The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1903-02-18
A temperance Measure on Business
Basjs

The temperance measure intro
duced in the Legislature, called the
North Carolina plan, or the South
| Carolina plan, as it exists in both
those States, and a number of others
is attracting some attention from
our people.
/ We call it temperance measure,
because it is one of the few practica-
BILE, sensible and effective temper
ance reform measures of the times,
aud has so demonstrated.
1t starts out with the concession
that intoxicating liquors exist,
and have existed from the founda-
tion of the world, and will doubtless
continue to exist till the end CT the
world: that men have appetites for
them, and have had in all times
past, and doubtless will continue to
have until human nature is obiter
ated and man is reinvested with
some other kind of nature.
II further comedies that the use
and abuse Of Intoxicating liquors
has been aud is the crying evil of
every people, and too dangerous and
pernicious commodity % be left
without governmental supervision
and control, or intrusted to Tom
Dick and Harry with which to de
bauch the public morals, destroy
the public health, and in every way
endanger the public and private
welfare.
Looking this situation squarely in
the face the North Calolina plan
proposes to deal with the monster
at first hand in business like way.
1t don't propose the improbable 1t
don't propose both the impossible
and improbable thing of preventing
the very existence OF Intoxicating
liquors hencefortl and forever. 1t
don't propose the equally impossible
and improbable thing OF eradicatlng
the appetite of man for this kind of
a stimulant. or deereei ig that he
shall not drink it or shall not get
it.
But they do propose to reduce the
necessary evils and danger of the
situation to the Minimum; and to
this end they will deny the right Off
any private individual to deal with
it as a mercantile commodity; they
close up all saloons, which have here
tofore beeL the bane of every COM
munity, with their train of poverty,
dehauehery, and crime; they close
up all "speakeasys," with their un-
lawful traffic, destroying their pa
irons with cheap and poisonous con-
coctions, and gradually undermln-
ing the public respect for and be
lief in the supremacy of law. They
say to every private citizen, to every
public hotel or other institution that
in view of The dangerous and de-
structive character of this commod-
ity, it shall be unlawful to vend it
or make il an article of merchandise
under any conditions.
Then what2
Still recognizing that 1T exists,
and that men will have 1t, and these
two things cannot be prevented. the
government itself takes exclusive
control; it opens it's dlspensaries
where the liquors are stored; APP
points officers to take charge; to
which dlspensaries the citizen who
is sane and sober can go and buy
as he would go to grocery and buy
a pound of coffee, or to a drug store
and buy medicine; hut he cannot
drink it there any more than he
could make his coffee and drink it in
the grocery; he cannot sit down
there, or treat his friend there, or
spend the evening there; nor does
it concern the officer who sells
whether the customer buys little or
much, or does not buy at all, for he
has no interest in the business.
What such system of govern
mental control would do for the
cause of temperance reform will
readily suggest itself to every prac-
teal mind; and has been abundant
ly demonstrated wherever tried, but
it is not our purpose now to do more
than outline the features of the plan.
But it will not have the support of
the average temperance reformer"
so called. 1t is too practical and
business like for that. There is not
enough of the ideal and visionary TO
get under his h at. Doubtless it
will be defeated at the present ses
sion of the Legislature, but in the
not distant future it is destined to
satt 10 tho liouor nrohlem for this