Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-12-18
Dispensary In Georgia.

| WV OohurcI HAS VeGOeu tne OIL
passed by the Georgia Legislature
for the establishment of dispensaries
in counties voting for it.
The bill was not half 80 harmful as
the South Carolina law, for it pro-
yided that citizens of any county
should have the right to vote upon
the question of prohibition, high
license or dispensary, while our law
forces the dispensary upon county
whether its citizens want it or not.
Gov. Gambler gives his reasons for
his veto. Among other things he says
that while the bill purports to be in
the interest of temperance it would,
if made law, have just the oppo-
site effect. He is of the opinion that
cit would open the floodgates in the
Fdry counties, and at the same time
set back the cause of temperance at
least a generation" The Georgia
Governor is too wise a man to be
fooled by the specious plea of a
''step toward prohibitions" and too
honest man to pretend to believe it.
But here is the strong point in the
kGovernor's reasons for his veto. He
is not influenced by the jingle of the
money that liquor selling would
bring into the Golfers of the State and
counties. 1t were well for South
Carolina if she coulS shave Cover
nor and other officers in high places
who would put the honor and good
name of the State above the filthy
lucre, as Gov. Gambler does in the
following declaration
81 have heard only three argu-
ments in favor of the bill. One is
that it will stop the agitation of the
liquor question. This is not true.
On the contrary, it will probably
precipitate fierce contests over it in
every county in the State within
twelve months. Another is that it
will stop the illicit sale of liquor in
the dry counties and provide for its
lawful sale by responsible bonded
officers who will not, as do the blind
tigers, sell on the days forbidden by
law, nor to minors and drunken men.
There is some force in this argument,
but not 80 much as those who ad-
vance it think. 1t would no doubt
greatly curtail the business of the
blind tiger in daytime, when the
county liquor shop is open, but be-
tween sunset and sunrise, when it is
closed, and when, under the cover of
darkness, most of the dangerous
drinking is done, it will be no barrier
| to intemperance. The blind tiger
will still do business at the old stand,
and will prosper, and the young men
and boys who infest the streets of
our towns and cities at night will
still be exposed to its baneful infiu-
ence. This has been and will con-
tinue to be, the case, dispensary or
no dispensary, wherever there are no
licensed barrooms. Neither the dis
pensary nor total prohibition can pre-
vent it,"
"The other argument which has
been advanced, and chiefly relied on,
is that it will be great source of
revenue to the counties and towns
in which the dispensaries are located,
and will in this way greatly reduce
the burden of taxation. 1t is even
claimed that already there has been
found a county in which no taxes
are imposed for county purposes,
because the profits of its dispensary
amply support the county govern
ment. Grant that this is true, and
that the dispensary in every county
will pay all the expenses of the
county and the people be wholly re-
lieved of local taxes, can Georgia, a
glorious State, glorious in her his
tory, her traditions and the achieve
ments of her illustrious sons, and
peopled by a Christian people, afford
to sanction law making every
county and town in the State pro-
prietor Of liquor shop to debauch
the morals of the youth of the coun-
try in order to escape the legitimate
burthens of local government |? Can
she afford to put upon her statute
book law to coin the tears and
blood of the wives and children of
weak or vicious men into dollars to
fill the Golfers of county and town
treasureries that their taxpayers may
! be relieved from taxation ?"