The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-11-15
THE DISPENSARI.
All Of Its Friends Should Stand
BY 1t.
THE GOOD 1T HAS DONE.
a. Howard Patterson Presents
ForcibIy the Good Moral
Effects Brought About
Under the System.
Under the System.

!
being made, by its enemies, that the
law should be repealed. AS one who
has always b,en in favor Of the dispen-
sary system | believe that now is the
time for its friends to speak out. Be-
fore one commits himself against the
Gispensary he should consider the mat
ter frcm every standpoiot Suppose
for Instance, that the dispensary law is
repealed at the next session of the Leg
isla,ure, what are you going 10 put in
It's place:
There are but three ways, uuder the
Constitution, TO regulate the sale OF
Intoxicating liquors in South Carolina:
OGe is under the di>peaSary system.
the second under the license system,
and the third to prohibit the sale en-
tirely, except for medicinal purposes.
Consequently if the disrensary law is
repealed you have either to substitute
the license system in its stead or pro
hibit the sale of liquor entirely.
While prohibition may be 9esirab!e.
and l for one would advocate it if |
deemed it practicable, yet experience
has Taught US that it cannot be enforced
and that it would virtually mean free
liquor.
Ihc evils of the license system We
haye seen and | hope will never be for
eotten-shen every to1n IN this State
had two or more bar rooms, with gamb,
ling hells attached, going night and
day, debauchiDg the youth and impov-
erishing the homes of our land. Com
mon sense tells US that if the license
system is adopted that the constitu,
tional restrictions, such as not selling
after sundown, not allowing liquor to
be drunk upon the premises aud the
other good features Of the dispensary
Law would be ignored by the barkeeper.
Whenever you place the sale Of liquor
in the hands of private individual,
whose interest is t) make as great a
profit out of itas be can, he will violate
the law.
Upon the other hand what are the
general results of the dispeusary lax?
Although it has been fought from
the time of its enactment, aud every
obstacle has been thro~n IN the way
of its enforcement, yet believe that |
can tru,hfully say, without fear or con-
tradiction, that it has reduced the con-
sumption Of LIQUOR aad the commission
of crimes arising from the use Of it 90
per cent. Look at the towns Of our
State before the adoption Of the dis
peosary system, and rememter how
common it was for drunken men to be
upoo the streets and what an unusual
thing It is now.
Take the town that | live in, for in
stance, and see what effect the dispen-
sery law has had upon it. Under the
license system We had four or FIVE bar
rooms. generally with gambling dens
attached, and almost every one Of them
was the scene of murder and numer-
Gus bloody fights. Since the adoption
of the dispensary law there has been
but one homicide committed in this
town, and that was not due to llQu2r,
and there is now not gambling hoosc
in the incorporated limits of the town.
Prior to the passage Of the Law rows
and fights upon salesdays we're common
occurrences, nov they are rare. Christ
mas now seems like Sunday, before 1t
was Cay of drunkenness and debauch'
ery. I have no doubt that the expert
ence of Barn7ell has been that Of most
of the towns in the State.
The dispensary la@ has relegated to
the rear all of the allurements Of the
license system, such as the handsome
glass mirrors, the billiard and pool
tables aud the card tables, and worst of
all the social habit of treating, which
has caused the ruin of more young men
than any other feature Of the old bar
room system.
It's not necessary to mention other
good features Of the dispersary, as
those already named will cause men to
hesitate before adopting the license
system. which once it is inaugurated
will soon degenerate into the cid bar
room with all Of its attendant evils.
Let us look a. the dispensary from
the point Of view that is now agitating
til, minds of the people Of this State.
Should the system be abolished On
account Of the recent scandals in the
State dispensary at Columbia?
I say by no weans. While | admit
that such scandals are calculated to in
iure the dispensary, and especially so
as there are men who have fought 1t
from its creation from personal and
political motives and who are eager to
lay the blame upon the system and not
upcn the officials, yet my faith il the
system has never been shaken and l
still believe that it is the best solution
Of the liquor problem that has ever been
adopted. The people Of South Caro-
lima are too familiar with the good re-
suits Of the dispensarv as to wish to do
stroy it on account of the rascality Of
some Of its officials. You had as vel!
argue that the banks should be closed
on acl cunt of the absconding of cashiers
with the tu1 ds, or that the State Peni-
| tents ary should be abolished because OF
the te t shortage Of the supcllntend
eut. as to say that the dispensary law
81 ould be repeal, d on account Of the
misconduct of the commls>i ner aud
other dspcnsary officials. | believe
that Is a thuuder storm puriies the
atmosphere so Will the recent exposures
Of misconduct clarity the dispensary
system and that good will result there
by to the people. l also believe that
the welfare OF the dispensary will be
advanced if special committee SIM
lar to the ope that investigated the
PeniteDtiary, be appointed at the next
session Of the Legislature whose duty Ii
shall be to turn on the search lights
and make thorough investigation con-
cernluy the management and wofHlDgs