The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-03-22

commentary We heard OH the effect Of
Soutl Carolina law
From this loca: dispen.a.v sc went
To ,hc State dispansary--a large, two
story brick building in this city. where
the whole liquor business Of the State
is done. Here all the liquors furnished
the dispen>arios throughout the State
arc stored. chemica!l? examined, bot
tied and sealed. Here large number
Of men and women are kept busy. The
visitor is cordially welcomed and his
questions are answered, and there is no
attempt to conceal any feature or part
of the business. We confess that there
was nothing especially attractive or in
spring about this p!ace-in beholding
hundreds Of barrels Of liquors curing
and taking on age, aud seeing men and
women filling thousands Of bottles and
sealing and packing them for sale. But
if it must be Sold-and it will be--is it
not better for the State 10 take it in
hand, see that il IS pure. and regulate
the sale, as South Carolina does? We
regulate the sale Of gunpowder, dyna-
mite, poi.cGs and other things which
prove harmful to the people. Liquor
selling. indiscriminate or uEder license
which usually means no restraint, or
the violated orohibitory law which
breeds the low dive, does thousand
times more harm than these regulated
articles that the states everywhere
control. Is there not more sentiment
than sense in much of our thinking and
acting concerning the liquor business
IN New England?
One thing is certain: The dispensary
law, which was first passedin 1892, has
justified itself to the best people Of the
State, and. as we said at first, it has
their support; and men are Very care
full. whatever their criticisms may be
upon some special feature of the law,
to highly commend it as a whole. oev-
eral leading men in the State whom we
questioned, acknowledged, in substance,
that at first they did not support it,
but had become convinced, against their
prejudice and opposition, that it is tie
best law in the world for the regula-
ton of the liquor traffic and the drink
habit.
Three facts are claimed for it that
should be more fully stated:
/. Only pure liquors are provided.
All liquors are chemically assayed by
an expert, and nothing isallowed to be
sold unless it is pure.
,. THERE'S no appeal to the selfish
ness or avaricc of those who are employ
ed in the business. The greed Of gain,
the desire to receive the largest returns
for money and time and strength put
into the business, is the loadstone
which draws many saloon-keeper
among US to the business, and which
tempts him. when once engaged in 1t,
to make men drunken and to teach
minors and women 10 drink. But all
this is entirely taken away by the dis
pensary law. Everybody employees in
the business receives salary, which IS
in no case based upon the amount of IL
quors sold. 1t makes no difference in
any way to the manager OF dlspcnsary
whether he sells half pint per day Or
several gallons.
8. The significant fact which has al
ready been suggested, that with no
open saloon and no cnticements. no
evening and no night sales, and no
sale to minors, the great business OF
drundkard- making, which is 50 large
ly the accurscd feature Of our saloons,
is eliminated. The Importance Of this
fact need only to be mentioned in order
to be appreciated. Here, it seems to
us, is the best feature Of the law. II
only We had this here in New England,
what unspeakable horror and anguish
we should be spared
The dispensary Law seems to have
conquered foes, which have been
legion. Men who love drink, and 9th,
ers who want to get rich carrying on
the business. have fought it with wicked
Men who did not and do
moi like Senator Tillman, who made
and pressed this Law through and saw
tba, it was executed. are now forced t.
confess aud do confess. that the law is
an unparalleled success. judges Of
the United States courts have stretched
F., mir vi.vs Of the aud been preju-
diced in the examination of facts in
order 70 break down the execution of
tbe same but all this opposition is con
need The United States supreme
conrf has finally given decision to the
effect thatt the police regulation of liquor
business which South Carolina exer-
c;sn. in avrcutinr It's liopor business IS
aiIow abie in that or any state. Here
~ tba decision
- ..,r..1:~,,,,o, ~ ;nol,so. I'll mo,s
me pI!lce pomei ln0LGoJ' oe 10 q; i;fa T +ba
t IIe9 40. INC plosrtv'o and tho waIfa1c Of
-ba ,io.., ;nboh;t.nts and for the promotion
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