The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-20
OUR L10UORLAws.
a Strong Article on tho Dispensary Law

The Washington Post, non par.
tiHan paper, which is generally tho
f"ireet of the great newspapers Of
this country in discussing public
questions, contains this strong edi-
torial on the recent decision of our
supreme court:
cit may happen, as the years wear
on, that South Carolina will get her
dispensary system into good work
ing order, and be able to manage it
without colliding with the Federal
Constitution or trampling On person
al liberty. Such a happy consum-
nation is possible, but it must be
conceded that the history of the
great scheme, thus far, gives little
reason to expect that the era OF tran
guilty will be reached by tho pres
ont generation of South Carolinln-
lans. Unfortunately for the inven-
tors and promoters of this plan of
State monopoly i'll the liquor traf.
tic' there are good many obstinate
mon in South Carolina. In spite of
repressive laws and their tyrannical
enforcement, these disturbers por-
sistently clung to the ideas that dom
mated before the Tillman era dawn
ed. Some of them stoutly maintain
that "a mans house is his CASTLE"
and that it is nobody's business how
he labels tho jugs and bottles in his
house, or whether he labels them at
all.
One of these bold citizens, in con-
temptuous defiance of the laws of
the commonwealth, dared to have in
his domicile n Jug Of whiskey which
did not bear on It's surface tho Ger
tificato of tho State inspector of Ii.
quors tostifying to it's quality, and
showing that it was purchased from
the State. For this offonse that rock
loss man was indicted, arrested,
trlod, convicted and sentenced to
three months on the chaingang. Not
being convinced that he was a Grim.
nal and justly sentenced, the defend
ant appealed to the State Supreme
Court. In due time that august tri-
bunal hoard and determined the
case. It's decision affirms the verdict
rendered in tho court below, and the
offender must servo tho sentence.
And 80, in the State of the Marions.
tho Sumtels and tho Hamptons, a
citizen goes into the chain gang as
vulgar criminal and tolls under an
armed guard for three months be-
cause he had in his home a Jug OF
whlskey not labeled 80 as to show
that tho commonwealth had sold it.
Stringent as was the original Maine
law it spared its vio]ators tho igno-
my of tho chain gang. No State, saw
ing and excepting South Carolina,
has over undertaken to enforce Ii.
quor law by such penalty. And
this barbarity has not tho excuse of
temperance fonaticism. 1t is not to
prevent tho drinking of whiskoy that
tho State sends an agent into
mans dwelling, prizes into his collar
or closet, hauls him into court,
chains him to malefactor and
works him for three months. Tho
State does not care how much liquor
man or family may consume. All
this persecution comes from tho do.
termination of the State to got reve.
nue by selling liquor.
We do not know that this dec;a.
ION ls not right. The New York Mail
ana Express says it seems "barba-
rous and outrageous" but thinks it
is entirely logical and consistent with
the principle of the State dispensa.
ry' That paper submits "if tho com.
monwealth has tho right to create a
monopoly OF the whiskey businoss for
tho nominal purpose of raising rove.
nno, it has by implication the right
to protect its monopoly, oven to the
extent Of invading the household OF
the citizen to prevent him from us.
ing anti-monopoly whiskey."
Supposing tho State had seized
tho clothing business instead of the
liquor traffic, rs monopoly for rev
onue purposes, would il not have a
logical right to stamp coats across
tho back and send men to tho chain
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