The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-03-09
THE DIsPENSARY.
r. w blanchard. in The ExDOnent.

Rev. C. W. Blanchard, in The Exponent.
There was a petition circulated
among the people OF Kinston, asking
the Legislature to give the voters OF
Kinston a chance to vote on the ques-
ton OF Dispensary for the town, In
stead OF the open bar-rooms. In cur
Judgment the petition did not look to
improving the con 4ition OF our town
or the country environ1ng us. The
l.onor business is out-lawed and we'll
may it be kept within prison OF re-
striction and limited sub]ectlon.
To have voted the bar-rooms out ct
the Incorporation Of the town simply,
would have given what was short
0: prohibition within the town, Dis
pensary, and have placed in our sui
urbs the cu.se OF the liquor traffic
without municipal authority to re-
strain disorder and check illIcity.
1 belieye the Dispensary is the best
available solution of the liquor traffic.
l believe the people OF the State should
work to make 1T a State law, and then
sustain the law with hearty senti-
iment behind it, but I doubt if 1t
would be wise to make it more local
than to include whole counties In It's
limits. The white voters of Lenoir
county ought to have been canvassed
and petition from them presented to
the Legislature to establish a Dispen-
sary for the entire county.
I believe there are only two classes
OF people who could have, with any
reasonable excuse, refused to sign such
a petition.
First, the man who would be
the personal loser In the change.
The drinking man could not reasonably
object, for the Dlspensary provides for
him to get liquor without being SUBJ
ject to so much imposition. The
stickless for liquor revenue could not
complain, for the present revenue and
the bar-keepers' profits would then go
into the public treasury and be dis
tributed to all the people of the county.
Only the man pecuniarily interested
in the profits from the sale of liquor
could make plea from any financial
grounds. Must the entire citizenship
of our county suffer loss and corrupt
ion for the pecuniary benifit of doz-
en- Of Its common citizens?
Then, there Is one other class Of
people that might, from self-concealed
motive, object to the Dispensary, in
favor of the open bar. The Dispensary
does not do business behind screens.
The purchaser of liquor has to register
his name when he makes purchase
and the registration books are public
property like that of hotel. There
are few people who have not become
shameless in their depravity and would
prefer continuing their business be-
hind the screens and without regis
tration. They might not be willing to
name their reason but they would OPP
pose the Dispensary and this would
be their reason. Apart from these
two reasons 1 fail to find a plausible
objection to the Dispensary by those
who think liquor is necessary at all.
Now, I would not advocate the Dis
pensary because Of the revenue it fur
nishes, because I believe we could af-
ford, in the name of righteousness. to
do without the revenue from the bus
mess, but I contend that the Dispen-
sary effectually bushes that plea for
the bar-room.
What 1 see in the Dlspensary that
appeals to my prejudice in its favor
over the bar-room is, first, 1t is in the
hands of responsible management.
It will have no screens within its
doors; secondly, the purchaser takes
his flask and leaves the premises to de-
bauch himself. The ordinary Ca
rousals OF the congregated lnebriates
are eliminated. Many man who is
coaxed into drunkenness by his more
degraded comrades at the bar where
treating is fashionable would go home
sober and peaceable. Thirdly. the
Dispensary would not furnish the
gambling opportunities of the bar
room. Tricks and games for the robbery
of the debauched of the means they
need for hungry wives and children
would not be furnished by Dispen-
sary. Fourth1y, much obscenlty that
tempts and ruins so many of our
youths at the bar-room would not be
found at a Dispensary. It might not
stop some people from drinking who
are already In the business, but 1t will
save many a one from beginning it.
The drinking man has no fault to
find with the change unless he wants
his boy to surely be led to follow him.