The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-11-22
THE DISPENSARY.

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Beeause of The GOOD 1t Is Doing
A. Howard Patterson Presents
ForeibIy the Good Moral Effects
Brought About Under the System.
To the Editor Of The News and Conlier
Owing TO the recent dispensaty scanaais tnete ,te
is a great hue and cry being made, 6y its
enemies, that the law should DE repeaieo. ~
one who has ALWAYS been In 1aVor OF the us
pensary system l believe that now II tne
lime for its friends to speak out. Before one
commits himself against the d1speDkary ne
should consider the matter from every stnho
point suppose ioI instance, .nss asS1en h Of ihe
legislature. what are you going TO put In It's
place?
THREE WAYS OF DEALING WITH LIQUOR.
There are but three ways. under the Consti-
tpiion' to regulate the sale of Intoxicating
iJouors in South Carolina: One Is under the
d!spensary system, the second unueI the
license system. and the third 10 pTon,oI. .ne
sale entirely. except for medicinal purpose
Conseouentiy If the dispensary law is repeal.
ed you have either to substitute tne IlGepne
system 10 It's stead or prohibit the sale OF
While prohibition may be desirable, and
for one would advocate 1t II deemed IL plac.
ticable, vet experience has taught us tnst IL
cannot be enforced ana tnat IL Wouiu NHtu"'
~ mean free LIQUOR.
THE EVILS OF THE LICENSE SYSTEM.
The evils OF the license system we have seen
and I hope will never be @ ioreottenm~hhsn en-" han
rooms. with gambling bells attached, going
night and day, debauching the youth aud
improvershng the homes or our land. Com
mon sense tells us that II the license system If
sdopted that the constitutional restrictions
such as not selling after sundowD. not allow.
ing ijouor TO be drunk upon the premises and
the other good ire Gi
eyer you place the sale ofliQuor In the hands
of a private individual. whose interest II is To
make as great profit out of 1t as he can' he
will violate the law.
Upon the other hand what are the general
results Of the dispensary law!
DRUNKENNESS REDUCED FIFTY PER CENT
altboueh it has been fought from the time
Of its enactment and every abstacle has been
thrown in the way OF it, enforcement. yet
believe that / can truthfully say, Withoul
fear OF contradiction. that 1t has reduced Inc
consu mption OF LIQUOR and the commission VI
crimes arising from the use OF IT 90 per cent.
Look at the towns OF our State before the
adoption OF the dispensary system 'tn s0a re-
men TO be upon the streets and what an nnus'
ual thing It is now.
Take the town that live 10, Tor instance
and see what effect the dspepsery law mas
had upon It.. Under the license system we
had four or five bar rooms. generally with
rambling dens attached, and almost every
nnmberoas bloody fights. Since the adoption
OF the dispensary law there has been but one
homicide committed tn this town, and toat
was not due TO liquor, and there Is now not
gambling house In the incorporated limits OF
the town.
INSTEAD OF ROWS AND FIGHTS, SALE DAY
IS AS PEACEABLE AS SUNDAY.
Prior to the passage Of the law rows and
fights upon salesdays were common occur.
rences now they are rare. Christmas now
now seems like Sunday, before II was dny OF
drunkenness aud debauchery. have no
doubt that the experience OF BarnWell has
been that Of most OF the Towns In the State
ALLuREMENTs OF THE BAR RELOCATED TO
THE REAR.
Tho dispensary law has relegated TO the
rear all of the allurements OF the license sys-
tenn, such as the handsome glass mirrors, the
and worst or 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. .s
features OF the dispensary, az those already
named will cause men TO hesitate before
adopting the license system, which once " ls
ipaugurated will soon degenerate into the olo
bar-room with all Of its atteDdan evils
Let us look at the dispensary from the point
of view that is now agilsting the minds Of the
Should the system be abolished on account
OF the recent scandals in the State dispensary
at Columbia?
THE SOLUTION OF THE LIQUOR PROBLEM.
I say by no means. While admit that
such scandals are calculated TO irture the
dispensary, especially SO as there are men
who have fought 1t from It's creation from
eager to lay the blame upon the system and
not upon the officials, yet my faith IN the
system has never been shaken and still
believe that 1t is the best solution OF the
fhnf hoan hGQr
The people Of South Carolina are too familiar
with the good results OF the dspensary as To
wish 70 destory 1t on account of the rascality
that % the b banks mi should be Closed on account OF
the abscondipg OF cashiers with the funds, or
that the State Penitent tiary should be abolish
intendent, as TO say that the dispensary law
should be'repealed on account OF the miscon-
duct of the Commissioners and other dlspen-
sary officials. l believe that as thunder
storm purifies the atmosphere 80 Will the
recent exposures OF misconduct clarity the
dispensary system and that good Will result
thereby to the people. also believe that to 3
welfare Of the dispensary will be advanced II
Investigated the Penitentiary, be appointed
at the next session OF the Legislature whose
duty 1t shall be 10 turn on the search Eghls
and make thorough Investigation concern.
Ing the management and workings OF the
State dispensary, and to expose all mlscon-
duct and rascality, II any, OF the officials;
ment of the guilty psrties l have too high a
regard for the character OF the people OF South
Carolina as TO believe that 1t IL impossible to
select men TO manage the State dispenSary
who will not steal and be bribed. To repeal
the dispensary law for any such reason would
he disgrace to the honorable name OF Soutn
Carolina. We have any number OF business
men In South Carolina who can Il all Of the
positions under the dispensary law and who,
upon the expiration OF their terms of office,
can leave the same, like Caesars wife, ,.aoove
suspicion.
BEER PRIVILEGES SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.
There are some weak points in the dlspen-
sary law that have been made apparent by
the recent scandals which should be correct
ed. one of which is the granting OF beer
privileges. They are directly contrary TO and
In violation Of the very spirit and object OF
the dispensary system. They are nothing
more nor less than bar. rooms and in the large
cities they are said TO be adjuncts Of "blind
tigers.'' There should be no distinction made
between whiskey and beer: both should be
sold only by the regular county dispenser.
The idea of delivering beer. as new practlced
by beer dispensers, TO consumers at their
places Of business, thereby encouraging the
law and obnoxious 10 It's friends. Therefore
they should be abolished by law.
pIsT1LLERs NAMES SHOULD NOT BE PUT
ON BOTTLES
The recent dspensary scandals have also
shown the danger of allowing the names OF
liuuor houses and their private brands TO ap-
pear upon the labels ofthe dispensary bottles.
1t Is but an open door to fraud and corrup,
tlon. Nothing should appear upon the label
of the dispensary bottle except the brand OF
the state dispensary and words or marks
showing the kind Of liquor, the grade, price
and that II has been anaIyzed. There Ia moth
Ing new in this suggesti on, as 1t Is but return
ing to the rule adopted by the board OF con-
troll under Governor Tillman's administra'
ton. There is no reason why the name or
brand o the house nom which the LIQUOR is