The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-18
DlSPENSARY SYSTEM ! IS GROWING IN FAVOR
Thought by Many to Be the Best and Most Satis-
 factory and Certainly the Most Profit
 able Way to Sell Liquor. ~.-, .:'
(By D. ". McIver.)

On account of the unsavory experience with the dispensary system in South csSoiins, which for several years 'ftsr its adoption in that State. was terror and a menace to sood order, the people of Alabama have been shy of the system and have been averse to even giving 1t a trial in this State. When Senator Frank 6. Moody of Tuscaloosa proposed a sen ersl bill for dispensary law. covering the entire State, he was hooted at anu the very idea carried consternation ana dismay to tie liquor dealers and to the NQvcr drinkers. They were amazed tnat sny one should have the temerity 10 even propose such . thing. in what was re- aarded a veritabIe Iiuuor stronghold. The Senator was in dead earnest and pressed his bill before the Temperance Commit tee of the Senate, but it never got any further, being pigeop-holed there. The State was not ready for 1t then. nor Is IL believed that 1t is ready for such gen eral law now, it being the policy or the Democratic party to let the people of each locality decide for themselves how they shall sell liquor. or whether they will sell 1t at all or not. Local option IS the rule the Democrats have adopted on the liquor question, and the party still adheres to that plan. The experience of prohibition laws in Alabama is that they arc perfect failures in preventing the use or sale of liquor. In those localities where the most stringent prohibftive laws have been enacted against the sale of liquor. the result has been that instead of the barrooms. each drug store has been converted into whiskey shop and that more and a meaner quality of liquor has been sold. and there has been fiaore drunkenness than ever before. In one town I have in mind l know that this was the case. After trying iron-clad pro- hibition which proved a most dismal dead letter. high license. was resorted to and from that to the dispensary with the most satisfactory results.
 In the year 1ssS, the same year that Senator Moody proposed a general law in the State, the four towns of Dethan, Clayton. Columbia and Troy adopted the system of dispensary for the sale of liquor. and the outcome has been entirely satisfactory from both & financial and moral standpoint. the sale of liquor bringing 6 handsome revenue to their treasuries and the drunkenness and row. dyism uader the old plan having almost entirely disappeared. Since that time
 dispensaries have been established at SUCVWhSs LsiSbuS Nouthy, ~ CutOu Springs. Bullock County: at West Bloc ton. Bibb County: at Georgiana, Butler County; at Fafayette. Chambers County; at Hefiin, Cleburne County; in Coffee County. in Dale County. in Fillmore County in Colbert County: at Florence. in Lauder dale County; in Limestone County: at Marion. in Perry County. at Tuscaloosa. tn Tuscaloosa County: at Camden, in Wilcox County. And wherever tried, they have been wonderfully satisfactory In those counties mentioned, the law stves the cltisens the right upon petition to have an election on the subject of sale or liquor In Tuscaloosa County. an elec- ton was held last year. and the dispsn- saary carried by 125 majority, after the whiskey men had flooded the county with money and used every artihee and trick Known to the politicians. It is confidently asserted that the people of that county were three to one in favor of the .dispen- sary before the large amount of money was used. and it Is true that in spite of all their money and tricks of electionserins. the dispen- sary system carried and went into ef- rect rect on ths hrst of last January. I have ts-views tell me that Senator Moody has been vindicated and that the dispen- sAry has woE over the most hardened ad- NpCetos or the saloon and that nearly all are now convinced that is the most decent and moral way to sell liquor. Tus- caloosa Is now one of the quletest towns h all the State. and the curse of social drlnking has been completely done away with. The Marshal told me that there had not been a fight since the first of January, the time the dispensary was opened. and that in piace of town full of drunken negroes every night, there is now scarcely a negro to be seen after dark and no rowdytsm at all. walking over to the negro district after night with q gentleman. who desired to show me what change had taken place, just before 10 o'clock. we did not see a single neRro on that street. They are not al- lowed to loaf about the streets now at all and do not desire to do so as they cannot get liquor to drink. The dispen- sary closes at o'clock and the police feel great relief. There Is not a citizen Tn Tuscaloosa who will not agree that the dispensary is a success from a moral standpoint From the financial side the figures speak for themselves The re- port of the Committee on Dispensary to the City Council for the month of Janu- ary Is as follows:
 The dispensary report was read and received as follows:
 To his Honor. the Mayor. the Dispen- sary Committee beg to make this, their first monthly report.
 Statement of condition of Tuscaloosa dispensary at the close of business, Jan uary Sl, 1s02: