The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-08-16

in the position Of barkeeper, and
lowers it's standard Of right and NOR
ality to the level of the barkceper. IN
the earlier history of the institution its
creator actually had placed on every
bottle Of whiskey sold palmetto tree,
and this advertised to the world the
infamy of State as barkeeper. In
this country some of the States by
reputation have brought upon their
people the ipfamy of dishonesty, but
this infamy is not everlasting, as it is
possible for it to be wiped out by fu-
ture honesty. SOUTH Carolina will 90
| down in history as the barkceping
State of this union, as the debaucher
OF its own citizens and the infamy
thus brought upon her will be ever
lasting, as no future condonation can
restore dcbauched and degraded citi.
zcnship. We are accustomed to abuse
the whiskey seller as one who puts the
bottle to the mouth Of his fellow man
| and thus seduce him to drink to in.
toxication and degrade himself. What
| difference is there when the State does
the same thing. The idea of a State
by it's offered allurements willfully de-
basing it's own citizens by giving them
drink and making them drunkards is
abhorrent to the thinking, virtuous, pa.
triotic citizen, and yet thisis what
the State ia doing and has been doing
for years, through the dispensary law.
A State in the American union, COM
ponent part of one of the greatest gov
ernments on earth, should preserve its
dignity and have some regard for the
good name of the United States.
Has South Carolina done this? She
enjoys today the unenviable distinc-
tion of being head barkeeper for her
own citizens and of thus lowering the
dignity and character of one of the
sovereign States of the union. Is it
not time for her to retrace her steps?
The repeal of the dispensary law will
not entirely remove the obloquy which
has been brought upon it, but it will
show to the world that the State has
rcpented Of her folly and will in the
future maintain her dignity as a
State.
Third. I am opposed to the dispcn-
sary law because Of it's demoralizing
effects in making whiskey selling,
whiskey drinking and drunkenness
reputable. 1t was claimed that the
main object of the dispensary law was
to manage the evil of whiskey drink
ing and drunkenness. Has it accom-
plished this object? The effect of
whiskey drinking can generally be
measured by the amount OF crime Il.
produces. It is an established fact
that since the dispensary law was
passed there has been gradual in
crease Of crime in the State. This
gradual increase Of crime may be safe
ly attributed to the increase Of the sale
of whiskey, for it is fact that there
is more whiskey sold in the State to-
day than ever was before through the
dispensary and blind tigers. What
has the State done for the last few
years? Instead Of discouraging the
sale Of whiskey it has encouraged it
by offering for sale cheaper and better
whiskey, aud by forcing dispensaries
in prohibition counties to make it
easily obtainable by all. Dispensers
who sell the most whiskey are com.
mended, while chose who are not so
diligent are soon displaced. The dis.
pensaries are filled with captivating
drinks Of all kinds to entioe persons
to buy. What q spectacle for the
State to debauoh its citizens with whis-
key and thus 70 encourage them to
commit crime, and then prosecute
them in the courts and send them to
the penitentiary for crimes commit.
ted under the influence of the whiskey
upon which the State has pockesed
the profits. And yet there are good
people in the State who arc pleased to
call the dispenssry moral institution.
l have no hesitation in asserting that
the dispensary system has been more
demoralizing in South Carolina than
the old barroom system.
Fourth. / am opposed to the system
because of the oorrption in it. Cor.
ruption is Inherent in any system like
the dispensary, it is necessarily an
incident to its administration. The
only way that it can be prevented is
to destroy the system. It can never
be eliminated by any legislature, or
the most honest and rigid investiga-
tors. IF man associates with whis-
key every day, and lives in the atmos.