Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-08
ANTI.pIsPENsARY MEETING.

were satisfactorily demonstrated at
the mass meeting in the court house
yes: erday. In all there were present
more than four hundred people, rep
resentihg all classes and conditions,
and they were from every township In
the county except perhaps Fort Mil.
The principal object Of the meeting
was to determine the strength OF ex-
listing sentiment, and from that stand
point Il was a success. All the speech
es were one way, and II the dispensa-
ry machine had any friends present
those friends kept their own counsel,
for 1t was quite evident that they
would have gotten but little sympathy.
The meeting was organized by the
election of Mr.. w. w. Boyce Of Rock
Hill as chairman, and Mr.. w. d. Grist
OF Yorkvil!e as secretary, after which
Senator Brice delivered brief speech
In which he reviewed the origin Of the
dIspensary law and hurriedly traced
the corruption 1t has developed.
Among other things Senator Brice
reminded the meeting that the voters
of South Carolina had said by an over
whelming majority that they wanted
prohibition. The lower house OF the
general assembly passed prohibition
law. At that time, there was In the
governors chair a man who had arro-
gated to himself all the legislative, ex-
ecutiye and judicial functions OF
the government. He had almost abb
solute power. This man announced
that prohibition was impractical and
that the people were not ready for II.
AS a result of a conference with two
of his lieutenants, the then senator
from Aiken, and the then editor Of the
Columbia Register, Larry CAN'T, he
evolved In his office what Is known as
the dispensary law and had 1t substi-
tuted In the senate for the prohibition
bill that had passed the house.
The dispensary law was represented
to us as a step toward prohibition.
We were told that although the sale
of liquor could not be prohibited 1t
could be restricted and this law would
tend to that end. 1t would give us
chemically pure liquor, do away with
the influence Of the saloon, and give
us a profit, that would do away with
the necessity for direct tax levy. i
admit that I was deceived by the
promises that were held out. The ar
guments seemed reasonable. and / was
disposed to give the proposition my
support. Good men all over the state.
suaded to place their confidence In the
promises.
But how has II turned out? Then
we had $150,000.000 worth Of property,
and our tax levy was 5 mills on the
dollar. Now we have over 100000, 900
of property and our tax levy has been
increased to 81 mills, with an annual
deficit growing In the meantime. In
stead Of our taxes being reduced they
have been increased.
They claim that this dispensary
system brings a revenue to York coun-
ty, for instance. We have to send
down to Columbia $4,000 in order to
get back $1,000. leaving US absolutely
out $4,000 a year.
We are told that this Is a restrictive
measure: that no liquor Is sold In the
night time and none drunk on the
premises. Go down to Columbia or
Charleston and you will find that you
can buy whisky at any time, by the
drink or otherwise and drink II where
you will. They have introduced a
subterfuge known as the "hotel priv
ilege" and which is nothing more nor
less than the old saloon, just as 1t
was.
1t has developed that all the alleg-
ed restrictions to the liquor business
were intended to make the traffic
more respectable rather than to cur
tail 1t. Tillman Is saying that he will
never advocate a return to the saloon
system. I say that his dispensary
gives US saloons, dispensaries and
blind tigers without number. It Is
worse than open bars ever were.
Again, We now hear Tillman claim
ing that he is not responsible for the
dispensary, that the legislature Is re-
sponsible for 1t. Don't we all know
better than this? Don't we know that
Tillman made the legislature do what
1t did and that at that time 1t would
not have dared go against his wishes.
Adam also might have claimed that
although he did introduce sin into the
world, he was not responsible for the
terrible incident evils. But just as
Adam was responsible, Tillman is
even more responsible for the corrup-
ton and bloodshed that have been so
connected with the dispen-
sary.
Why should we longer regard what
this man says, this man who bias
phemes the Bible and Christianity by
claiming that for every verse that we
can point out in the Scriptures against
liquor he can point out two in favor
of 1t. Such a proposition Is an insult
to the intelligence Of those who be-
lieve in the Bible and Christianity.
This man Tillman does not pretend to
regard either.
AS to how much graft there Is In
with this dispensary will
not pretend to say. / don't know.
But 1 do know this. Since my con-
nection with the finance committee OF
the senate, there have been applications
for increases Of salary from nearly
every officer in the state, down to cor
oner, with the exception Of those con-
nected with the dispensary. The dis
pensary started out originally With
only 100000 borrowed, and Its bus
mess has developed to more than
5000, 900 a year. The members OF
the board of control started out with
a. salary of only s400, and notwith-
standing the tremendous increase In
the business they are satisfied with
that pittance yet. Ordinarily when
business becomes more prosperous
and the labor increases those who
have charge Of 1t want more pay
That these people connected with the
dispensary should be content with
such small salaries seems more than
passing strange.
Tho disnensary has built I'D q great