The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-19

teach the people to use whiskey with
out abusing It, and to minimise, as far
as possible, the evils inseparably con.
nected with its traffic and use. More
over, under the present system, the
State commissioner is mere figure
head, without pOwer and almost with.
out duties. The State board Of control
have absorbed nearly all Of his func'
tiOns.
1 submit what seems to me to be the
best plan of organization: The details
Of the business should be turned over
to the State commissioner, while the
board of control should have authority
to purchase liquors and to exercise
general supervision over the whole
syste m. The board Of control should
be appointed by the governor, with the
advice and consent Of the senate, and
the cofistables should 5e appointed by
tho board Of control and State commits
sioner. II objection is made, it may be
pointed out that the regents OF the
hospital for the insane are appointed
by the governor, aud the management
of the institution is excellent. Note,
also, the members OF the present board
OF control are not even required to give
bond for the faithful performance OF
duty, yet they have absolute control Of
au institution doing annually million
and half dollar business.
The county boards Of control should
bs abolished, and two or three in
spectors should be appointed to look
after the dispensers books and the
broakage. This would be o much more
economical method than the one now
pursued. This system of organization,
together with the supervision Of the
grand juries, would reduce peculation
and embezz!ement to the smallest
amount possible. The State commis.
sioner might be either appointed by
the State board or elected by the gen
eral assembly. We have both systems
now in force in the State. Tho super
intendont Of the hospital for the insane,
who is giving perfect satisfaction, is
the superint ndent Of the
penitentiary,' an equally efficient ofll
Ger, Is elected by the general assembly.
But there should be vested somewhere
the power by which both State COM
missioner and county dispensers might
be suspended, and, il necessary, be re-
moved for Cause.
Ituggest, also, what seems to me a
needed Improvement, and that is q
change In the manner Of purchasing
liquors. Whiskey is as much staple
article as corn or flour, though it varies
in quality and price, according to age
ana the methods Of distillation and
The large bulk Of liquor
consumed by the people Is obtainahle
in absolutely pure form and OF good
quality, without the nece ssity of re-
course to chemical analysis, for it can be
bought directly from the government
without passing through
The hands Of rectifiers and mapipula
tors, who are almost sure to aduiterate
1t for the sake of profit. I think that
'hc Law should provide that purchases
should be made, under annual con-
tracts, with parties who would agree
TO furnish liquors from the bonded
ware houses OF the United States OF the
'equired age and strength, upon the
most reasonable terms. These con-
.racts should be let in such a way as to
preclude all possibility Of collusion or
raud. If blended or rcctified whiskeys
ire bought, as Is now the case, there is
absolutely no safe test by which adul- |
,eraticn can be shown, unless the liquor
Is so bad as not to be liG to drink. These |
remarks apply to the x aid Xxx whis
keys, or liquors Of the first and second |
quality, enumeratinE from tho lowest |
10 the highest, as has been tho rule In |
,he State. | do not believe it Ia repu
table, IN the States business, that there |
should be q swarm OF whiskey drummers
meeting OF Columbia olce q month to |
sell the required supply In drib cts.
should bo made under
for the purchase, as l have in.
licated, and the orders fer o'ditional
supplies would 60 forward wy3 fmuch
assurance Of being honesty IA Y as il
salt or bacon wero bought. U eecial
brands and wines require( "a I'D be
purchased in tho same way md as
these constitute only small part Of
the busints IS, no change need be made
in the present modes Of buying them.
There is another matter that app cars
worthy Of mention. With tho expe-
ricncc gained by tho employees in bot
tlipg and packing and shipping of
liquors, there ought to be practically no
brtakage, if the bottles wore of good
quality and the packing were well done,
for the cars arc loaded alongside the
State dispensary building and the1e is
hardly ever a transfer from one road to
another. This matter OF breakage has
been the main rea on for continuing the
county boards of control. 1t can, be
readily seen what saving would fol-
low if these boards were abolished. and
it can be safely asserted that the pre-
Vehtion OF breakage would make these
boards no longer necessary.
There is one other matter to which I
invite the careful attention Of the gen.
cral assembly: it is with regard to the
of whiskey for personal use.
The protection given by the supreme
court to those who desire TO exercise
this right. in good faith is in no sense
Objectionable. The State does not need,
nor does it with to restrict its citizens
in this right; but the abuse Of it gives a
loophole for illicit dealers to obtain their
supplies, under the pretensc that it is
for personal use. The provision Of the
law which was declared unconstitutional
in this resp CT, think can be amended
50 as to m IKE the importation Of such
liquors come within the terms Of the
courts oecreo. But for the opportunity
thus affo dcd to cvadc the law, by i'm.
porting liquor under the prc,cnsc that
it is for personal use, there would soon
b. small ecd for constabics.u | earnestly
uroo that the iudiciarv comm ;ttec