The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-20
HIS LAST MESSAGE.
GOV. EVANS OFFICIAL COMM UNICA'
TIoN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

nIuch Space Devoted to the DispensarJ
Law-other Matters of Grave Importance
to the State.
The following is the annual message
cf Governor John Gary Evaas to the
General Assembly:
Gentlemen of the General Assembly
It is the duty of the governor under
the Constitution to give you from time
to time information of the condition
of the State and to- recommend such
measures for your consideration as be
may deem expedient. I shall confine
myself in this my last annual message
to giving you such information as
have been able to obtain as to the con
dition of the State, leaving to my sue
cessor to make recommendations as to
any future legislation or policy.
Two years ago I was elected COVER
nor to succeed leader of revolution
who, to use his own language, was the
worst hated and best loved" man
who has ever entered the politics OF
our State. The policy that should
pursue was already formed by the
people and the only issue made was as
| to the enforcement of the dispensery
law-whetber it should be aggressive
with a view of destroying the illicit
traffic in liquor or whether it should
be of milk and cider form as our
enemies would have it with the hope
Of its final repeal. My nomination
and election meant the former and 1
have endeavored to be true to that
policy. It would have been an easy
matter for me to have placated my
enemies and the enemies of the Re
form movement by giving ear to the
overtures of the whiskey element and
their allies in the cities of the State
the daily press. These people who
slandered and vili6ed the trainers OF
the dispensary law have continued
their stubborn warfare to an extent
that would barely be tolerated by
less conservative people. They have
not been content to express their con-
tempt of the law, but have attempted
to drag dow by lying and slandering
every official connected with the ad.
ministration of the law. Every error
in bookkeeping OF an inexperienced
disper has been magnifed into an en-
bezzlement. Every arrest of an illicit
dealer in liquor by a constable has
been characterized as vilest oppression
of innocent and law-abiding citizens.
If perchance an offender is killed
while resisting the officers and carry
ing on his damnable traffic, it is class
N ed as murder most foul. These re-
ports are sent out to the world as
truths, when as a matter of fact they
are brazen falsehoods. 1t is disgrace
full spectacle that South Carolinians
should descend so low as to slander
their own government from political
malice.
The dispensary law is stronger to-
day than at any time since its enact.
ment and is better enforced as will
appear from the statistics later on.
This is the most important matter
with which you will have to deal, and
| I would respectfully call your atten-
ton to the excellent yport of the
board OF control, with the request that
you study it and think we'll before
making any changes in the present
system.
THE DIsPENsARY AS A BUSINESS.
Up to the time of my induction into
office as governor, the dispensary had
been in operation about Is months.
The governor was charged, not only
with the enforcement of the law, but
as business manager in the capacity
of chairman of the board of control.
The business had continually increas.
ed until it reached over 81, 600, 900 an
nually. Realizing that as q business
\ it was tentative and that it had not
been placed upon what could truly be
called business plane and that it was
burdened with crudities of which it
must be divested before it could reach
the expectations of the public as NOR
| al reformation and business success,
nv first official act was to give its for.
mer management a thorough investi-
cation in order to ascertain its hnan-
ciaI status as we'll as its weak points.
| was met by many difficulties, politi-
cal as we'll as business. To commence
the business the general assembly of
1892 voted an appropriation of $50,
1000. For the first 18 months of its
existence the dispensary experienced
many vicissitudes and when it was
placed in my hands I found it still
embarrassed and hardly able to stand
alone. 1t had not paid dollar into
the State treasury in net earnings and
the $50, 900 appropriation was still un-
Iliauidated. The statements of its
growth and progress as published from
time to time by the former commits.
sioner we're unsatisfactory to the pub.
lie, for the reason that the system of
bookkeeping was Chinese puzzle and
/ no one could tell exactly the true sta
tus of the business. This fact gave
color to the adverse criticisms of the
administration of the law and invited
the terrific accusations that were made
against those charged with its man
|agement. The last statement of these
assets and liabilities and profits which
the former commissioner made was
for the quarter ending January 81,
1896. In that statement, the profits
claimed to have accrued to date
amounted to $151, ,295.51. Bookkeep'
ers of experience could not cipher this
out and claims were made that the
profits were fictitious. I determined to
lchange the business management and
adopt full and satisfactory system
of accounting. An expert bookkeep
er was employed and it was ascertain
ed that the profits claimed had not &C.