The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-18

the granting nf these privileges This
brought me into antagnui>m with the
State Board of Cnnlrnl--an antayoniSm
which might have been avoided had
these gentlemen paid any heed to my
suggestion or consulted me as to the
best policy to be pursued AS long as
the original package stores were run
ming in open competition With the
dispenSary, and illicit sales were also
unchecked, there was, perhaps, some
excuse for the State Board of Control
to continue that pulley; but after the
Supreme Court of the United States
had confirmed the validity If dlspen-
slry law, aud forbidden Judge Slmon-
tons support If he State c"mpeti-
tors, leaving the di>prnsary Law III full
possession Of the field, | did not thlnk
there was any excuse for the cnntlnu-
ance of the pulley upheld by the State
Board: for [ believed the former law,
aud believe the present law, should
be- administered as temperance nneas-
ure with no regard whatever To the
matter of profit or to anything other
than to teach the people to use ~hiS-
key without abusing it, and tn mini
III xe, as far as pns~ibIe, he evils
inseparably connected wi h it's traffic
and use. Moreover, under the present
system, the State Commissioner is
mere 6gurehead, without power and
almost without duties. The State
Bnard of Cnntrol have absorbed nearly
all of his functions.
| submit what seems to me to he the
best plan of organization: The details
of the business should he turned over
to the State Commissioner while the
Beard of Control shonld have anthori-
ty to purchase liquors and to exercise
general supervision over the whole
system. The Board Of Control should
be appointed by the Governor, with
the advice and consent Of the Senate,
and the constahles should be appnint-
ed by the Bard of Control and State
Commissioner. IF objection is made
it may he pointed out that the regents
of the Hospital for the Insane are APP
pointed by the Governor, and the
management of the institution is ex-,
cellcnt. Note, also, the mcmbers 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 an institution
doing annually a million aud half
dollar business.
The County Boards of Control
be abolished and two or three iusp' c.
t,rs should be appointed t" lnok after
the dispensers books aud the break
age. This would be much more eco
nomical method than theone now pur-
sued. This system of organization, to-
gether with the supervision Of the
Grand Juries, would reduce specula-
tion and embezzlempnt to the smallest
amount possible. The State Commis-
sioner might be either appointed by
the State Board or elected by the Geu-
eral Assembly. We have both sys-
tens now in force in the State. The
Superintendent of the Hospital for the
Insane, who is giving perfect satisfac-
ton, isappointed; the Superintendent
of the Penitentiary, an equally eff
cicnt officer, is elected by the General
Assembly. But there should be vest
ed somewhere the power by which
both State Commissioner and County
Dispensers might be suspended, aud,
if necessary, be removed for cause.
I suggest, also, what seems te me a
needed improvement, aud that is
change in the manner Of purchasing
liquors. Whiskey is as much a staple
article as corn OF -four, though it varies
in quality aud price, according to aye
and the methods of distillation and
manipulation. The large tuIk Of Ii
quor consumed by the people is OBJ.
tainable in absolutely pure form and
Of good quality without the necessity
of recourse to chemical analysis, for it
GIN be bought directly from govern
ment warehouses without passing
CONTINUED ON THIRD PAGE
n N m