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

salories. thus abolishing active ad
IxertiSlng and drumming for buyers. L,
limits the amount sold. sells IN sealed
~nackages only. aud forbids drinking on
tho premises. thus excluding the sociaI
features of drinking. 1t has no skilled
harkeepers to concoct tempting drinks
Hinder this system every penny OF clear
profit goes into the public treasury. II
i the system which establishes fewer
| places where alcoholic drinks can be OBJ
tanned. than any other. 1t is the only so
rtion which allows the cooperation OF
the people with the government and the
success of any measure Is dependent upon
the cooperation of the people. 1t differs
from other systems. in that 1t Is both
the practical and the theoretical solution.
In i the system which has been most
bitterly fought by the liquor men. 1t
* daily growing into favor in South Caro-
lima. 10 has succeeded in its purposes
wherever tried. Prohibition has been
tried in sixteen States and in sixteen has
it failed.
MANY people seem to think the dis
ncnsary law unconstitutional, yet the Su-
preme Court has decided that a State can
control a harmful traffic within It's own
borders.
The negative argues that it creates 4
political machine. Yet in a recent cleo
tion in South Carolina there were three
dispensary candidates. Which of these
was the machine candidate?
MI. R. P. REECE, NEGATIVE: THE
principal arguments presented by the al
frmative are: First. the desirabihty of a
dispensary system as a source Of revenue:
second the driving out of the saloons by
the substitution of a dispensary system:
| third. the contention that prohibition IS
neither a fair nor an effective remedy.
Il shall consider each of these state
ments separately. First, they tell you
| OF the stupendous revenue that would be
/ brought into the State Treasury from the
| dispensarles.
1T seem that in the end, it has been
| far from economical.
Even if the State dispensary were a
| profitable business, moral law, the highest
law, forbids any traffic detrimental to the
| public health or public morals, and GER
| tainly the liquor traffic is detrimental to
both.
Next, you have been told that the dis
| pensary is a substitute for the saloon
without its evils. Before deciding this,
| it is necessary to find what it is in the
| saloon that makes it a bad place. Is 1T
| women as bar-tenders: amusements.
| screen-doors; or special accommodations
! arranged for customers? No. even if
| everything except whiskey were removed
| from the saloon, the DIGESTION would still
| exist. Therefore, liquor must be the one
| great objection, the one unmitigated evil.
| Now is it rational to suppose that the
mere change of the place of sale from
| the saloon to the dispensary would elm
mate the evil?
st is urged in favor of the dlspensary
| that the dispensers receive a salary, and
do not have any motive to make them
| solicit trade. 1t is true that they receive
la salary. but it is also true that the
salary paid is according to the amount
of business dom at each dispensary.
''From the fact that it gives a few men
the appointment of a large number OF
| men all over the State, there comes the
unavoidable result that a powerful poll
teal machine is created, the head Of
| which dictates the policy of the State as
he pleases.
"In attacking prohibition, the affrma-
| tive speakers have said that it is not a
legitimate remedy, because it's uncon-
stitutional, and infringes upon personal
| liberty. What mas the United States
| Supreme Court decided as to it's consti-
l lotIOlluIlty LII JIG SdoC VI SlSo
| Mississippi, that tribunal decided as fol-
lows: No Legislature can bargain away
| the public health or public morals. The
| people themselves cannot do it, much less
| their servants. Government is organized
| with a view to their preservation and
| cannot divest itself of the power to pro-
vide for them
THE negative in their argument this
| evening nave shown: First, that the dis
pensary system is not a righteous sya-
| tenn, because the State degrades itself
by engaging in a traffic which is detri-
mental to public health and pubic morals,
which is harmful to it's customers and
| all with whom they come In contact, and
| which causes an increase of crime.
Second, it is not economical, for the
| crime, pauperism, insanity and corruption
! of public morals caused by it far out
| weigh the value of the revenue obtained
from the system.
Third, that as a substitute for the sa-
loon, it has failed to eliminate the evils
of the saloon.
Fourth, that it forms a powerful po-
| Etical machine which is the inevitable re-
suit of State control.
Fifth, that prohibition is a legitimate
remedy; it is constitutional as decided by
the United States Supreme Court, and it
does not unlawfully restrict personal Ii
berty.
sixth, that prohibition is an effective
remedy, since it strikes at the foundation
of the evil: it has diminished the evils
of intemperance where tried; and it can
be enforced as shown by the experience
of other States"
DR.. Kingsbury's Letter.