The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-04-19
l.. Il. e Il. M. MILLER,
No. Hotel Block and Factory HILL i Phone 75

As l.. " IL 4
No. a Hotel Block and F,
see that it is pure, and regulate the
sale, as South Carolina does? We
regulate the sale of gunpowder,
dynamite, poisons, and other things
which prove harmful to the people.
Liquorselling, indiscriminate or under
license, which usually means no re-
straint, or the violated prohibitory law
which breeds the low dive, does a
thousands times more harm than
these regulated articles that the States
everywhere control. Is there not
more sentiment than sense in much of
our thinking and acting concering the
liquor business in New England?
One thing is certain: The Dispen-
sary Law, which was first passed in
1892, has justified itself to the best peo-
pie of the State, and, as we said at
first, it has their support; and men
are very careful, whatever their criti7
cisms may be upon some special fea-
ture of the law, to highly commend it
as a whole. Several leading men in
the State whom we questioned,
acknowledged, in substance, that at
first they did not support it, but had
become convinced, against their preju-
ice and opposition, that it is the best
law in the world for the regulation of
the liquor traffic and the drink habit.
THREE IMPORTANT FACTS.
Three facts are claimed for it that
should be more fully stated:
l. Only pure liquors are provided.
All LIQUORS are chemically assayed by
an expert, and nothing is allowed to
be sold unless it il pure.
2 There is no appeal to the selfish
ness or avarice of those who are en-
ployed in the business. The greed of
gain, the desire to receive the largest
returns for money and time and
strength put into the business, ls the
loadstone which draws many saloon
keeper among US to the business, and
which tempts him, when once engag-
ed in it, to make men drunken and 10
teach minors and women to drink.
But all this is entirely taken away by
the Dispensary Law. Everybody en-
ployed in the business receives q
salary, which is in no case based upon
the amount of liquors sold. 1t makes
no difference in any way to the mana
ger of dispensary whether he sells a
half-pint per day or several gallons.
8. The significant fact which has
already been suggested, that with no
open saloon aud no enticements, no
evening and no night sales, and no
sale to minors, the great business of
misunderstanding, whichis so largely
the accursed feature of our saloons, ls
eliminated. The Importance OF this
fact need only to be mentioned IN
order to be appreciated. Here, it
seems to us, is the best feature
of the law. if only we had this here
In New England, what unspeakable
horror and anguish we should be
spared!
CONQUERED IT'S FOES.
The Dispensary Law seems to have
conquered its foes, which have been
legion. Men who love drink, and
others who want to get rich in carry
ing on tha business, have fought it
with wicked despiration. Men who did
not and who do not like Senator Till
man, who made and pressed this law
through and saw that it was executed,
are now forced to confess, and do con-
fess, that the law is an unparalleled
success. Judges of the United States
courts have stretched their views of
the law and been prejudiced in the ex-
animation of facts in order to break
down the execution of the same; but
all this opposition in conquered. The
United States Supreme Court has
finally given a decision to the effect
that the police regulation of the liquor
exercises in executing its Dispensary
Law Is allowable in that or any other
State. Here is the CoRrt's defini-
ton - -, =,
1.-THE police power included all
measures for the protection of the life,
the health, the property and the WEI
fare of the inhabitants, and for the
promotion of good order and the pub
| lie morals. It covers the suppression
of nuisances, whether injurious to
public health, lik unwholesome trades,
or to the public, morals, like gambling
houses and lottery tickets. The police
power extends to things not only
intrinsically dangerous to the public
health, such as infected rags or dis
eased meat, but to things which,
when used in lawful manner, are
subjects of property and of commerce,
and yet may be used so as to he inju-
rious or dangerous to the life, the
health, or the morals Of the people.
Gunpowder, for instance IS subject
of commerce, and of lawful use, yet,
because Of its explosive and dangerous
qualities, all admit that the State may
regulate it's keeping and sale. And
there is no article, the right of the
State to control or to prohibit the sale
or manufacture of which within its
limits its better established than
Intoxicating liquors"
THE LEADING FEATURES OF THE LAW.
In order to answer the many ques-
tioDs which may have arisen in the
minds of our readers, we give in their
order even at the expense of repeti-
ton, the leading features of the law -
The law establishes State board
which has entire control of the liquor
traffic, said board having power to
draw on the State treasury for all
sums required in carrying on the bust
ness, and all moneys received from