The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-07-28

tied by law In Marlboro they have
had prohibition !or mann years. and
il has obtained in Greenwood coun-
~ since the establishment OF the coun-
~. In Cherokee and Picke1ls, the
di>pensarv was voted out recently
under the provisions OF the Brlce law.
In eighteen counties OF the State
elections have been ordered. or petl-
tons are being circulated asking tor
an election to remove the dispenSary.
Those counties are Marion. Saluda,
Newberry. Edgefield. Horny. Ander-
son, Chesterfield, Union, Colleton,
York. Lancaster. Williamsburg. Ocon-
&c. Spartanburg. Florence, Darling
ton, Lexington. Laurens. In several
oi these counties according to these
reports. the chances OF success seem
to be on the side OF the prohibition
lists or -dispensary people. In
some OF these counties no agitation
has been starred. and no discussions
have been had but it seems the >enti-
mcnt is against the dispensary.
In twelve counties there has been
no movement and no agitation to
vote out the dispensary. but the scntl-
men: seems TO be undoubtedly in its
favor. These counties are George
town. Sumter. Beaufort, Richland,
| Charleston. Bamberg. Orangeburg,
Barnwell. Abbeville. kersllaW. Lee,
and Berkeley. 1t will be noticed
! that in this group are some OF the
counties that were most bitter against
! the dispensarv when it was establish
ed. as we'll as against the Illlman
movement. The old factional lines.
however. seem to have been wiped
out. certainly so far as the dispensary
system is concerned. and in Richland
where the Columbia State is publish
ed. and in Charleston where the News
and Courier is published. it seems thar
these counties are satisfied with the
/ dispensary system, though the State
and the News and Courier are both
opposing it. The explanation OF this
is probably in the facr that the reve-
nue to the cities and counties is very
large, and the counties and cities need
the revenue to help run the govern
ment. In addition to this. especially
in the city OF Charleston, the blind
tigers supply the wants OF those who
desire to secure their whiskey and
beer in the old fashioned way.
1t is highly probable that in most
OF the counties where elections have
| been ordered. or where petitions are
being circulated, that when it comes
to vote. the vote will be against the
dispensary, and in our Judgment,
tits is due largely to two things.
First, that it is. in the minds Of the
people that there is something wrong
with the management OF the state dis
pensary somewhere, and that there is
too much graft somewhere, and
whether it is true or not, and whether
or not it can be proven, it is in the
minds of the people all the same.
Second, whether true or not, the 'peo-
pie say that the dispensary is furn-
ishing a very inferior grade of whis-
key. We do not know as to these
two things, but if the dispensaries are
voted out in many of these counties,
these two things will be the ruling
cause, and they are not going to
wait on the report Of the investigating
committee appointed at the last legis-
lature. Ii it should be voted out in
all but fourteen counties it is probable
that the state institution will not have
enough patronage 70 support it. and
We will have no Use ior the big bot
ting plant and the millions OF litho~
graph labels. which are said to have
been bought lately.
The truth OF the matter. what
should be done, is to wipe out the
state diSpensary and the state con-
stabulary, and let each county regu-
la;e the sale OF whiskey under the