The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-22
To the Editor of The Journal.

IL lAS CulIOT OL Il 9 JOuTual.
In 1886, at the city of Barnesville, Ca,
and including Pike county, vote was to
be taken for the bar room or for pro-
hibition. The temperance people foresaw
defeat. Three of them held a conference
and formed plan to escape the open
bar room. The city was to take into it's
own control the ownership and sale Of all
intoxicating liquors for the county; was
to open and operate place where the
liquors should be handled and solo, by a
man on salary, appointed and paid by the
council, and who should have no money
interest in the sales. No liquor should
be drunk on the premises; but sales were
to be only for medicinal, mechani-
cal, scientific and sacramento purposes.
The plan was proposed and carried, and
the name dispensary was then and there
given to this method OF handling liquors,
which has since become famous. -s...
In 1891, at Athens, Ga, the same con-
ditions existed The city and county had
tried both license and prohibition, and
with like results-drunkenness, disorder,
crime convictions and full jail. Again
the leaders for good order saw defeat
before them and for prohibition, ana sc
they promised to- give the people the
dispensary If once more they would vote
against the open bar room. They SO
u.
some changes was put into execution.
The most important change was the re
striction of the sale only for a medicine,
etc.. was omitted, and the buyer was lett
to determine the use, as he would any
way.
In 1892 South Carolina elected legls-
lature. of which the house passed an lfon-
clad prohibition bill: The senate though 1s
that this bill. if it became law, could
not be enforced. They therefore amended
by engrafting thereon the dispensary plan
of Athens The law, so amended, re-
tanned all the strong parts OF the prompt
tion bill. but omitted the weak part-le-
gally weak, of prohibiting sales except TOT
a medicine, etc. Commissioners were
appointed by the Legislature TO- take
charge of the whole liquor business Tor
the state They were to make all the
purchases, have all liquors listed by the
state chemist, put them into sealed pack
ages of half pint and upwards, and dis
tribute to the county commissions, VINO
we're to establish the dispensarles,
appoint and pay the dispensers, VINO IN
turn were to keep and render strict &C
count-sales were to be made only during
daylight hours-no drinking or Longing
on the dispensary premises-no sales eX-
cept to responsible, sober adults-none
on the Sabbath or election days. The
buyer was to make and sign Written state
ment of the kind and quantity bought and
for whose use. The price was to be fifty
per \cent above cost
Thu law controlled all importations and
transportations throughout the state, and
required all the packages to have upon
them, the seal and sign of the state COM
miSSioners. There We're search and seiz-
ure, nuisances and confscaticn parts; con-
stables were to be appointed by the gov
ernor to enforce the law.
procedure. All the commissioners, dis
pensers and consta bles were on salary.
The law went into effect on July 1, 1898,
and at once entered upon most stormy
existence, the history Of which would be
Of great interest and value, but would be
too long for this article. After five years
of most fierce struggle, in 1898 the
United States supreme court made a deci-
sion which broke the back of the opposi-
tion, and the law went into full operation
yet during the long struggle for it's very
life, the law lost ground which it has not
yet wholly recovered-especially in
Charleston.
The dispensary has spread into various
parts Of Georgia, Alabama, North Caro-
lima and Virginia. IA bill for the whole
state, was passed by the recnet legislature
of Georgia, but was vetoed by the govern
or. Attempts have been made to pass,
what were called dispensary laws in
Massachusetts, in South Dakota and in
Minnesota, but these failed to pass and
part Of them justly failed, as they had
the name only and not the nature Of the
dispensary. The one for Minnesota was
nothing less than absurd, and had it be-
come law, would have killed the plan
for this state.
What, now, are the nature, qualities and
peculiarities Of this method which has
become famous?
The foundation is governmental owner
officers and no drinking allowed on the
premises. But there may be great
variation as to details. The ownership
and control may be by the state, or by
any practical subdivision of the state, city,
township or county. 1t may be state
law, with local option provisions. 1t may
restrict the sale to medicinal, chemical
purposes, etc." or 1t may omit this re-
strtction. Sales may be in daylight hours
only, In sealed packages, to sober adults
with written statement. of the buyer OF
quantity, for whose use, etc. The kind
and number of prohibitions and restric-
lions may be left largely to the commits
sioners. The business is wholly taken out
Of the hands Of private parties, not even
druggistion their own account or for thei1
own profit, are allowed to sell. The sa-
loon, or drinking place is prohibited, and
private greed and gain are abolished.
The system or plan is the old Maine law
now in use for fifty years.
But the South Carolina law, modified
modernized,s strengthened and improved
the old Maine law.
Surely this method OF law, government
ownership and control, is the only one By
which prohibition, as it is understood, has