The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-01-18

Ine onnPProi u,nP fhs' constables. This system ha
now been In force three years, anu, ~ ~, ~
opipion. 1t has failed TO accomplish tne padi
poses Of its advocates. me 1oer arom m"I noiitic
and TO put IL under q strictly business maj
agement No such result has followed. u
notorious that the dispensary IL as iiiueu 90, "
more in politics than IL ever was. 80 h' soN con
nor T nave had little or no authority IN Cou
nectiun with the administrator on Ine "a "
and no power Of restraint or directlon over ~ !,
and vetl have been held Responsible oy tn'
people at large, and oy my ynr,cnn,inpS ensn Of ID
management Responsibility Witnout au
thority is q most unpleasant ana unJusC ou, u
den: and while do not seek aouitlonai re-
sponsoties In nsics and T'f fairness max,
II necessary either to relieve the goYernol
absolutely OF all connection with this lnstliu
tion. or else give him some potentlal Voic'
and influence In It's afairs.
THE GOVERNORS TROUBLE.
The legislature ITSELF last session, by par
ticularly unanimous resolution. deprecated
and almost forbade the granting OF peer anu
hotel privileges, but the State ooara u, no q
opinion from the law.making body, and nae
TO use the copstabulary TO suppress tnt
nuisances In form Of open barrooms, whlct
resulted from the granting OF tnese p51veEes h ;h,
State board OF control-an antagon1sm which
might have been avoided had these gentlemen
paid any heed 10 my suggestion or conSuiteo
me as to the best policy TO De pursued. AZ
long as the original package stores were run
ming In open competition with the dispen
sary, and Illicit sales were also uncheckeo
there was. perhaps, some excuse ior Ine Sia.e .
board OF control TO continue that policy; oul
after the supreme court OF the United States
had confirmed the validity Of the dispensary
law, and forbidden Judge Slmonton's support
Of the States competitors, leaving the dlspen,
sary law in full possession OF the held, dlo
not think there was any excuse ior tne s,o,c CO..
board for believed the former law, ana pc,
lieve the present law, should be administered
as TEN perate measure, with no regard Wnat
ever 10 the matter of prodt or 10 anytniog
other than to teach the people 20 use whlskey
without abusing II, and to mlnimlse, as lar as
possible the evils inseparably connected Wild
its traffic and use. Moreover, under the pres
ent system, the State commissioner is mere
out duties. The State board OF control nave
absorbed nearly all Of his functions.
Recommendations.
I submit what seems to me to be the best
plan OF organization: The details Of the busi
ness should be turned over 10 the State com:
missioner, while the board. of control should
have authority to purchase liquors and To
exercise general supervision over the Whole
system. The board OF control should be ap.
poin ted by the governor, with the advice and
consent OF the senate, and the constables
should be appointed, By the board OF control
and State com issioner. II objectlon Is
made, II may be pointed out that the regents
OF the hospital for the insane are appointed
By the governor, and the management OF the
is excellent. Note, also the mem.
bers OF the present board OF control are mol
even required to give bond for the faithful
performance OF duty, yet they have absolute
control OF an institution doing annually q
million and half dollar business.
The county boards OF control should be
abolished and TWO or three inspectors should
De appointed TO look after the tdispensers'
books and the breakage. This would be
much more economical method than the one
now pursued. This system OF organization
together with the supervision OF the grand 10
ment to the smallest amount possible. The
STATE commissioner might be either appolnt-
ed by the State board or elected by the gener-
al assembly. We have both systems now In
force in the State. The superintendent OF the
hospital for the insane, who Is giving perfect
satisfaction, is appointed; the superintendent
OF theIpenttentiary, an equally efilcient ofh
Ger, IL elected by the general assembly. But
by which both State commissioner and coun,
ty dispensers might be suspended, and II
necessary, be removed for cause.
CHANGE IN THE METHOD OF BUYING.
Isuggest, also, what see ms to me a needed
manner Of purchasing liquors. Whlskey il
as much q staple article as corn or flour
though II varies In quality and price, accord
ing to age and The methods OF distillation
and manipulation. The large bulk of liquor
consumed by the people is obtalnable In
absolutely pure form and of good quality
Without the necessity Of recourse to chemical
analysis, for II can be bought directly from
through the hands OF rectifers and manipula
tors, who are almost sure TO adulterate 1t for
the sake OF profit. / think that the law
should provide that purchases should be
who would agree to furnish liquors from the
bonded warehouses OF the United States, o.
the required age and strength, upou the most
reasonable terms. These contracts should be
OF collusion or fraud. If blended or rectifed
whiskeys are bought; as is now the case
there is absolutely no safe test by which
adulteration can be shown, unless the liquor
Is 80 bad as not 10 be tit TO drink. These re
marks apply to the X and Xxx whiskeys. or
liquors Of the first and second quality
enumerating from the lowest to the highest
as has been the rule In the State l do not be-
lieve IL is reputable, In the States business
that there should be a swarm OF whiskey
drummers meeting at Columbia once q
month to sell the required supply In dribl
lets. Arrangements should be made under
contract tor the purchase, as l have indicat-
ed, and the orders for additional supplies
would go forward with as much assurance oi
being honestly filled as If salt or bacon were
bought The special brands and wines re
quired could be purchased In the same way
and as these constitute only small part o
the business, no change need be made In the
present modes of buying them.
THE BOTTLE BREAKAGE.
There Is another matter that appears worth
thy of mention. With the experience gained
by the employees In bottling and packing and
shipping of liquors, there ought TO be practi.
cally no breakage, II the bottles were Of good
quality and the packing were we'll done, for
the cars are loaded alongside the State dis
pensary building aud there Is hardly ever q
transfer from one road TO another. This
matter of breakage has been the main reason
for continuing the county boards Of control
follow If these boards were abolished, and Il
can be safely asserted that the prevention o.
breakage would make these boards no long
er necessary.
wHlsKEY FOR PERSONAL USE.
There Is one other matter to which invite
the careful attention OF the general assembly
1t IL with regard 10 the importation Of whis
key for personal use. The protection given
by the sepreme court to those who desire tC
exercise this right In good faith is In no sense
Objectionable. The State does not need, MOI
does IL wish to restrict It's citizens In thi:
right; but the abuse oft gives loophole fol
Illicit dealers to obtain their supplies, under
the pretense that 1t Is for personal use. The
provisions of the law which was declared
Unconstitutional in this respect, think car
be amended so AZ TO make the importation o
such liquors come within the terms Of tn,
courts decree. But for the opportunity thus
afforded to evade the law, by importing II
quor under the pretense that 1t is for persona
use, there would soon be small need for con
stables. ! earnestly urge that the judiciary
committee consider the subject carefully II
:he light OF Justice Whites opinion, and SCI
II some provision for inspection cannot be en-
acted, that, while imposing no onerous bur
dens on The citizen who imports for his OWL
use, will yet insure the importation of pure
liquors, and limit, as far as possible. th'
Let the law define fully and clearly the meth
ods to be followed in such cases. l have al
ready pointed out how we may purchase, TO
the diSpensary, liquors that are pure; some