The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-05-19

and the speeches We're SO good at the
Leazar Society debate last Monday night
that we print today what we unfortunate
Tuesday morning, VIZ, a summary OF The
argument of each of the young men.
The query discussed was: That It the
present juncture of affairs in North Caro-
lima a State Dispensary Is the Best Sold
ton Of the Liquor Problem
Here are the main points IN he re-
s~pective arguments:
From almost the. beginning OF Bible
history to the end we find constant allu-
SONS to the evils of intoxicating drink,
and are warned to abstain, as individuals,
IRON It's abuse; but not a word OF prohl-
bltlon. 1t is true that while the Bible
everywhere forbids and denounces drunk
enness, it nowhere total alb
stinence. The lnSplrer OF our rellglon
must nave thought that the best way to
remedy the evil is not to command total
abstinence from strong drink, but to
discourage its use as a beverage, and TO
educate man to control his appetltes and
PASSIONS. AS the fort which has been at
tackled and has resisted assault, is more glo-
rious than the one which has not had oc-
casion to face the enemy, just so IS the
man who has been tempted and has re-
sisted the temptation, more deserving
of credit thar the man who Is pure be-
cause he has never been tempted.
In brief, we desire to put the most
restriction on the liquor traffic, with the
least infringement on personal liberty.
Prohibition, if effective, would put the
most restriction on the traffic. but we
r +I,+ - o,no no
enforced, and it infringes too much on
Lersonal liberty. Local option allows each
community to choose between prohibition,
high license and dispensary. High license
brings revenue to the government cot
fcrs, but does not diminish the evils OF
the liquor trade. State Dispensary IS a
local option measure lnasmuch as 1t al
lows each community to choose between
prohibition and dispensry, and thus com
bines the good qualities OF both local
option and dlspensary.
During the past three quarters of a
century various States IN the Union have
tried high license, prohibition, local op-
ton and dispensary, and no one OF these,
nor any combination has been tried I'M
der more unfavorable circumstances, and
more fully demonstrated it's superiority
than has the State dispensary in our sister
State, South Carolina. Let us review
briefly the rivals of the dispensary sys-
TEN. Prohibition has been given as fair
a trial in America as any system could
possibly be given, having been adopted
and supported at various times by the
best citizens in sixteen States. But that
it is a sad failure is shown by the fact
that it is now a law in only two States;
and in these it is not enforced except IN
a few rural communities. By local crtion
we understand that each local conamu-
nitv is allowed to decide for itself as TO
what restrictions shall be put on the II
uuor traffic in that community. l dare
saw. nv worthy opponents, that you Will
offer local option as a better system than
the State dispensary; and SINCE we are
combining our discussion tonight to the
question of q system for North Carolina.
it is only necessary for me to remind you
that we now have, and have for many
years had local option in this State. It
local option is the best solution of the IL
uuor problem in North Carolina, why was
it that so many thousands Of our best
citizens, including minister's, business men
and mothers, signed the petitions address
ed to our last General Assembly, praying
for more effective liquor legislation? Why
has not local option, for which you claim
81 toSIy SNSI ~
possibilities for good in our State? Local
option may be a good thing in its place,
but its place is certainly not North Caro-
Ina.
lone of the greatest advantages Of the
dispensary system is it's elasticity; it can
be modified and adjusted to fit the re-
quirements of each State. Prohibition can
not be modified, for with the least modi-
f~cation it ceases to be prohibition. even
in name.
"Theoretically, the dispensary is per
feet. BY owning the business, the gov
eminent is able to exercise absolute con-
troll of the liquor traffic, and thus to
minimize the evils of the drink habit, and
at the same time reap all %pecunlary bene-
fits arising from the trade.
''The Dispensary system is no mere ex-
pertinent; it was first tried with marked
success in Norway and Sweden. and IN
Russia, and it has been in operation IN
South Carolina for the past ten years
MR.. C. w. MARTIN, THE MEDAL
WINNER, AFFIRMATIVE: SFirst: The
greatest objection to prohibition has al
ways been in its gross infringement Ct
personal liberty.
Second: Though the dispensary law al
lows the moderate use of alcoholic drinks
it places such rigid restrictions on Their
sale that the evils arising from their use
are reduced to the smallest possible degree
and the enforcement of these restriction
is secured by the fact hat the local dis
rensary is made directly responsible fol
their observance.
Third: The dispensary system has il
practice reduced the traffic to it's evils a
no other system has in any State or coun
ty. Of course our opponents deny thi
also and state in support of their asser
tions that in South Carolina the arrest
for arson, ETC.. have increased by on
or two hundred, but they neglect to sa,
that in the same time the population o
South Carolina has increased largely.
Fourth: The dispensary law does strik
q direct blow at the corrupt politician
The saloon, whether it be the gilded be
mirrored parlor of ~iniquity under higl
license or the blind tiger the dirty, fou
noisome den of voice under prohibition ha
always been the ward heelers' headqua1
tiers. The dispensary abolishes the saloo
and exterminates the blind tiger.
Fifth: OF all systems the dispensary
the most easily and has been the mos
thoroughly enforced. The very principle
,,ro~ ,rI,al. - =. f.l1 "