New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-12
THE SOUTH CAROLINA DISPENSARl AGAIN

| DISPATCHES from South Carolina announcing
that shortages amounting TO Sl"oo" nave peen
| discovered I'm the accounts OF the state DIS
| pensary serve to call attention once niore W
| the workings of the curious machinery for the
control and regulation Of the liquor 'raloc put
| in oneration bv Mr.. Tillman and his followers
three wears or more ago. The shortages II IL
reportcd have been caused by the 'aiiure Oh
the county dispensers in number OF counties
to settle their indebtedness to the Central Dis
pensary Board and the State Is now threatened
with the loss Of material percentage OF Hs
LIQUOR traffic profits for 1896, unless II can sue
cessfully recover on the bonds OF the delln'
ouent county officials. Though some of the
irrcgularites discovered extend back nearly
two years. no steps have yet been taken ac-
cording TO Fridays dispatches from Columbia.
either to punish the offenders or to indemnify
the State treasury by the forfeiture OF the
bonds in hand.
This latest disclosure. coming as 1t does on
the heels Of a number of equally malodorous
scandals. undoubtedly strikes serious blow AT
the credit OF the already hard-presscd dispen-
sary system. From the beginning. indeed. the
dispensary experiment in South Carolina mas
been tainted in the popular mind with mai
administration and corruption. There can he
no doubt that Mr. Tillman and his leutenants
were first attracted TO the project of establish
ing a paternalistlc liquor monopoly by the I'M
bounded opportunities therein offered for re-
| cruting and maintaining al the expense Of the
commonwealth a standing force Of well-trained
political mercenaries; and il was an outbreak
of popular Indignation much ut the political
arrogance as at the inqusitoral seventies OF
Mr. Tillman's diSpensary spies that put the
new system to its first test Of boodshed and
violence in the sO-called Darlington riots OF
1894 During the three or more years Of its
troubled life the central administration at Co
lumbia has been constantly plunged in political
or financial scandals. the rebate charges
brought against Governor Evans n year ago
assuming an importance far-reachng enough to
wreck the fortunes Of the outgoing State adj
ministratiOn and even to threaten the downfall
of the whole structure of "WOol Had" power.
Yet in spite Of the fragrant abuses which have
crcpt into the management Of the dispensary
system. and the objectionable laXity with
which its revenues have been guarded. the eX-
pertinent in sumptuary legislation begun by the
reform leaders is likely to be continued in South
Carolina for several years to come Though
the dspensary police have not yet succeeded in
breaking mp the sale Of liquor in the speak
easies' Of the larger towns. the traffic has been
as whole put under restrictions which have
contributed immensely to public order in the
State. Popular sentiment has become more or
less dulled TO the abridgmcnt OF personal lib
erty involved in the States suppression Of
liquor traffic by individuals; while the safe
guards thrown about the sale and consumption
Of intoxicanis under the new system have fully
justified themselves. apparently, to the ntelli-
gent and thoughtful Of al. classes and parties
in the State. In addition the revenues Of South
Carolina have been Increased by over 100000
in the three or more VARS since the dlspensary
legislation went into effect. Though dscredIted
by its associations and the fops and weak
nesses OF its administrators. the South Caro-
lima solution Of the liquor problem deserves 10
have and should have n longer and faircr
trial before it Is dismissed rs another frutless
and fantastic social experiment.