Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-01-11

miles. Tins Will make total new mile
age Of 237 miles III the State.
Your attention is directed 10 the report
of the Commission, i'll which you will find
much valuable and encouraging in(orma-
ton.
submit herewith a synopsis OF the
years business.
RAILROAD EARNINGS.
Earnings OF the railroads of
the State from all sources
for the year ending June
80 1899. 0.......................S 500, 3SJ.Oi
total. tXPENSES.
Maintenance of way and
structures, equipment, con-
ductinE transportation,
general cXpcnscs............ 5,S,I ,246. 81
Taxes NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ........... 3S3,7I6.T
llCOihc. ................. 2,7Ol ID 3ol4
Increase i'll gross earnings
over SOS of.............. ......S S27,o53.oo
Gross earning per nile..... S,57743
Operating expenses per mile. 2,3S7.9S
Net income per mile IS09.... l,o2S.56
Net income per mile lS9S... So7.57
Increase per mllc............... 2I5.77
THE DISPENSARY.
There is no question that will engage
your attention ut this session that will
dcmun! more carcfnl Thought and in
which there is more interest manifest
cd than that OF the control OF liquor.
You will no doubt have several p, ,OpO-
siLiOn5 presented TO you by different
| members Of your body for your consid-
Grafton. 1t is important that you
should take hold Of the question in Il
positive and direct manner and meet
tho issue sQuarcly. Under the COnsti-
| tuition Of the State there are only three
| modes allowed for dealing with this
question. "Thc General Assembly
may license persons or corporations TO
| manufacture and sell and retail alco-
holic liquors or beverages within the
State" ''Or the General Assembly may
| prohibit the manufacture and sale and
retail Of alcoholic liquors and beverages
within tic Statc:' q: it "muy authorize
and empower State, county and muni-
] cipal officers, all or either, under the
] authority and in the name Of the State,
20 buy in any market AMI retail within
the State liquors and beverages in such
oackagrs and quantities, under such
| rules and regulations, as it deems OK
pcdient.' And in no case shall it be
| sold in less quantities than onc-half
pint or between sun-dOwn and sunrise,
| and it shall not be drunk on the prcmi-
| scs. Neither can the General Assem-
! tiOn the power to issue licenses to
! sell the same" Under the last alter
native the Dispcnsary Law is in force.
| At the present time and in view Of
| the era OF material progress and de-
| vclOpmcn upon which the State has
| entered | do not believe it would be
wise or good business Judgment 70 refer
| this question TO Il popular election.
Not that there is amy uncasincss or mn
Willingness TO trust the people, but
| 1t would have tendency to renew
| StrifcS and bitterness and cngcnucr bad
| feeling and believe would rctard the
progress Of the Site in It's material de-
rclopmcnJ. Much of the prejudice
that has heretofore existed against the
| Dispcns;,ry Law has been broken down
and many OF its most bitter opponents
have come to realize its good features
| ana are ready and willing and anxious
TO see 1t improved and enforced. With
ccrta.n amendments which seem ncccs-
Sary, and which will commend them.
selves to your good Judgment, and
| which should hr made at the present
session, and with the proper cnforce-
ncHt Of the Law, it i the best solution
ol the liquor question yet devised.
Even those who OppOs" the niSprnsary
.aw admit that 1t has good features.
Whiskcy Las been pu' under the ban
and whether you prohibit it, license it.
| or take entire charge OF it, the plnci-
pie Is the same. 1t seems to me that it
| would be good Judgment to take hold
OF thc'prcscnt Law and amend and i'm
prove i. Prohibition is very nice in
theory but in existing circumstances
and conditions ! do not believe il would
be practicable. Extraordinary ma
chincry w0uld be necessary to enforce
it and there would be no means with
which to employ the machinery except
by additiOnul taxation, and even then
"hl~kcy would DC freely sold and bar
rooms under he GuiSr Of drug stores
would spring up and flourish in every
town and hamlet in South tarOlinu.
Such has been the experience where.
ever prohibition has been tried Local
option would be even worse than p..n-
hihltion. TO hay" prohibition in one
county, Il license system in an ad di0in-
lrg county, and the di>pcu>ary in
another, would create no end Of con-
fusion and trouble throughout the
State.
40 law has been enacted in this State
IN recent years that has been a1 bitter.
~ opp"Hrd and a. strongly supported a.
the Disprnstry Law. And vet. with
the exception Of II few localities, j, has
hccn IL WrlI enforced Is could be rX-
prctcd, being revolutionary as it was.
NO law can he thoroughly enforced that
hao not behind /, and to support it Il
healthy public sentiment in It's favor. |
now that public sentiment is growing !
IN -" favor it seems to me that it |
would be unwis" and bad Judgment to |
repeat Ihc DispcuSary Law and to make |
trIal Of som" other system Of controlling |
the liquor bust ness
That there hur been bad management, !
IN some departments Is not an arru-
r."nt against the system. That there
should have been disagreement and |
amongst those in control is
would recommend for your cun~i.!.
Grafton the abolition Of In" Stutr and
County Boards Of Control ami that the
dutIcs Of lhrs" officers he dcyoIvrd upon
other "licials. You should rlrrt = |
State Commissioner Of high character
md I,,,, ,,