The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-18
THE SOUTH CAROLINA DIsPI1N
SAKN

We have received the following com.
lnunication:
Editor of The Times:
Dear Sir-ln a late issue OF your paper
you speak of the dispensary system OF
South Carolina as powerful agency OIL
the political ma chine" and as "a disgrace
to South Carolina.
Some good citizens here arc trying 10
get the Legislature 10 let the system be
tried here, and / want to hcih theh'
if il is really d good thing, !. G.. ooes
more good than harm, but l am III DOUBT
about it, and would be grateful 10 you II
YOU would set forth in your paper soon
Your reasons for your opinion, Wfich l
respect, but, of course Ia ilkc |" hi'o"
The reasons back of it. You have many
,ea1crs her, in Staunton and it would inc
worth your while, ! think
BERKELEY MINOR.
Staunton. Va, Jan. IL.
The friends of the dispcnsary system
in South Carolina claim That 1t mas ac-
complished several good things.
First. that ii has given TO the people pien-
ty of good whiskey. That instead OF getting
common stuff al high prices the State Is
now supplying the very best and purest
article that can be had at the lowest
price consistent with fair profit.
Second, that it has broken UP the
saloons and ridded the State of places
where mon congregatc to drink and
carouse.
Third. that the revenues derived from
the sale of whiskey have Helped the peo-
ple 20 nay the expenses of government.
These, claims can all be suhstantlated,
we think. and We are willing TO admit
them and give The dispensary system all
the credit that its friends claim for 1t.
But as a temperance measure II has
proven TO be dismal failure. indeed
as Senator Tilman has bluntly confessed.
the system was not designed TO DC :.
moral agency. Mr.. Tillman said some
time ago that the purpose was to give the
peoplc plenty of good liquor and ;.rn he
profits Of the whislley traffic into the
Golfers OF the State. The following figures
show that under the dispensary system
the liquor traffic is on the increase: For
the month of October, 1892, the gross re-
ccipts of the State dispcnsarE, from sales
TO country dispensaries. We're Sia.,isS.2''
against SIPS, l4.53 for October, 1855. tor
the month of November, 1899, the sales
! amounted to $3.50, 5l1SG, against sl5S, GGG. S.
for October of last year.
Soon after the holidays we printed 4
special from Columbia, S. c.. saving that
two colored men and a white man had
been frozen TO death as a result OF hoil-
day sprees, making four deaths from
freezing following DRINKS reported i'll two
weeks.
But from our standpoint there are more
serious objections still 10 this system.
1t is i wicked pcrvcrsion of the functions
of government for the State TO engage
| in any sort Of traffic, ana when the state
! undertakes to nonopoiize any branch Oh
trade it commits public outrage. II the
State may lnonopolizc the liquor traffic
why not any and every other branch OF
trade? Democracy does not countenance
any such usurpation.
Moreover the dispcnsary system in
| South Carolina has caused repeated con-
alicts between the liquor constabscs and
| citizens. and has been responsible, di-
| rectly and indirectly, for much bioods!,e''
| in the State since it was adopted. There
were SO many homicides in the State OF
| South Carolina during the year 1895 that
| a great religious denomination appointed
a Sunday upon which every clergyman N
that church was instructed TO preach
from the commandment, tThou shalt not
KILL we said at the time that we be-
lieyed that the dispensary system was
largely responsible for this spirit OF law
1 lessness which swept over the State
Again the dispensary system has been
and is u great and powerful instrument
in the hands OF the political machine. and
| it has been honeycombed with scandal
| The Charleston News ana Courier. The
| Columbia State and other such news
papers denounee it in the seyerest terms
as being a disgrace 10 the State, and tle
prol,ibltionlsts are so Disguised with i,
that they have determined 10 put ont q