The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-02-01
CHARLESTON FOR HIeA LICENSE.
KEEN INTEREST IN MORGAN
BILL BEFORE LEGISLATURE.
Tiger Element Worried-"Social Club
People, Too, Look With Concern
Upon Measure. Which. if Pass
ed Will Surely Affect Them.

| Upon Measure. winch. IL PaSS-
ed Will Surely Affect Them.
The Introduction of the Morgan bill
in the legislature providing for abol-
ishment Of the dispensary and substi-
tuition of high license system, was
much discussed today, especially in
the blind tiger and socalled social
club circles and much interest is
manifested in the action Of the body
upon the measure.
The bill was published in its entire
ty in The Evening Post Of yesterday
and it was generally read, especially
in circles most interested in the liq-
uor traffic. The people in Charleston
have been especially desirous Of the
cense depending upon the interests ef-
fected ever since the breaking up Of
the system and the substitution Of the
dispensary. A license system suits the
needs and ways Of a city, and espec-
tally Charleston, better than any 9TH
er, but there seems to be some ques-
| ton of the effect Of the restrictions, to
be paced upon the business, under the
| Morgan bill, although many people
welcome the bill, looking upon it as
the wedge which will finally break up
the dispensary and trusting to later
amendments which will make the sys-
tenn better suited to their purposes
and the needs Of city life.
The opinion is held however that
the Morgan bill will not pass and there
| is no likelihood Of disrupting the sys-
tenn for sometime to come. The profit
| feature commends the law in the eyes
Of some people, especially those COM
munities which may get more money
out of the dispensary than they
ever got out Of the license system and
with regard to reduction Of taxes, they
would prefer the continuance of the
dispensary, although at heart opposed
to the measure. This feeling prevails
to some extent in Charleston, and
notwithstanding the general cry
against the dispensary, Under Mayor
Rhett's vigorous enforcement Of the
dispensary ordinances, jerking up
the violators from time to time and
severely taxing them with fines for the
operation of the contraband, an in
come is being derived from the law
which added to the city share of the
profits of the dispensary was not ex-
ceeded in the former days Of the Ii
cense system. 1t is certain that with
the restrictions in the sale Of liquor
in the Morgan bill, requiring tax Of
three thousand to be paid into the
state treasury, the limit on the num-
Der Of places, it is not likely that the
city of Chareston, or any other muni-
cipality in the state could begin to de-
rive the revenue which is now af-
forded under existing conditions.
Among the blind tiger people them
selves, there is a disposition toward
letting matters alone. The blind tigers
do not take kindly to the high license
and the restrictions to be fixed by the
| Morgan bill. AS the matter stands
now, all who want to essay the viola
ton of the law can do so, paying the
penalty, which does not amount to a
prohibition. With the privilege of liq-
uor selling held by a few parties, pay
ing the heavy costs and determined to
expose and convict all who do not
comply with the law, the smaller deal
ers, especially the corner shops, see
their liquor business will be knocked
out.
With selfish interests Of one class
tolerating the dispensary as revenue
measure for the reduction Of taxes,
and the others favoring for the oppor-
tunities which are given to conduct an
unlawful business, and then, the gen.
eral political and personal hold which
the dispensary has in South Carolina,
a hold which never has recently been
considerably shaken, it is not proba-
BILE, in the opinion Of people generally
that the Morgan bill is now likely to
pass. or in fact that the dispensary
system will be broken up for some
tie.l. that there are seeral Of the emit
time.-Charleston Post.