The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-01-17

provided schools and teachers and
libraries and churches at the expense of
the stockholders, and some of them will
rot employ children under twelve years
of age and they require the parents
of such children to send the children to
school. This is the tendency in all the
mills in this State. These children
should be projected, but it is not we'll
that they should be idle, and doubt
the wisdom of a rigid law laid down by
the legislature prohibiting absolutely
their employment. It would be better
rather that all children between the
ages of seven and thirteen years whose
parents or guardians work in a textile
mandatory should be required to at
tend school during the school term, II
this can be done under our Constitution
without extending compulsory educa-
ton to the State. This would permit
them during the vacation to relieve
older sisters or brothers and give them
little rest and not take the means OF
support from the family, and at the
same time accomplish the end sought
the protection and the education OF the
children of the mill districts. But bet
ter to have prohibitory law as to child
labor than that nothing should be done
for the protection of these children.
THE DISPENSARY.
The Dispensary has been we'll man.
aged during the past year, as the state
ment Of the Board of Directors and the
State Commissioner, which will be sub
mitted to you, will show.
The Dispensary system and the man
agement of the liquor question have
occupied much of the attention OF each
Legislature since the system was lnaug-
urated. the dispensary has also been
an issue in every campaign in the State
since it was passed and has been more
strongly opposed possibly than any
other law that was ever placed on
the statute books of this State. Every
argument that could be brought to bear
against it has been presented by some
of the ablest intellects of the State, and
vet after a thorough canvass OF each
county and presentation OF the case to
the people the system has been endorsed
by decided majorities on four different
occasions and the principal IS moor
porated in our organic law.
Under the Constitution the Leglsla-
ture NAV license individuals or corpora
tions to sell under the rules and regu-
lations governing the Dispensary, or it
NAV prohibit the sale and manufacture
of liquors. Both OF these plans have
been thoroughly and exhaustively
argued and advocated before the people
and the verdict every time has been de-
cidedly in favor of the Dispensary under
the management Of the State.
AS rule, the law has been we'll en-
forced, and it has been with small
constabulary force but with the aid OF
the municipal officers. All law is
violated. If there were no violators OF
law and this were all ideal country
there would be no need of law or courts
to try and punish offenders. The
United States Government with its
illimitable resources has failed to stop
all violations of the revenue laws.
While it is important that the law
shall not be violated by illicit sale OF
whiskey, it is equally important that
those charged with its administration
shall conform to its requirements. If
this were more rigidly done public
sentiment would grow more rapidly In
support of the system, doubt if there
is a dispenser in the State who does
not violate the law every day, not with
any criminal intent. The law requires
that, "Before selling or delivering any
Intoxicating liquors to any person re-
quest must be presented to the County
Dispenser, printed or written in ink,
dated of the true date, stating that ne
or she is of age, and the residence OF
the signer, for whom or whose use 1t
is required, the quantity and kind re-
uuired, and his or her true name and
the request shall be signed by the ap-
plicant in his own true name and sigma
ture, attested by the County Dispenser
or his clerk, who receives and files the
requests. But the requests shall be re-
fused, if the County Dispenser filling 1t
personally knows the person applying
is a minor, that he is intoxicated, or
that he is the habit Of using lntoxlca-
ting liquors to an excess or If the ap-
plicant is not so personally known to
said County Dispenser, before filling
said order or delivering said liquor. he
shall require the statement of a reliable
and trustworthy person Of good charac-
ter and habits, known personally to
him. that the applicant is not minor,
and is not in the .Iabit Of using intoxi-
eating liquors to excess" The County
Dispenser takes an obligation to the
effect that he will and another after
wards that he does comply strictly with
this provision and all of the other pro-
visions of the law.
It has become customary for County
Dispensers to sell to any one who ap-
plies to purchase without being identi-
fed or without signing the application
Gin his own true name and signature"