The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-02-28
AN ADDRESS
Issued by the Prohibitionists' Ezcu.
tive Committee
WAR ON THE DlsPENsARY.
The Newspapers, The Good Women
and Christian Ministers Called
on to Help the Cause.

CO!uWula Ou tue LIN VI oduUaiJ, 1ooo,
adopted the following:
''ResoIved. That Joel Z BruDson. J.
S Mufstt, E D Smith, j. A. Hoyt,
+. H Hyatt, W. C Thomson and Jere-
miah Suith be and hereby are appoint
ed to prepare an address to the people
of South Carolina, setting forth the
work aud issues before US, and to plan
for aud perfect an organization Of the
prohibitionists for the coming cam
paign."
In accordance with the above, We
submit the following address:
To the people of South Carolina:
TIE prohibitionis,s of the State are
ENCOURAGED to make another appeal to
the voters for supreme tff,;rt along
the line for the abolition Of the manu-
facture and sale of liquor in South
Carolina. For many years the men
and women Of our State have toiled
earnestly to effect legal prohibition Of
the liquor traffic, and gratifying pro-
gress was being made not only in ban
ishing the licensed saloon from all ter
ritory without Incorporated towns and
cities, but there was nicch being ac-
complished in the way of reducing the
number Of saloons here and there. and
also in securing control Of the smaller
municipalities through the ballot box
or restrictive legislation. This pro-
gress in temperance reform induced an
application the regularly constituted
authorities of the Democratic party in
control of the election machinery of
the State for separate box in which
to vote for or against prohibition, and
this privilege was granted ip the pri-
mary election Of 1892, resulting in an
overwhelming majority for the legal
prohibition OF the liquor traffic, and
along with this result there was OBJ
tained clear majority of members in
the lower house, who passed strict
rrohibitory measure in accordance
with the verdict OF the people. This
measure was defeated, however, and
in it's stead was substituted the dispen-
sary law for the regulation and control
Of the traffic, an importation that was
recognized as contrary to the wishes
of the people and in direct conflict
with their ascertaiued verdict. Thus
the dispeusary bcgan its career as
supplanter, aud it has made seven
years of uncanny record, marked by
bloody and disgraceful steps from the
beginning.
The present condition Of the liquor
business can hardly be said 10 be sat-
isfactory to single intelligent person
in the State. When the dispensary
law was first adopted, thousands of our
honest people hoped for, and expected
much from it. They were told that the
restrictive features of the law would be
enforced by sober State officials, who,
not having any financial interest at
stake, would labor TO reduce consump-
tion Of liquor and make the dispensary
system a stepping stone to prohibition.
The dispensary had been in operation
but short time before the greed of
gold began to manifest itself among
high officials, and pressure was brought
to bear upon dispensers to increase
sales. The annual salary paid to
common county dispenser would buy
thirty bales of cotton. and be was given
10 understand that his dlspensary must
be profitable TO the State or it would be
clo.e and he himself dismissed from
the service. The sales increased at
once and have increased month by
mouth ever since; SO that today the
State IS selling nearly as much liquor
as ever did the old barrooms Ia their
palniest days.
And how could it be otherwise? The
appetite for drink is the same aud every
hlBdrspce to the sale of liquor has been
swept away. The door Of the dispen-
sary stands wide open to serve every
one that will buy. No knowledge of
The purchaser necessary, ne inquiry as
10 the purpose for which the liquor is
wanted, and no signature to any request;
simply pay your money and take your
liquor, as much as you can carry, if YOU
like So Indifferent and demoralized
have become our State and county off,
ciaIs, that although these violations of
law are known to all Of them, they have
neith,r the manlincss nor moral coursa
age o Try to bring the offenders to JUS
tlce.
Tourist hotel privileges and beer
shops iage been, and are still, conduct
ed under the very nose Of the governor
of the Safe without shadow Of law,
aud no effort made to prevent it. Dis
pense1 after dispenser has stolen or lost
the money of the State aud not one has
ever been punished or even prosecuted,
except in one or two instances. Cou:
missions and rebates aud briDes and
thefts and murders have been the natu-
raj products of this system Of State
LIQUOR selling, and, after years Of such
work, lis managers still plead with US
to give it fair trial. "
Those who manage it say the dispen-
sary paid last year $3.50, 00O to the edu-
catioo of the children of the State, but
they did not tell the startling fact that
the dispensary had draWa FROM the peo-
pie of the State at least 20 times as
much and spent it in fat salaries and
other expenses, purchases. etc, of the
liquor system. 1t may be said that in
addition to the sl30, 900. the counties
aud towns received small sum ea;h and
10 this we reply: The expenses incurred
by the couuties and towns in the trial,
punishment and support of criminals,
who have been made such by the suor
sold them by the State, will far more
than balance the money received from
the dispensary. We state, it modestly
when We say the present system of
liquor selling is robbing the people Of
the State Of $40 for every dollar paid
to the State treasurer for educational