-
tirpate and destroy, you mustreduce and
minimize.
"One of the beauties of the dispensary
system is that it does away with treating.
You can't buy whisky by the glass or
drink. That is the chief evil -of the
present system. party of men go into
a bar room and take-a drink. Then they
pass on down the street and one of them
says: Come in and have drink with
me-. And by the time they have visited
three or four bar rooms they are drunk,
when that was not their intention in the
first place and one drink was probably
all any of them cared for or wanted.
"Thers is a danger in the dispensarv
system of getting liquor either, too cheap
or too dear. If too dear Illicit dealers
will flourish aud if too cheap consump-
ton is apt to be encouraged, But there
is a golden mean. 1t can be made cheap
enough to make dealing in it unprofita-
BILE, and yet not encourage its use as
beverage"
How It Would Work in Kansas.
'sSuppose Kansas were to adopt the
dispensary system, and that the liquor
element should be satisfied with it lex
would be destroyed) and the prohibition
sists should not make trouble, would
there be any difficulty to enforce the
law?A
mot the slightest in the world. In
such case as that every bartender could
be driven from the state"
docs the state dispsnsary system les
sen the amount of liquors consumed"
"Well, there was no way to determine
just how much had been Consumed be-
fore the law went into effect" said Sen
ator TiIlman, ''and from a fair estimate
of that it may be said that only about
half as much is used now as under the
old system"
Senator Tillman said the system was
conducted in South Carolina at slight
profit. The lowest price of whisky under
his administration was $3, but his sue
cessor has very greatly reduced the
price in order he says to drive out all
competition. There has been turned
into the state treasury from the dispen-
saries since they have been running
$240, 900 of clear money. This is over
and above the $4,000 appropriated to
start the system out as this amount was
paid back. The money is used for the
support of the free schools.
Under the law neither habitual drunk
ards or minors can purchase liquors, and
the dispensaries are not open after night
The dispensers are paid salaries. There
are three commissioners in each county
To IOCdl0 anu sCOQtEOL Inc QIHD6DSaEl0S.
Only one man in the state can purchase
for the dispensaries and he is the state
commissioners. All liquors are chemi-
! cally tested. Some beers had to be
| thrown out Senator Tillman said, during
his administration because OF the pres
| ence of dsletsrious acids
Senator Tillman told OF his debates
last summer with Gov. Dickey and St.
john. in which he took the side of the
dispensary as against prohibition with
the one and negatived prohibition with
the other. He got the jury, which was
composed OF prominent men of and near
New York, by aiYote of Is to 8 in his
discussion with Gov. Dickey, and was
beaten by ST. John. $50 it was dogfall
as far as the juries were concerned"
said Senator 1iilman, "but while the
juries were out / took a hand primary
of the audience on prohibition or dis
pensary, and / beat them two to one"
Senator Tillmau satd he didn't see how
the sentiment of the state of South Caro-
lima could be shown any more strongly
in favor of the dispensary system, since
it had been ratified by three legislatures
and a constitutional convention. He be-
lieves that in about year all Illicit
selling except moonshining i about
three mountain districts will be done
away with.
Senator TilIman speaks with a strong
southern accent. dropping his RS and
using soft as. He says fo'ce for force
and ba'tenda', and whetha He raises
his voice to almost a shrill pitch when
very much in earnest. His language is
good and his vocabulary varied. He
uses vernacular expressions frequently
and in alluding to his first victory for
governor, said he didn't leave a grease
spot of the opposition"
None could hear him talk and believe
the report that he answered Senator
Chandler's question in the senate as to
what his politics was by saying 81 aiut
no Populist." He uses good English.
M. f. ii.