The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-10
THE WRIGHT DIsPENsARY BILL.

The very large majority by which
the Wright dispensary bill passed the
House justifies the belief that if the
bill should become a law it would be
accepted very generally throughout the
state as a settlement of the whisky
question. A very large percentage of
the people is not satisfied with the
local option law as it is at present.
and there are some who would not be
satisfied if that law should be amend
ed as proposed in Mr.. wright's bill.
These are prohibitionists who would
not be satisfied with any legislation
on the liquor question that did not pro-
vide for absolute prohibition. Mr..
Wright, however. is a prohibitionist
and so are many of the supporters of
his bill. They have studied the liquor
question more carefully since they
were advocates of a general prohi-
bition law. with the result that they
have come to the conclusion that pro-
hibition is impracticable-that it does
not prevent the sale of intoxicants.
In the course of his argument in
support of his bill Mr.. Wright said he
once thought that everybody who diff
fered with him was bull-headed, and
that those who favored the sale of
whisky did so for vicious purposes. He
admitted that he had learned better,
and said he now believed that the gen.
eral thought of every man was toward
the best way of controlling the whisky
traffic.
1t is probable that Mr.. Wright, in
the light of his present information on
the liquor question, is willing to admit
that if a general prohibition law should
be passed the state would be honey
combed with blind tigers. Liquor is
sold surreptitiously in about all of the
prohibition counties, and it is a pretty
safe statement that the amount thus
sold is as great as it would be if bar
rooms were permitted in them. And
the quality of the liquor is bad. The
efforts made to take intoxicants away
from the people seem to increase their
desire for them.
We have always insisted upon To-
cal option as the best method for deal
ing with the liquor traffic because it
educates the people against the traffic.
When they are convinced that it is bet
ter for them that the traffic should
cease they put a stop to it of their
own will, and they create a sentiment
that upholds the law. AS we have
pointed out many times, there is much
less drinking and drunkenness than
there used to be, and it is our belief
that the movement towards temper
ance will continue. provided the ed
vocational method is adhered to.
Local option is still to be the method
of dealing with the liquor traffic under
Mr.. Wrights bill. The only change
proposed is that counties shall have the
right to say whether or not they want
dispensaries. If the bill should become
a law county could have prohibition.
barrooms or dispensaries. 1t would
be in the power of the majority of its
citizens to choose one of these three
ways of dealing with the liquor traffic.
We can see no objection to Mr..
Wright's bill. In fact, we approve it.
1t will be a potent means of getting
rid of blind tigers and the bad liquor
they sell. 1t will help the cause of
temperance. and at the same time en-
able the counties which adopt dispen-
saries to get revenue for schools and
public Improvements.
One of the reasons why there is such
strong prohibition sentiment in the
state is that the larger towns get a
great deal of money from the blind
tigers Of the prohibition counties. If
these were dispensaries there would be
no blind tigers and the profit on what
ever liquor was sold would be kept at
home. Besides the dispensaries could
be so controlled as to lessen the evils
of the traffic. The blind tigers are out
side of all law. The Wright bill would
be a happy solution of a troublesome
question. The Senate should follow
the lead of the House in dealing with
it.