The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-17
THE DIsPENsARY.
Ne"berry's Representatives Have to
'h the subjoot in Answer to tho
Newo and Courier.

"Do you think the dispensary law
;Swill stand as at presentp If not,
what is your solution Of the mat
sSter?"
Representative John F. Banks of
8this county has sent that journal the
following reply ..... -.
D With regard to the dispensary, I
SSbelieve that it has practically solved
@the question as to the best method
@of controlling the whiskey business,
#but I am convinced that in it's pres
Gent shape it cannot stand. The
Ntronble is not in the system, but in
the details of its management. The
constabplary force is Objectionable
both to Conservatives, and, belieye,
a majority of Reformers. The coun-
J ty boards Of control cost great deal
! N ,mll19raaethan they are worth. They
Fare sinecure positions and should be
abolished. The people are not able
to understand why every officer in
, the State and county, connected with
the dispensary, should not be elected
by the people. If this privilege had
been allowed the people it is quite
probable that such a cry of dishones-
ty and corruption would have never
been raised, or if raised would fix
the responsibility for bad selection
on the people, where all such re-
J sponsibility justly belongs and should
rest.
do not believe in county manage
ment Of the whiskey business, for if
there is dishonesty and corruption
now, there would be tenfold more
room for it in county management.
j. High license would be serious
mistake. The characters for whose
benefit it is proposed, would have
whiskey at any cost, and the poor
women and children who suffer more
or less under any whiskey law would
be left utterly without protection.
For if it took weeks wages of his
family to buy a drink the toper
would have it. AS it is he has lit
tie left.
Take away the constables, abolish
the county boards of control, let any
one order whiskey who wishes to do
80, without any restriction, take the
expense entailed by the employment
of constables and county boards of
control, and all other expenses posi-
BILE from the price of other expenses
possible from the price of dispensa-
whiskey; keep for sale any kind of
whiskey which people want, quality
proportionate to demand, and NO
constables would be needed to sup
press blind tigers. (They would
die the death Of starvation and no
whiskey would be ord"red,) Let the
people elect every officer connected
with the dispensary and make the
minimizing Of the traffic the primary
and profit the incidental object, and
every class of people would, be
brought to support the law, without
which support no law can stand. If
any constables should be needed
they would be better employed to
watch illicit distilleries and Illicit
distilling, (for there is doubtless
much Illicit distilllng and dode ing
and evasion in distilleries recognized
as legal,) and the Federal officers,
charged with their suppression,
through whose connivance and
: bribery alone, blind tigers could live
under the above management.
e HAS NOT MADE UP HIs MIND.
.. Newberry, S. c.: scarcely know
how to answer your second question.
There are very serious doubts in my
mind as to whether or not the dis
pensary law will stand as at pres
ont.
Should the Supreme Court of the
United States sustain the decision OF
Judge Simonton material changes
will follow. Should the decision be
reversed no important changes will
be made. Should there be no deoi
sion Of the Court before the General
Assembly meets in January next
and should the dispensery prove un,
profitable in the meantime on &C.
count Of the sharp competition with
which II will have IN contand T he.