The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-08-24
JN0. |. M'LAURIN'S VIEWS.
CHARGES ALL WRONG DOING IN STATE
TO THE DlSPENSARY.
Decadence, Morally and Politically, Due to the
System, Says the Former United
States Senator

States Senator.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16.-Ex-Senator
John L. McLaurin was here today and
was seen at the Raleigh hotel. Discuss
ing matters in South Carolina, he said:
"This an off year in State politics and
the national election is three years off, so,
in certain sense, there are no politics in
South Carolina, yet in certain way the
forces are lining themselves up for what
will be probably the fercest political con-
test that has occurred since 1890.
"In 1890 we had contest in the State
under the farmers movement, as result
of which Tillman was made governor of
the State. There has always been a
strong temperance sentiment in South
Carolina, especially in the upper part of
the State. The county in which I live
has been prohibition for sixty years ex-
cept for few years under carpet bag gov
ernment. This feeling got so strong af-
ter Tillman's election that the question
of prohibition was submitted to the peo-
pie under the primary system and the
verdict at the ballot box was overwhelm-
ingly for prohibition. Instead of passing
prohibition law, as decided by vote of
the people, they passed what is known as
the disrensary law. This provides fol-
the State handling all liquor, buying and
selling through the official agents of the
State. The opponents of the system have
charged from the beginning that the sys-
tenn was corrupt, and its friends have at
last been forced to admit that this is true.
I do not think the mere fact of corruption
is sufficient to stamp the system as fail
ure, but, in my opinion, its defects are in.
herent. The system of government un.
der which We live has no place in it for
the dispensary. For sovereign State to
engage in any business for profit is
wrong, and when you do this you open the
way for all kinds of abuses. think can
I point to one thing which illustrates my
meaning. In 1890, when Governor Till
man was elected, he made charges against
the judiciary and charges of 'incipient
rottenness' against almost every branch
of the State government. When he took
charge he confidently expected that short
ages in the State and county Offices would
be found. This was not the case, for
whatever might be said about the admin
istration prior to 1890, the facts show
that the government was honestly admin
istered and no corruption of any kind
was found in the State. Since 1890 we
have had scandal in the penitentiary, Of
fcers getting supplies of all kinds from
the penitentiary, while today in about
one-fourth of the counties in the State,
investigations are pending, showing
shortages in accounts of from few hun
dred to 100000, while an investigating
committee is running around over the
State unearthing irregularities in the dis
pensary, the existence of which is tacitly
admitted. I attribute this decadence in
moral and political affairs chiefly to the
demoralizjng effect of the State engaging
in the liquor business. I do not believe
that anything short of taking the State
out of the whiskey business will purify
the atmosphere. I hope that the fight
will be made squarely upon the issue
without regard to the personal or politi-
cal fortunes of any man."