The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-03
SOUTH CARoLINA'S LIQUOR
SYSTEM.

In the current number of Frank
Leslie's Monthly Senator Tillman, or
South Carolina, has paper concerning
the dispensary law of that state, IN
which he compares it with the license
laws and prohibition laws of other
states. 1t is shown that in prohibition
Kansas, with population very nearly
that of South Carolina, there are 2,727
government licenses for retailing liquor,
or one to 595 of population. In Maine,
with about half Of South Cardinals
population, there are 1871 licenses, or
one to 5S5 of population. In South Caro-
lima there are 446 licenses, or one to 3,oO5
persons Government licenses are not
authority to sell liquor. They are mere
ly evidence that the retailers tax has
been paid. But. of course. it is legiti-
mate inference that the possession
of such license means its use. Senator
Tillman remarks that he thinks it is
anomalous that the government should
issue licenses in states where the sale OF
liquor is prohibited by state law. OF the
446 persons who have paid the govern
ment license in South Carolina, only
ninety-four are authorized dispensers
under the state law. The other 1852 are
Illicit dealers, a majority of whom are
in the one city of Charleston.
The dispensary system of South Car
DINA restricts the right of manufacture
or sale OF liquor to the state. which.
through a board of directors, purchases
the liquor under competitive bids. The
liquor is analysed by the state chemist
to see that it is pure. There is a CEN
trail depot at Columbia, where the liquor
is bottled. The largest quantity put up
is four gallons and the smallest half
pint. The bulk is in pints and quarts
Everything is kept in stock for which
there is demand, and all the liquors are
labeled South Carolina Dispensary."
There are ninety-four dispensers ap-
pointed by county boards of control,
and they must be men not addicted to
the use of liquor as a beverage. Coun-
ties have local option and there are two
that have no dispensaries, but it is
noted that in these dry counties there
is as much drunkenness as in the other
counties.
In the dispensaries the price list is
conspicuously posted. The place of sale
is plain room with a counter. The pur-
chaser must fill out a slip giving his
age and residence, anu this is kept on
file, the purpose being to account for
every drop Of liquor that the dispensary
handles. When the purchaser gets his
package he must leave the dispensary
without opening it. No one is allowed
to drink on the premises. There is no
credit system. The profit of the dis
pensary goes half to the county, the
other half to the town, the state getting
its profits on tine prices charged to the
local dispenser. The net profits of state,
county and town for eleven. months
ending with December, 1900, were $685.
342. The states profits go to the COM
mon school fund.
Senator Tillman sums, up what he
thinks are the advantages of the sys-
tenn. % That liquor is the only article
of commerce in general use that is con-
sumed at the time and place of it's
purchase. 1t is safe to say, he thinks.
that three-fourths of the liquor is thus
consumed. The dispensary law will al
low nothing of this. A purchaser after
buying must go elsewhere to consume
it. CD The element of personal profit.
which is at the root of the saloon evil,
is destroyed by the dispensary system,
have no interest in fostering the trade.
90 Treating is destroyed, which 6he
senator thinks) is a great help toward
sobriety. a. The dispensary is open
only from o'clock in the morning to
shutdown. The testimony of unbiased
judges is that in South Carolina drunk
enness has been reduced so per cent to
rs per cent, since the dispensary sys-
tenn went into effect. The law, Senator
Tillman says, has been subjected to a
series of bitter contests, but it has al
ways triumphed, and he thinks it is safe
to say that it is a fixture in South Car
DINA.