The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-12
GOV. EIIerheo.s ,re.snre-

Gov. ElIerbec's Message.
The Governor of South Carolina has not
very satisfactory condition OF affairs
10 report to the legislature Of the state in
his annual message. which was sent 10
that body yesterday. The finances of the
state are not in encouraging shape. Ow-
ing to losses Of revenues depended upon
from the dispensary and from the phos-
phate royalties, there is a deficit of $780,
GOO brought over from the fiscal year just
ended, which must be provided for by the
present session of the legislature. Under
other circumstances it might be possible
10 count upon the dispensary profits as
source Of income but at present the dis
pensary is in AN almost hopeless tangIe
and no money can be expected from that
source. Even If the institution were 10
make profits this year, they could not be
put into the general funds of the state
Under the constitution the dispensary
profits hereafter must be given to the
school fund until the large balance due
that fund shall have been wiped out
In this condition Of affairs there IS but
one way to raise the sum of money needed
and that is through extra taxation. The
levy last year was four ana a half Mills
this year it must be much higher And
therein will be found source Of much
dissatisfaction on the part of the people
| They were promised by Gov. Tillman, and
later by his successors in the gubernato-
rial chair, that if the dispensary law were
passed the taxes would be steadily low
cred, until after awhile the people would
be virtually free from taxation The
states whisky business, II was claimed,
would pay just about all of the states
| expenses, besides affording more and bet
| ter schools. So far from the promises be-
| ing realized, the people have seen their
taxation grow heavier and heavier the
| schools have received very little from the
! dispensary funds, and the state has been
| constantly involved in expensive litigation.
The voters will be apt to ask the admins
tration some pointed questions with regard
| to the virtues of a law which, after a
trial of several years, has failed to fulfil
any of the predictions OF good made in its
behalf
The recommendation of Gov. Ellerbee
with regard to the dispensary is interest
ing He blames the federal court for all
of the troubles and failures of the dis
pensary law, and concludes that the only
way in which the law can be continued
| without conflict with the DEGREES of the
federal courts is to eliminate the profit
feature of the institution and enforce 1t
purely as a police power OF the state for
the restriction of the whisky traffic. The
| details of the Governors idea are not
given in his message, but presumably he
proposes that liquors shall be dispensed
at cost and under regulations which would
minimize it's use. From the standpoint of
the moral good to be accomplished that
| would no doubt be a good solution of the
problem, if the elimination of the profit
feature would have the effect Of giving
the state the power 10 suppress the blind
tigers" and Original package stores"
But the cost to the taxpayers would be
great and it may be doubted that they
would be willing to submit to consider
/ ably increased taxation in order'to furnish
| the topers and guzzlers with liquors at
cost. Before the day of the dispensary the
funds raised from licenses paid a consid-
cradle proportion of the states expenses.
One of the strongest arguments employed
W NIL LlIliiel1l III lHfOi VI the QlSDtiSeilA
law was that it would stil further de-
crease taxation. With licenses wiped out,
and the prospects of revenues from the
dispensary gone glimmering, it is possible
that the voters and taxpayers may ex-
perience a change of feeling towards the
| dispensary.
1t is by no means certain, however, that
the legislature will agree with the Gov
ernor in the matter of wiping out the profit
feature. A case pending before the Uni
ted States Supreme court and which will
be heard in March, involves the right of
the state to suppress the Original pack
age" stores. It is possible that the leg
islature will adopt some expedient to sus-
pend the profit feature until the decision
of the court shall have been rendered,
with view to renewing or abolishing
it as may be deemed necessary in accord
ance with the judgment of the court.