The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-02
FAVORED
| LAW.
|Dispensary Plan Is
Considered
Good.
DISCUSSION AT
RESEARCH CLUB
L. D. Timmons, D. II. Case and
Others Tell of the
System.

4 A L a MEETING of the Young Mems
~ research Club last night at the
nome or J. B. Anterior, the dis
ipensary law, which will soon be intro
lquced into the Legislature, was the
isub5eet of able discussion. The follow
ing paper by l.. D. Timmons was read:
! have been requested byy members
or the Research Club to impart to them
/ ana their association, at this meeting.
/ incarnation in regard to the origin, es-
taonsnment and subsequent history of
the so-called Dispensary system of
4 hsCarolina, which has to, deal with
the liquor traffic of that State. From
the tenor of the invitation, 1 take 1t
that am not expected to express an
| opinion in regard to the working of
/ the system there nor as to the probable
| erect OF the application of a similar
law to this Territory. Were / called
! upon to express an opinion in regard
/ to the system in Hawaii / think I
| should, at this time, decline on ac-
| count OF the numerous side questions
opened up by our inSular position and
| the differences in conditions to those
of any other State or Territory In sthe
Union. To follow up this subject would
| entail arguments too lengthy for this
talk or for one meeting of your club.
The Tillman administration of South
| Carolina was elected to power in No
vember of 1880. 1t was the radical
element, defeating the conservatives
| that had held sway for sixteen years
The Dispensary law was not the re-
suit, however, of the election of this
particular faction to supremacy in the
| Legislature, but rather to a temperance
agitation that had gone on for a de-
cade or more. The Sons of Temper
ance, the w. C. T. u. and similar or
CARNATIONS had fiourished and attained
great power. Six or eight years prior
| to the birth of the Dlspensary the
temperance faction was able TO WELD,
and did WELD a powerful influence up
| on the legislature and the administra
ton. 1t was by their direct influence
that local option was secured to coun-
ties and towns, and many towns went
dry on their respective, popular bal
| lots From about 1888 movement was
started for absolute prohibition. l.. d.
Childs, who, if memory serves me
right was in the Senate, led the fight.
The movement failed but only to be
renewed in the legislature or 1891. The
DispenSary bill was a compromise be-
tween the prohibitionists and the ad-
vocates of a license system. After
, , long debate it was decided 10 refer the
matter to the people. This was done
in the general election of 1892. In that
election only S0,0 600 votes out of total
of about 100000, were cast. 1 am I'M
able to tell you why the vote was so
small. The Dispensary system won by
about 10000 votes.
The law went into effect on July L,
1898 On the morning of that day every
saloon and every mandatory OF
liquor in the State was in the hands
of the government. All property thus
confiscated was appraised and paid for.
d. H. Traxler, the first head of the
department, had the not altogether
pleasant task of completing this trans
fer and the establishment of sub-dis-
pensaries in all cities and towns OF the
A
was not a success. The department
was literally submerged in suits OF
every imaginable kind In March OF
1894 a dreadful riot occurred at par
Iington, in which several citizens anu
Econstables of the State were killed and
other constables were chased into the
swamps by bloodhounds. One dispen-
sary was blown up with gunpoWoer
and another was burned. Inc cause
of these riots was the sweeping law
that gave to the constaoles the [isn.
| to enter private residences or even
search the baggage of travellers at
hotels for liquor. Many amendments
were made and, finally, in 1897, COM
plete redraft of the law was brougnt
about. The new law differs very little
from the old. save that it eliminates
several features objected to most
strenuously by the people at large,
All attacks upon the law on Consti-
| tutionaI and other grounds falied De,
| fore all tribunals, except lie ciiiscu
States Circuit Court at charleston III
one instance and that ruling was not
/ sustained by the Supreme Court on
appeal. The Interstate commerce
| law was not effective, the courts sus
tanning a State in recognizing What 1.
might term an eVii anu iaioiiS - -
| it's own way.
| With these preliminary remarks, 1
wish to give you an outline OF the law
/ as II now is The Act begins Dy De
| clarine that the manufacture, sale,
! barter or exchange, receipt or accept
| onca for unlawful use, delivery Stor-
inc and keeping in possession within
tho state any liquors or any alcononc
! cornnound used as beverage, is pro-
| hihited. All alcoholic liquors In the
| state whether manufactured therein
| or not. and not having thereon the Ger
| tiicate of purity after tests by the
chemist of South Carolina college are
declared to be of a detrimental char-
| acter land their use is declared TO
I he against the morals, good health ana
| saf efv of the State" Such goods may
he confiscated wherever found. IL is
! provided. however, that person may
pprchase liquors outside of the state,
securing a certificate from the cnern-
list as to purity, but TINS certiiic "a Is
| good for only sixty days, anu iei ~
/ over beyond that time the Ilquor -
! subject to confiscation. Any person
| so,Iine any of the liquor so imported,
a,d Under the protection of this tenn
! anr certificate, is liable to double
a hoard of three temperate men has
] control of the system. They are ap-