The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-17

salaries. thus abolishing active ad.
IWertising and drumming for buyers II
limits the amount sold, sells in sealed
Ipackages only, and forbids drinking on
1.-THE premises, thus excluding the social
features of drinking. 1t has no skilled
bar-keepers to concoct tempting drinks
Under this system every penny of clear
profit goes into the public treasury 1t
is the system which establishes fewer
places where alcoholic drinks can be OBJ
tanned, than any other. 1t is the only So
luton 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 it is both
the practical and the theoretical solution.
1t is the system which has been most
! bitterly fought by the liquor men. Tt
| is daily growing into favor in South Caro-
| lima. 1t 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
pensary law unconstitutional, yet the Su-
preme Court has decided that State can
control harmful traffic within its own
| borders.
'The negative argues that it creates a
political machine. Yet in recent cleo
,tion in South Carolina there were three
/ dispensary candidates. Which of these
was the machine candidate?
MR.. r. p. REECE, NEGATIVE: 1.-THE
principal arguments presented by the af-
| frmative are: First, the desrability of a
| dspensary system as a source of revenue;
second the driving out of the saloons by
| the substitution of dispensary system;
| third, the contention that prohibition IS
neither a fair nor an effective remedy
81 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
| dispensarics.
ct seem that in the end, it has been
far from economical.
Even If the State dispensary were
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 it
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
- tod
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?
at is urged in favor Of the dispensary
that the dispensers receive a salary, and
do not have any motive to make them
solicit trade 1t is true that they receive
salary, but it is also true that the
salary paid is according to the amount
of business done at each dispensary.
From the fact that it gives few men
the appointment of a large number OF
men all over the State, there comes the
| unavoidable result that powerful poll
| teal machine is created, the head Of
which dictates the policy Of the State as
he pleases.
I'm attacking prohibition. ethe affrma-
! tive speakers have said that it is not a
| legitimate remedy, because it is uncon-
| stitutional, and infringes upon personal
| liberty What mas the United States
Supreme Court decided as to its eonsti-
| tutionality? In the case of Stone versus
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 view to their preservation and
cannot divest itself of the power to pro-
vide for them.
THE negative in their argument this
evening have shown: First, that the dis
pensary system is not a righteous sys
tenn, because the State degrades itself
by engaging in a traffic which IS detri-
mental to public health and public 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 substitute for the sa-
loon, it has failed to eliminate the evils
of the saloon
Fourth, that it forms powerful po-
litical machine which is the inevitable re-
suit of State control.
Fifth, that prohibition is legitimate
remedy; it is constitutional as decided by
the United States Supreme Court, and 1t
does not unlawfully restrict personal Il
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"
GOOD ADVICE
The most miserable things in the