The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-24
The Dsspcnsary Question.

In reply to a recent article in The Times
on the South Carolina dispensary, the
Staunton News says:
In the first place we will say that dis
pensary advocates in Staunton are not
asking for the South Carolina plan. They
do not ask for a plan that shall apply
to the whole State, but only to Staunton
and Augusta county. They do not ask
for the espionage and constabulary
features which have made the South
Carolina law odious. The Times ID
doubtless aware that the first dtspensary
law passed for any place in the United
States was that passed for Athens. Ca,
where the law is now in force. and which
The Times must know is eminently sat
isfactory. DR.. William Il. Boggs. one
OF the most distinguished diyines of the
Southern Presbyterian church, who. after
ten years service, has just resigned as
chancellor Of the University Of Georgia.
located at Athens, was in Staunton few
weeks ago and in a. short talk TO a
number of gentlemen, he stated that the
law had worked a wonderful reformation
in the drinking habits Of the people. and
in crime; that it had been wonderfully
successful that the people were de-
lighted with it. and that there had never
been any scandals connected with it. Let
ters from ministers in that city, from
city officials, and from men in different
walks of life testify to the same thing.
SO in North Carolina the law prevails
in many communities and has met with
success.
But we Will meet The Times on South
Carolina ground.
Suppose Mr.. Tillman did say the law
was not passed as a temperance measure:
| if its effect has been good, it matters
not what Mr.. Tilman's purpose was.
Nor does the fact that some negroes
| were frozen while drunk on dispensary
,{~1,o T., hao Il
of people getting drunk on sacramental
wine, but we do not on that account eS-
pect to see. its legitimate use dlscon-
tinued. Whiskey will make drunk no
matter where obtained, and any drunken
man may freeze.
The Times is too good logician to
argue that intemperance is growing
simply because the sales of the dspen-
sary were greater last year than the year
before. There are two causes that might
have led to this, and as conscientious
leader of public thought it was the duty
| Of The Times to ascertain whether these
causes We're not operative. LIST. Oppo-
sition to the system may have been yield
| ing and instead of buying outside the
| State and having it shipped in. as many
| opponents Of the law had been doing. they
| may have bought from the dispensaries.
The Governor thinks this is true. I'd.
| Times were much more prosperous last
year IN the SCUM CarOilIla imam LNc year
before, and The Times must know, one
year after another, drinking largely in
creases. This would operate to large
extent, even if temperance sentiment
were growing.
Why did not The Times go to the Com
monwealth Attorneys, to the judges. to
| tthe ministers and to the mayors of
cities and ask them whether crime has
increased or decreased? We challenge
The Times to go to these sources and
| publish the results. We have done it
| within our limited sphere, and the facts
do not bear out the statement of The
Times. BY doing less than this The
Times has given a hasty and superficial
! answer that eWeakens its testimony The
I Times has a great many beautiful theo-
ries. and one of them is that the dis
pensary5 is contrary to Democratic prin-
ciples, and it has not gone to the bot
tom facts. but has skinned the sur
face and assumed that the facts ARE
consonant with its theory, but we do
not believe they are.