Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-01-14
aalisfellaneous 8eading.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

System.
Governor Ellerbe submitted his an
annual message to the general assem-
bly, last Tuesday. 1t is quite lengthy,
but outside of the discussion of the
dispensary question, contains but little
that is of more than routine interest.
There is one recommendation looking
to biennial sessions of the general as
sembly, instead of annual sessions, as
now but this is hardly to be taken
seriously. No general assembly is
likely to be willing to vote for such a
change. The meat of the message
lies in the discussion of the dispensa-
ry. Here is what the governor has to
say on this subject:
Nothing connected with the admin
istration of the state government at
this time is of 50 much interest and
importance as the dispensary law.
This method of controlling the liquor
traffic has now been in force for FIVE
and half years, and the protracted
bitter struggle between its friends and
its foes has reached a critical stage.
1t must be firmly and permanently
established or completely done away
with.
It will be remembered that, at the
last session of the legislature, the liti-
CATION instituted in the United States
circuit court by Vandercook had reach
ed the supreme court of the United
States, on appeal from Judge Simon
toms decision. For almost a year
there had been absolute paralysis Of
the dispensary law, so far as its puni-
tive features were concerned, and the
corstables had all been discharged.
The dispensaries had been forced to
fight free whisky, on terms of abso-
lutte equality; yet, strange to say,
they fought it successfully; for while
the profits were reduced by this lawless
competition, there was still enough
business to make the dispensary self
supporting and leave small margin
of profit. In May last, the supreme
court at Washington handed down its
decision, sustaining the constitution
ality of the dispensary law in all its
features, with the Limitation only as to
importation for personal use. The
long and hotly contested legal battle
had been won by the state, and all
doubt as to the future legal status of the
dispensary was removed. The origi-
nal package dealers at once closed
their shops and shipped their liquors
out of the state with my permission.
did not deem it wise or right to take
advantage of them, as they had been
doing business under the sanction Of
the Federal judiciary. The constabu'
larry was reorganized and put to work,
and from that time to this the force
has been kept busy trying to destroy
the unlawful traffic which had gained
foothold in the state under the protec-
tion of Judge Simonton's decision.
l desire, in this connection, to recall
to your attention the fact that in 1894
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
selling prevalent almost everywhere,
even in the country, Notwithstanding
the law prohibited its sale absolutely.
After that decision had been reversed
and the dispensaries reopened and a
more or less rigid enforcement of the
law for two years had extirpated, in a
large measure the illegal traffic, came
the interference of the Federal courts
and the Imprisonment of the constables
for contempt. This interference gave
encouragement to large number OF
illicit dealers and induced them to
continue in the business and when
the paralyzing decision in the Wander
cook case came, there was phenom.
email increase in the number of illicit
dealers engaged in this traffic in South
Carolina. This is shown by the num-
Der of United States revenue licenses
issued. In the fiscal year ending June
80, 1897, the number of retail revenue
licenses, or permits to sell liquor, were
322; in the year ending June 80, 1898,
there were 625. In other words, the
present unsatisfactory condition-and
do not hesitate to say that it is un-
satisfactory, Notwithstanding the final
triumph in the courts-is owing, in a
large measure, to the interference of
the Federal judge, with the consequent
encouragement to all who saw fit to
engage in the sale of liquor, nothing
more being required than to pay the
United States revenue licenses. 1t has
taken months of laborious and stren-
uous effort to restore the conditions of
tolerably successful working of the
dispensary law which prevailed at the
time when the Vandercook decision
was rendered. The friends of the
dispensary and those who have too
readily turned their backs on it, should
bear all this in mind and still evince
hope and patience.
The decentralization produced by the
various causes mentioned can be read
lily overcome in time, and the law will
work more successfully, and be obeyed
more willingly as time goes by. Our
efforts should be especially directed to
perfecting the system in its admins
trative features.
There are great many people who
will never be friendly to the dispensary
system or 10 any like regulation. Many
men are opposed to it on principle,
some as extreme Prohibitionists and