The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-01
THE LIQUOR LAW.
Rev. Alexander Lewis
FavOrs the Dis
pensary.
CAROLINA SYSTEM
New Phase in Temperance
Subject Of Logical
Sermon.

1
Alexander Lewis spoke from the sub
ject, "A new phase in temperance-the
| dispensary law and its results" taking
for his text first Timothy, 6, 10; For
the love of money is the root of all
| evil"
Il have selected this text" he began,
because it seems to touch the key
note of the topic. If the element OF
personal gain be removed from the IL
quor evil, the evil could be more easily
eradicated. Some place the evil of in
temperance on a par with slavery, and
some even go so far as to say 1t is
worse than slavery
1T has been estimated that 100000,
900 is spent annually in the making,
selling and buying of intoxicants. All
plans known to man have been used
to cope with this evil. All are familiar
with the blue ribbon and the white rib
bon of the temperance speakers of time
past. These methods have done good
in their time. We are all familiar with
low and high license, local option and
prohibition, and none of these seem to
meet the evil
The question is, How can we meet
the evil? A new phase of temperance.
Not new, but set on foot in Norway
and Sweden rs years ago, giving the
state control of the liquor business. 1t
took the traffic out of the hands of
politics, it removed the element of pri-
vate gain. In 1874 in Norway 142
quarts of liquor per capita were sold.
In 1892, after the adoption of the dis
pensary law, 6.S quarts per capita were
sold, a decrease Of over one-half.
Seven years ago the plan was adopt
ed in South Carolina. So great has
been the result that it demands the at
| tention of every intelligent person. The
plan adopted there differs from that in
vogue in Norway and Sweden, in some
particulars. The state has entire con-
troll of all the liquor traffic, agencies
for the sale of intoxicants are estab-
lished throughout the state, though
each town has the right of saying
whether it wishes a dispensary or not,
a liquor commissioner is appointed, who
must be a man of excellent character
and not addicted to the use of intoxi-
cants himself, and who is held respon-
sible for the direct control Of the bust
ness. Rigid laws against Illicit sale
have been provided and are carried out;
no agent shall sell to minors or to those
in state of intoxication, under the
penalty of fine of $500, or imprison-
ment for two years.
This plan was also adopted in North
Carolina two years ago. In South Car
DINA it was political, in North Carolina
| it was moral. In South Carolina it
was a state affair. while in the sister
state it began in the little town of
Fayetteville, the Legislature making it
law throughout the county. In Fay
etteVille, II saloons and 10 distilleries
were closed within the year. In South
Carolina, figures show that since the
adoption of the dispensary law, there
has been a decrease of 80 per cent in
arrests for drunkenness and disorderly
conduct.
THE system has eliminated saloons.
The saloon has been taken out of poll
tics. The saloon. if it exists, must con-
troll the polls. The habit of treating
is done away with, as the dispensaries
are closed from sunset to sunrise. 1t
is better than the license law, for Ii
| cense makes some endeaVor to sell
without paying for it. But the dis
of profit is removed. 1t tends to prohi-
bition. In the small towns, voting
against the dispensary makes prohibit
ton.
There are a number of objections
which have been offered to the law.
There are those who say that it is I'M
constitutional, but the United States
] bupl GIllC COul has uCtlucu OluGI w iScg
and it stands. They say it is wrong
/ for the state to engage in a money
making scheme. The dispensary is not
a money making scheme. 1t pays ex-
penses for its own running and to sup
/ port jails and warehouses. Others
think the state should not engage in
business at all. But it does already.
/ The nation, state and town engage in
! businesses, mail, water, gas, street rail-
ways. Then they say it is but mod
/ flied form of the license system. This
| is partly true, but the most radical
prohibitionists in North and South Car
DINA have come to agree on the dis
/ pensary
In conclusion, there are three points
wish to call attention to: First, the
dispensary is the best plan for regulat-
| ing and controlling liquor traffic; sec
ond, the plan has met with such sue
cess that it has a right to challenge all
opinion third, we have plan on which
| temperance can unite"
The names of SO persons who will
unite with the church either by letter
or on confession, were read at the be-
/ ginning of the service.