The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-01-18

The County Boards OF con-
troll and Suggests Other
Changes in Its Man
agement.
The following is what Gov. Ellerbe
had to say in his message about the
Dispensary:
Nothing connected with the admins
tration of the State government at this
time is of so much interest and lmpor-
tance as the Dispensary Law. This
method of controlling the liquor tratic
has now been in force for FIVE and a
half years, and the prrtracted and bit,
ter struggle between its friends ana
its foes has reached critical stage. 1t
must be firmly and permanently estao-
Gshed or completely done away with.
It will I've remembered that, at the
last session of the Legislature, the iltl-
CATION instituted in the United States
Circuit Court by Vandercook had reach,
ed the Supreme Court of the Unlteo
States, on appeal from Judge Slmonton
decision. For almost a year there hao
been absolute paralysis of the Dlspensa-
~ Law, so far as its punitive features
were concerned, and the constables hac
all been discharged. The Dispensarles
had been forced to fight free whlskey,
an 4erms of absolute equality; yet,
strange to say, they fought it success
fully; for while the profits we're Feouc-
ed by this lawless competition, there
was still enough business to make the
dispensary self-supportipg and leave
small margin of profit. In May last,
the supreme court at Washington hand
ed dow i:s decision, sustaining the
conslitutionality of the dispensary law
in all its features, with the limitation
only as to importation for personal use:
The long and hotly contested legal
status of the dispensary was removed.
The original package dealers at cnce
closed their shops, and shipped their
LIQUORS out of the State, with my per-
mission. I did not deem it wise or
right to take advantage Of them, asthey
had been doing business under the
sanction Of the Federal judiciary. The
Constabulary vas reorganized and put
to work, and from that time to this the
force has been kept busy trying to de,
stroy the unlawful traffic which had
gained $oothold in the State under the
protection of Judge Simonton,s oecls-
len. ;,
I desire, in this connection, to recall
to your attention the fact that, IN 1884,
the State Supreme Court, by declaring
the dispensary law unconstitutional,
gave the Illicit liquor dealers encour-
agement, and as a result there was
widespread decentralization, with LIQUOR
seilin. prevalent almost everywhere,
even IL the country, notwithstanding
the law prohibited its sale absolutely;
After that decision had been reversed
and the lispensaries reopened, and
more or less rigid enfor cement OF the
law for two years had extirpated IN
arge measure the Illegal traffic, came
he interference Of the Federal courts
and the Imprisonment Of the eonstables
for contempt. This interference gave
announcement to large number OF IL
licit dealers, and induced them to con-
sinue Ia the business; and when the
paralyzing decision in the Vandercook
case came, there was phenomenal IN
crease in the number Of Illicit dealers
engaged in this taafHc in South Ca1olio
na. This is shown by the number OF
United States revenue licenses issued.
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891,
the number Of retail revenue licenses,
or permits to sell liduor, were 322; IN
they year ending June 80, 1898, there
were 625. In other words, the, pres
emit unsatisfactory condition-and l do
not hesitate to say that it is unsatls,
factory, Notwithstanding the final
triumph in the courts-is owing, IN
large measure, to the interference OF
the Federal Judge. with the consequent
announcement to all who saw fit to en-
gage in the sale Of liquor, nothing more
being required than to pay the United
States revenue licenses. It has taken
months Of laborious and strenuous
effort to restore the conditions OF toler-
ably successful working Of the dlspen-
sary law which prevailed at the time
when the Vandercook decision was rem
dered. The friends of the dispensary,
and those who have too readily turned
tbe;r backs nm If should bear all this
in mind, and still evidence hope and
patience.
The decentralization produced by the
various causes mentioned can be readily
overcome in time, and the law wlllWork
more successfully and be obeyed more
willingly as time goes by. Our efforts
should be especially directed to perfect
ing the system in its administrative
features.
There are great many people who
will never be friendly to the dispensary
system. or toany like regulation. Many
men are opposed to it on principle,
some IS extreme Prohibitionists, and
some as extreme advocates OF liquor
traffic. These two widely separated
camps meet on common ground in their
hostility to the dispensary; others are
influenced by political considerations,
and even by past political p-ejudiees,
now happily being fast dissipated. The
dispensary law ought to be judged by
its fruits rather than by motives OF po-
litical prejudice or self-interest. Il
these fruits have not been hitherto al
together Of the kind or quality that its
friends still hope to see it bear, there IS
yet sufficient premise to ask that this
tree, which has been almost uprooted
and blasted By the blight Of judicial
interference, shall now be given oppor-
tunity to show what it can bring forth