The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-18
Governors Message ITO theLegB|ature.
THE DISPENSARY is THE
LEADING TOPIC.
Abolition of the Profit Feature Recon-
mendoza Hundred Thousand Dol
lar De6oienoy-Review of State
Institutions and Other
Matters of Interest.

Gentlemen of the General Assembly
In this first annual message | regre
that | cannot congratulate you and tn
people OF the State upon the cOrditio
OF affairs that faces you today. Blu
while we have not had the predicte
return OF prosperity, we should recal
with thankfulness the good health
peace and happiness we have been per
mitted to enjoy.
The finances of the State are in
very unsatisfactory condition. Durins
the session of the General Assembly
for 1896, levy Of four and q half mill
OF the fiscal year beginning January
LIST, 1897, and ending December 3lsE
1897. The sum raised by this levy
proved insufficient to meet the ex
penses, and we have, therefore, de
ficit Of $l00, 900 to be provided for. BY
using every dollar from every avail
able source and by overdrawing in
small amounts upon banks in which
large sums of the States funds have
been deposited, we have met promptly
all current obligations without borrow
ing q dollar. The books were opened
Tor the collection OF taxes October 18th,
and since that time we have used
money thus collected to pay current
expenses. This money now being col
lected, however, belongs legitimately
to the current appropriations for 1898
BY refusing to borrow SluO, 900, rs is
often done, though | have not saved
the State any great amount in the way
of interest charges, | have refused to
sanction what appears to me to be a
bad policy-the policy of borrowing
money at interest.
The levy for State purposes will be
high, but you must remember that we
have d deficit of 800, 000-not of your
making-to be provided for, and that
the State will no longer receive any
revenue for current expenses from the
Dispensary profits, for under the pro-
visions OF the Constitution all profits
from the Dispensary must hereafter go
to the school fund. During the past
year the general fund has been aug
mented by 5000 received from the
Dispensary; the year previous this
augmentation amounted to 800, 900.
have endeavored to secure a state
ment OF the finances OF the State from
the Treasurer. But, as his books were
not balanced up to the time Of compile
tion OF my message, beg to refer you
to the Treasurer's report.
THE DISPENSARY.
The most difficult problem that con-
frouts you is the regulation of the
liquor traffic-and it is your duty, as
the trusted representatives of the peo-
pie, to use your best efforts in salts
factorily solving this question.
In my inaugural address | asked
that no material change be made in
the Dispensary law until it could be
given q fair trial. This it had never
had. Upon my recommendation the
law remained as it was, with the ex-
ception Of few unimportant amend.
ments. On assuming the duties of
Governor undertook the enforcement
OF the law, epdeayoring to do SO with
as little friction as possible. AT first,
my efforts were, e,sncouragingly success
full. but this success was hindered by
disagreements among the members OF
the State Board OF Control. The mis-.
management in th4 State Dispensary
and the chickering's and dissensons In
the State Board disgusted some of the
warmest supporters OF the law, and
caused great many to lose faith in
the system, But by reorganization of
corrected, and ths Board has since
worked in harmony. Be it said to
their credit, the Dispensary is now
conducted in o more business-like way
than ever before. Had it not been for
the Intervention Of the Federal Courts
| do not hesitate to say that the Dis.
pensary would today have very little
opposition, and would have already
proved, both financially and morally, a
great success,
The Federal Courts have seriously
crippled the law and rendered futile
all my efforts for its enforcement, by
holding in the case Of Donald vs. Scott
that citizens of the State have a right
to import whiskey for personal use. A
great many who were engaged in the
illicit traffic in whiskey took advant-
age of this decision to import whiskey
for sale; it thus became very difficult
for the State Constables to tell when
1t was imported for personal use only
The State Constables, under nv in
structions, seized quantities of whiskey
where there were Suspicious circum-
stances connected with it's importation {;
but upon application to Judge Simon
ton nearly all the whiskey seized was
released.
Beginning with this decision, the
State has been involved in continuous
litigation. In the case of Elk. p ,te
Loeb, Judge Simopton, held that a. ITS
OF liquor dealers outside the Ate
might come into the State, take orders
for liquors and ship them to citizens o
the State. Encouraged by the above
decisions, the liquor men applied tC
the United States Circuit Court 70,
greater privileges and in the Wander
cook decision were granted all they
desired. In this case the same Judge
held that citizens of another State
might import, store away, and sci
liquors In original unbroken package
OF all sizes not less than one half pint
This led to the opening in the State o
hundreds of private liquor houses an,
flooded the whole O.. South Caroin
with whiskey.
Blind tigers, furnished by "origina
package" dealers, began the sale c
whiskey In quiet, peaceful commun
ties where liquor had never been solo
In my efforts to enforce the Dispensar
law as modified by the Judges d.
cisions l met with great difficulties
AT one time Judge Simonton SCENE
TO assume the combined preroga;ivt
of the Chief Executive and the l. ,gs
lature of South Carolina, and unde
took the amendment of the Dispense.
law by injunction. The Governor, I'll
Constables, and all persons connecte
with the enforcement of the law, wei
enjoined from interfering In any WI
with the original package" dealer
and q law enacted by the represent
tives of q sovereign State was prac
cally repealed by q Federal Judge.
When IL was reported to me tn
Warn, Byrd g. Co., "original psckag