The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-02-15

watched by the state ana county Oo2Tus
Of control and by the public | say the
public, because there are any number
Of men every ready to report any mis-
conduct on his part, SO as to step into
his official shoes. and the enemies OF
the dispensary are vigilant watch dogs
upon him, so as to bring the law into
disrepute.
Another serious objection to high IL
cense, which concerns the health of our
bibulous citizens, is that they would be
at the mercy Of the barkeepers as to
the quality of the liquors that they
would drink, for ii stands to reason
that the higher license the higher the
price The poor man would get meaner
liquor and the rich man would have to
pay more for the finer brands. 1t is a
well-known fact that under the saloon
system the vilest stuff was palmed off
on the poor white man and the Negro.
Upon the other hand, under the dis
pensary law no distinction is made but
all are served alike, and the law requires
that pure liquors be furnished.
1t is amusing to see those who were
a while back IL shting the dispensary
upon the ground that it was monopoly
now advocating high license. One is a
monopoly by the State for the benefit
of its citizens; the other monopoly by
few individuals, whose sole object is
to make all the money out Of it they
can. Morally there is no difference
between the State engaging in the sale
Of liquor and receiving the profits there
from thar for it to receive the license
fees from saloons. Il is choice be-
tween two OWLS, and | choose the les
ser
As long a: the State engages in the
sale Of liquor the good Features OF the
dispen5ary law can be nforced-such
as the opening and closing at certain
hours. not selling to minors or drunk
ards, OF upon election days or Sundays.
not selling less than u half pint, not al
lowing liquor TO be drank upon the
premises and the selling for cash. The
last requirmeGt prevents many man
from buying liquor, while the saloon or
high license system does not and would
rot. Adopt high license and il few
years all of these good features Of the
dispensary law will be dead letter.
Prohibition is impracticable and can
not be enforced, and if the Prohibition
ISIS succeed in having prohibitory law
passed they Will regret it, for pandemo-
mum will reign in this State until the
Legislature can repeal the law. At
one time | was in favor Of prohibition,
and voted for the Childs bill while in
the Legislature. Since then observa-
ton and experience have taught ME
that it cannot be enforced, and that the
dispensary is the best solution Of the
liquor problem. During the two years
that we had prohibition in Barnwell
County | vas county chairman OF the
Prohibition party, and | must admit
tlat the law was perfect farce. 1t
was violated upon everp side, and the
grand juries would throw out the bills
as fast as they were presented. All |
have to say to the Prohioitionists is rot
to forget our condition under the old
bar room system, and what change the
dispeusary lag has brought aoott ia
some of the worst town, IL South Caro-
Ina. D)n't Kill the goose tha. lays
the goficn egg.
Before the dispcnsary law WIS
adopted there we're over six hundred bar
rooms ia South Uaro!ipa anu nos gh>re
ave Only .uinvty-on,' d'>pe">arle>
Wnile | am in !avlr OF the I,aYen$ary
law. YET [ am, AMI aava always Deem
opposed TO the granting OF no;et and
Deer privileges, for they are No more
than bar rooms, and do not believe
that they are in keeping with the spirit
and object Of the dispensary system.
If any one, tourist OF beer drinker,
desires to quench his thirst he should
oc req"ired to 90 to the regular dis
pensary and purchase there. The law
vas not passed for the purpose to make
money, but to regulate and control the
sale Of liquor, and to furnish it only to
those who will have it, at reasonable
profit, and it should be administered
with this object in view. Therefore,
as | have said, rigid enforcement OF
the diSpensary law is the solution OF
the liquor problem for South Carolina.