Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-09-06
"A. F. AAsEL GIVES his VIEWS.
Opposed to System OF tho State Dispensary.
Favors Local County Option.


Hon. NJ. f. Ansel, of Greenville, candi-
date for Governor. has given out the fol-
lowing as his views regarding the dis
pensary high license aud local option:
az have received many inquiries AS to
my views of the liqnOr question in South
Carolina, and the best way of dealing
with that all absorbing question, dispen-
sary, or no dispensary. and | take this
means of stating my position.
''In the frat place, | am opposed to
the system of State dispcnsary. Ionce
thought it was the best solution of the
liquor question, because thought it
would minimize aud decrease the sale of
liquors in this State, but when we con-
lars worth of whiskey has been sold by
the various dispensaries of the State in
the past year, my hopes have been dis
appointed, and it appears to mo that
some other method should be adopted.
'In the second place am in favor of
local county option as between prohibi-
tion and county dispensaries; that is, L
am in favor of any county in the State
voting upon the question as to whether
they wish prohibition for that county, or
whether they wish county dispensaries
If majority of the qualified voters Of
the county desire prohibition for that
particular county, then | aT one who
believes that they should have it, and
further believe that the good people Of
such county will see to it that the pro-
hibition law is enforced.
"If the vote Of any county should be
I'm favor of the sale of liquor in that par.
ticular county then favor law provid-
ing for county dispensary, with a
board of control of three members, to be
appointed by the Governor of the State,
which county board shall have control of
the purchase of liquors for the county
dispensaries, the appointment of dispen-
sers, fixing their salaries, etc., all sales
TO be made under the rules and regula-
tions of the present dispensary law, with
such other and further restrictions as
may be thought wise by the Legislature.
81 am opposed to beer disponsaries, as
think that beer, when sold at all,
should be sold in the regular county dis
pensaries.
~ favor stringent law against the
unlawful sale of liquor. My experience
of twelve years as one of the Solicitors Of
this State, has convinced mo that what
ever system may be adopted, that unlaw-
full sales will be made by some. 1t is,
therefore, necessary that stringent laws
should be passed to punish the "blind
tiger" those who sell unlawfully.
Make it the duty of all sheriffs,
deputy sheriffs, magistrates, constables,
policemen and town marshals to see that
the law against the unlawful sale of
liquor is rigidly enforced in their coun-
ties, cities and towns, aud it might be
well to give them half of tho fines that
are collected from those convicted
through the agency of such officers of
the offense of unlawful sales, transpor-
tation or making of whiskey.
"The county board of control should
loe required to make report to the pre-
siding judge at each term of the court of
general sessions for their respective
counties, showing the purchases made,
the amount of sales by the county dis
pensaries, and of all their acts as such
county board of control, and should be
liable criminally for any violation of the
law, rules and regulations of the dispen-
sary law.
81 am opposed to the high license sys-
tenn. 1t is too near the old bar room sys-
tenn and would not decrease the sales of
liquor, whatever the restrictions might
be, but would increase them. The man
who pays the high license would want to
make all the profits he could, and hence
the more sales the more profits.
Personally would like to see no liquor
sold in tnis State as a beverage, but it is
a conGltion which confronts us, and the
queItion is how best to deal with that
Gondition. There is no law that can be
passed that will keep some people from
drinking liquor, still l believe it to be
the duty of the State to pass such laws
as will minimize the use of liquor as
much as possible.
This is brief outline of my views
upon the liquor question.
Martin f. Anse.
'Grcenville, S. c., August 25, 1905"