Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-12-15
The pi.pen.ary Liquor systsm.

about the Kansas prohi0itory 10" anu
the frequent suggestions thata state
dispensary system be substituted for
Ii, much interest attaches to the re-
suit Of South Cardinals experiment
with that plan. After ~ years OF trial
Il seems to be as much under attack
as at any time since the first days OF
the states adoption Of that unique
method OF handling the liquor traffic
On election day Cherokee county,
which lies in the region where the
system was believed to be mosh pop
ular, awaited itself of the provisions
Of the Brice law and voted against the
dispsnsaries by an overwhelming ma
iority. Out Of 2,4O0 voters, 1900
had :petitioned for this referendum
and the returns from the cleo
tions show majority Of about 6 to l
against the dispensary. While Cher
okee county is but small corner OF
the state, the election there has been
given great Importance elsewhere BY
reason Of the fact that before election
Senator Tillman, the father Of the
system, was induced to come down
and speak in its defense.
The state sale Of liquor, 1t will be
remem bered, was adopted as an alter
native to prohibition rather than a
general license system. As in the
other southern states, theN sentiment
is strongly against the unrestricted
sale OF liquor. The enforcement OF
the law in its first years, under Till
mans governorship, was marked by
constant friction between citizens and
state deputies, actual conflicts in
many cases, and sometimes even
bloodshed. Then came the federal
decisions confirming the right OF
every citizen to import liquors in the
original packages for his own USE
The novelty wore off, and the dispen-
sary became SO far an accepted insti-
tuition in the state as to be recognized
in its constitution. A northern in
vestigator, writing for The Outlook
in 1897, reported that generally oPpo'
sition to the system as such had given
place to suggestions for its improve
meut. Illicit selling, he said' made
trouble chiefly in the city Of Charles
ton and in the rural counties along
the North Carolina line. Cherokee is
one OF these. Since then the law has
been tinkered with by.one legislature
after another. The enemies Of the
scheme among the liquor Dealers
mean awhile, seem to have heen under~
mining its workings rather than OPEN
ly seeking its repeal.
Senator Tillman is by nature out
spoken, and his speech at Gaffney,
which the state press received as the
most important contribution in many
years to the dlspensary question, was
o frank recognition Of the evils in the
present workings Of the law. "lf the
dispensary law cannot be lifted out OF
the fog of suspicion which hangs over
lit" he said, al am for killing it,"
And the way, he thought, was simply
to return to some of the features
which characterized the law when 1t
first went into effect, bat have since
been abandoned. He would have. in
the first place, board Of control
elected by the people. Beer dispen'
saries should be eliminated entirely
/ from the system. ANU nn"i'y' "0
would have all liquor bought direct
from the distillers or brewers. and
bottled by the state itself under Its
own label.
Under Til.msn's own administra'
ton the dispensaries supplied four
grades Of whisky, sold only in SsPe'
clal bottle stamped with the palmetto
tree. This was changed through
pressure from several quarters. A
large class Of people objected to see
ing the emblem Of their common
wealth on a whisky flask, many Gus
TONERS had preferences Of their own
for some particular brand Of liquor
aud the makers reinforced this BY de-
manding that they should all have Q
chance for the trade. Now there are
perhaps fifty brands of whisky sold al