The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-07-12
The State DisCersary.

The South Carolina Dispensary system
is doing more for prohibition than any
temperance measure that has been tried.
This sounds strange to a Jealous prolii-
bitionist who has devoted the best years
of his life in efforts to promote the TEN.
perance reform. That establishing "groe
shops" could ever promote The cause OF
prohibition is at war, lie believes, with
common sense, But nevertheless if a
degree of practical business sense is
brought TO bear OIL the question, it rec
ommends itself to the better judgment
when prejudice is eliminated from the
subject.
The irtemperance evil is deep seated
and firmly rooted in our social system,
and the love o! gain IS the strongest sup
port OF intemperance. The private saloon
is the strong arm OF intemperance. This
strong arm has defed every effort that
prohibition has beeu able to bring against
1t. Cut off the private sale of liquor and
the incentive of selEinterest is destroyed.
This every device and effort of prohibi-
tion has failed 10 do, but instead the liquor
power has steadily gained in its influence
and increased the trade. The year 1900
saw an increase in the business of
IS, 900.
The State is the only power able to cope
with such monopoly. The dispensary
has driven out OF South Carolina the
private saloon. That is great gain. 1t
is no longer business to invite the MI.
scrupnlous to enter and promote the drink
habit by enticing boys and teaching them
to drink. There are no saloous where
people in their idle hours resort TO drink,
smoke and play cards and douinos for
drinks and swap yarns. The tispensaiy,
or exclusive sale by the State, has broken
mp the saloon. No licenses are granted,
audi no electioneering headquarters are
established at the saloon Breaking up
this part ofthc business cuts its tap root
The State establishes dispensaries or
liquor stores at convenient locations 10
serve the public. A reliable, salaried
officer is placed in each OF these public or
State liquor stores The store is supplied
with pure, unadultera;ed article which
is bottled and sold to all who want 10 buy,
except to habitual drunkards, disorderly
people and boys.
The purchasers are obliged to take their
purchases off or away from the premises.
The store is closed i'll the evening at six
O'Clock and opened at usual business
hours in the morning.
Under this system crop of young
drinkers will not be reared. The old ones
on whom the habit is fastened too strong
ly to shake off, will finally die off.
The dispensary, or State monopoly of
the liquor traffic, destroys the saloon by
taking away the incentive, the profit TO
private persons. There will be some
speakeasies-:here will exist some Grim
inals in every line OF busiaess-but the
State guards against moonshne distil
leries, and suppresses them with a strong
arm, and will do SO 10 the speakeasy.
The State diSpensary destroys the pub
lie saloon, which is the road 10 the abate-
ment if not the abolition Of the drink
evil. All former efforts have proved an
utter failure. Time on this line will
almost extinguish the presen; day drink
evil. Every other plan has been tried and
failed. Let the dispensary be tried and
the profit feature cut off,
There is no hope in present prohibition
methods. Have the prohibition earnest
workers any SQUAD arguments 10 advance
against State dispensary9