The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-01-18
THE DISPENSARY.
That Part OF the Governors Message
Which Refers to Liquor Will be
AbundRntIy Satisfactory TO Tenn.

AbundantIy Satisfactory TO Tenn
perance People.
Nothing connected with the administrator
of the State government at this time Is OF 81
q much interest and importance as the dlspen
sary law. This method OF controllins the !,
half years, and the protracted anu oitte
struggle between its friends and Its foes ma
reached q critical stage. 1t must oe 1rm,
and permanently estaollsneo or comPle'ei1
done away with.
1t will be remembered that. at the last ses
sion of the legislature. the litigation lnstltnI I
ed In the United States circuit court pl
Vaudercook had reached the supreme conr
OF the United STATES, on appeal from Juag'
Simontons decision. For almost yea
there had been absolute paralysis OF ta,rrs tne u,s
were concerned, and the constables had al
been discharged. The dispensaries had oeel
forced to fight free whiskey, on terms OF aoSo
lutte equality; yet. strange TO say, shey louEa .a
IL successfully; Tor while the profits were re
duced by this Iawless competition. there was
still enough business to make the olspensurS >
self.sppporting and leave small margin 9
profit. In May last, the supreme court n
Washington handed down Its decision, sus
taining the constitutiopality OF the dispeo
sary law in all its features, with the Lmita
. tion only as to Importation for personal use
The long and hotly contested legal battle nae
been won by the State, and all doubt as 70 the
future Legal status o1 tne W. wsS oncf
closed their shops and shipped lheir liquors
ont OF the State with my permission. die
. not deem II wise or right to take advantage
them, as they had been doing business upTel %ht
eonstabuiary was reorganized and put te
work, and from that time to this the force has
been Kept busy trying to destroy the nnlaW
State under the protection OF Judge simon
: toms decision.
sa THE CAUSE OF TROUBLE.
fr
your attention the fact that In 1894 the State
supreme court, by declaring the dlspensary
Law unconstitutional, gave the Illicit liquor
dealers announcement, and as result there
4 selling prevalent almost everywhere, even IN
,IIhe country, notwithstanding the law pro-
hibited Its sale absolutely. Alter that decls'
J ion had been reversed ana tne dispensar,es
4ment Of the law for two years had extlrpateo
In a large measure the illegal trafhc, came the
Interference OF the federal courts ana tne I'M.
This Interference gave encouragement 70 =
large number Of Illicit dealers and induced
2 them TO continue in the business: and When
The paralyzing decision In the Vandercook
S case came. there was a phenomenal increase
in the number Of illicit dealers engaged In
this traffic In South Carolina. This ls shown
y by the number OF United states revenue u.
cense Issued. In the fiscal year ending June
50. 1897, the number Of retail revenue licenses,
or permits to sell liquor, were 822 In the year
s ending June 80. 1898. there were 62o. In otner
words, the present unsatisfactory condition
and / do not hesitate to say that It is unsatis'
factory, notwithstanding the final triumph IN
the conrts-is owing, In large measure, 70 tne
interference OF the federal judge, with the
consequent encouragement TO all who saw nt
TO engage in the sale Of LIQUOR, nothing more
being required than TO pay the United States
3 revenue licenses. It has taken months OF
!. conditions Of toerabIy successful working OF
!; the dispensary law which prevailed at The
3 time when the Vandercook decision WAS rem
dered. The friends Of the dispensary anu anu
those who have too readily turned their
backs on IL, should bear all this In mind and
still evidence hope and patience.
The decentralization produced oy the va
\ fious causes mentioned can be readily over
come in time. and the law Will work more
\ successfully and be obeyed more willingly rs
time goes by. Our efforts should be especial.
.Iy directed TO periecting the system In It's ad'
ministrative features.
THE FIGHT ON THE DIsPENsARY-coMBINED
INFLUENCE OF ALL THE OPPOSITION.
There are great many people who will
never be friendly 10 the dispensary system or
Z 10 any like regulation. Many men are oppo:'
ed to IL on principle. some as extreme Prohi;.
bitionists and some as extreme advocates OF
LIQUOR traffic. These two widely separated
camps meet on common ground In their
enced by political considerations. and even
by past political prejudices, now happily bs-
ing fast dissipatsd. The dispensary law
ought 70 be juaged 6y It's rrni.s ratner 1hsn
est. II these fruits have not been hitherto
altogether OF the kind or quality that its
friends still hope to see It bear; there is yet
sufficient promise 10 ask that this tree,
which has been almost uprooted and blasted
by the blight Of judicial Interference. shall
now be given opportunity 70 show what II
can bring forth under fostering and friendly
Influences. I beg to remind you that at the
beginning OF my term as governor, recon-
fnended and urged this policy. and have seen
no reason 70 change my opinion: opinion: The a, law
what tt can do. bnt now. since there is no
longer any question as to legal limitations or
powers, we are free 10 address ourselves TO
; perlectipg and improving the system. The
large vote received by the Prohibition candi.
date for governor 10 the second primary OF
The late election cannot be considered entire
excellent reason 10 conclude that the Prohibi.
tion candidate poiied the full Prohibition
vote in the first primary, while In the second
he polled the vote or the antagonists OF the
$ dispensary system, from whatever cause that
antagonism arose, and, In addition, the
strength OF all the "soreheads" and disgrunt.
led off1ce.seeEers and politicians OF both fact
ions. The election In Charleston IL striking
evidence OF this. 1t will hardly be disputed
that, II the people OF Charleston want Prohibi
fion. as their votes would seem TO show, II IL
because they feel sure hat under that system
there will be practically no restraint on the
sale OF whiskey.
WHAT COULD BE FAIRER THAN THIS?
Turning now to the practical consideration
OF the dispepsary. / do not think Whlskey
should be rold in any county where maJori
ty Of the people favor Prohibition. l. there
fore, recon mend the submission ofthe LIQUOR
question 10 the qualified electors OF each
county that each county may vote as IL pre-
fers. Any county. however. that votes for
Prohibition should be made To bear all ex
penses of enforcing the Prohibitory law; and
a. pHn, n mt
profits from the dispensary. Under the con-
stitutioo. the profits accruiDg from the sale ol
liquor 20 to the support. OF our free schools
i Now, the county OF Marlboro which meyer never
the most rigid form OF Prohibition, with nc
possibility OF legal liquor traffic within its
borders. receives its proportionste share o.
dispensary profits. while at the same time
the State Is charged with maintaining con.
stables In that county to enforce the law and
prevent the sale OF liquor. I submit thai
thing obtains In the county Of York, where
the only Tdispensary, the one at Tlrzah. has
been discontinued. leaving the county with.
Bought. @ You will cali to mind that these two
counties are close to the North Carollns
boundary. and It Is we'll known that there is
: q large influx OF whiskey from dlstilleries
across the line, by wagons and other convey
ances.
A sIYPLE NATTER OF JUSTICE AID COMMON
SENSE.
or course, these counties may have liquor
imported for personal use without restriction
but 10 cannot be SOLD in them legally, be
lieve that 1t is but right and lust for those
counties which have prohibition, or may
hereafter adopt 1t as the means of controlling
the liquor Il aff1c, to be taxed TO enforce suct
law nor should they receive any part OF the
profits arising from the sale Of liquor In the
other counties, to add to their school funds
II the county officers, magistrates anc
ahariRs enforce the law. we'll and good
there will be no need for constables; but i
fhay do not The governor should be given tht