Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-05-26
THE DISpENSARY DECISION.
Chairman Jones, Head OF Prohibition
Movement, Gives Ills Views.

the following from the Chairman
of the State Prohibition Executive
Committee deals with most impor-
taht question and explains the atti-
tudt Of the prohibitionists of the
State in the light Of the recent dcci-
sion of the State Supreme Court:
NEwnERRY, S. c., May ~, 1893.
In reply to a number of inquiries
from all sections of the State, as to
the effect of the decision of the Su-
,preme Court upon the campaign of
the prohibitionists against the sale
of liquors as a beverage, would say,
that anticipated the decision in the
statemon / made several weeks ago
when [ said "that it was the old fight
of 1902 over again, except that at
that time it was against the saloon,
under the old barroom system, now
it rs against the dispensary, with its
beer privileges, hotel privileges, the
original package stores and blind IT,
gers which have sprung up with the
disponsary system" The only effect
OF tho decision is to close the origi-
nal package stores and (rcmove them
from the field as competitors Of the
dispensary, but it gives individuals
the right to order as much as they
please for personal use from outside
tho State, without the interference
of the law under which the dispcn-
sary is operated.
The fact still remains that in 1892
the people of the State, without re-
gard to faction, presented an appeal
to the Democratic party to be per-
mittcd to vote upon the question Of
prohibition with the view Of making
it State law. Permission was
given, and the party pledged itself,
If majority Of the voters voting at
that election voted for prohibition,
that the party would pass the prohi-
bition law. They failed to redeem
that pledge, and the same people
came again to the Democratic party,
asking them to give them lcgisla-
turc that will carry out the wishes,
and an administration to enforce it.
The moral principal is still the same.
The dispcnsary is a whiskey mca-
sure, not q prohibition measure. The
prohibitionists protest against being
madein the eyes of the law partners
in the sale of whiskey as a bcver-
age, and if the State insists upon
If ae revenue measure, that
tho State Of South Carolina cannot
pay It's running expenses without the
revenue from the sale of liquor.
Let this question be fairly under
stood by the people and not pretend
that it is a prohibition measure,
when the State is into it for the pro-
fit in it and the bcnnt of the politi-
clans who control it. I submit, as a
prohibition measure, it is failure,
and that as business investment for
the State it is also failure, and it is
destined to wreck the politicians who
are trying to keep and get office by
the influence of the machinery con-
ncctcd with it and that no man can
touch it without his character being
injured by it.
The question at last resolves itself
down to this: is it right for me to
engage in or encourage the manufac-
ture or sale of liquor as a beverage
in any form, and no man who has
tho good of his party or State at
heart can do it. A. G. JONES.
WnISKEY MEN.
The dispensary advocates declare
that the prohibitionists are in league
with the "whiskoy men," The qucs-
tion arises, What is dispenser If
a dispenser is not "whiskcy man."
what is he? a dispenser does not
sell water, neither does he sell kcro-
sonc oil. Therefore he is not water
man or an oil man. He does sell
whiskey. SO, what is he ? Is a
whiskoy seller to be looked upon as a
soda water dealer or perfume ven
dor because he sells whiskcy for the
State and not for himself? The dis
pensary advocates are certainly in al
lianco with the dispensers. The dis
ponsary advocates are in, "hand and
glove" with the "whiskcy men,"
But it may be answered that the
dispensers, the men who sell whiskcy
for the State for the salaries, arc
moro respectable than the mon who
sell, or did sell, whiskey for them
selves. That is matter Of inion.
The States whiskoy mon have in
cluded large number of dcfaultcrs
in recent years. There are honest
men among the dispensers, but the
1nfoultnra have bnnn numbornd NV