The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-12-06
Editor.
MIR. DUNN'S FINE SPEECH.

h, II l.
On Thanksgiving day the annual
Trinity-Wake Forest debate was held
in Raleigh. The question debated was
"ResoIved, that the South Carolins
Dispensary system is Unw'se."
Trintty-held the affirmative anc
Wake Forest the negative. The speak.
ers from Trinity were Mess. A. I. Lilies
w. H. Wanamaker and F. S. Garden
the Wake Forest speakers were Mess
S. s. Flournoy, w. A Dunn and III. E
Flack.
Mess. F. H. Busbee, OF Raleigh, Ed
Pou of Smithfeld and II. G.. Rountree
of Wilmington, were the judges.
In rendering the decision Mr.. Busbee
said:
am requested by my colleagues to
perform difficult duty. The decision
arrived at is not unanimous, but Is &C
guessed In by one and is the judgment
of the other two Judges. The rules re-
uuire that the decision should depend
upon argument and not oratory. We
are chiefly EN- barrassed by the fact
that that question was argued from
two diffrent points Of view, consequent
ly the judges have been compelled to
rely largely upon their own knowledge
of the state of affairs in South Carolina
Prohibition and the dispensary are to-
tally different. But without entering
into the argument, I will say, thai
while Wake Forest indicated greatest
merit in oratory, we must yield the
palm for argument. and hence the cur
to Trinity"
ALI the young men acquitted them
selves we'll.
We have space only to give synop-
sis of Mr.. w. A. Dunn's speech, son o
Mr.. w. A. Dunn, Of Scotland Neck
which has been highly complipented
from many sources. The synopsis as
given in the News & Observer was al
follows:
w. A. Dunn followed for the mega.
tive, and scored the following points:
The only alternative to prohibition
is high license. There is, however, {
better way of settling the question, ane
1t has remained for Southern State
to demonstrate it. This is the Dispen
sary System. Man throughout al
history has craved Intoxicating liquors
According to John Stuart Mill, drink
ing Is habit that is individual. The
Dispensary System is intended to con
troll that individual habit. Prohibition
cannot stamp it out. The statistics O.
the sale of liquor in Maine prove this
Prohibition is aimed at the use and
not the abuse of intoxicating liquors
and yet under it there Is more drunk
enness than before It fosters decep-
ton, too The value of a mans OATH
in Maine has decreased so per cent
Then there Is the spectacle OF temper.
ance movements becoming Unidentified
with politics.
High license is equally unsuccessful
and presents many of the same difficult
tics which prohibition occasions.
Previous to 1892, South Carolina
had local option. 1t was not success
and change became necessary. High
license would have been return tc
the saloon. What was wanted was
some system that would restrain the
abuse of intoxicating liquors and moi
prohibit their use in vain, for mar.
love for strong drink can only be re
strained, and not prohibited. The Dis
pensary System was the only one to
fit the need. 1t is one that is respon
sive and that to an enlightened public
opinion.
It was tried and proved success
The hundreds of saloons have been re-
duced to few government dlspen
saries. The domination of local whis
key rings is now thing OF the past
In the last election, the entire
General Assembly was elected solid fol
the dispensary. Local authorities re-
port great decrease in the number o.
drunkards. There has been a tremen
dous falling off in the consumption O
liquor, and therefore great reduction
in the amount OF crime. Not only j!
the element of personal profit for tn,
liquor traffic eliminated, but the Liquor
money of the poor man is turned Int
an income for schools and other public
institutions. Its plan eliminates the
possibility OF control by rings. The
board of control is elected by the Leg
lslature, and the county boards ane
constables are appointed by the board
It restraints effectually the liquo
traffic. There are no sales to drunk
ards Or minors, no drinking on th.
premises, no opening of packages
thereby doing away with the meetln,
habit that Is responsible for SO mucl
drunkenness. Gambling dens ant
pool rooms are abolished altogether. :