The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-07-05
DlSPENSARY ARRAIGNED.


Marion, June 23.-Ipon his return
TO his home here today, after having
been out of town for several days on
account Of illness in his family, Ecv.
Mr.. Louis j. Bristow, az secretary OF
the recent prohibition conference held
in Columbia, gave the press the adj
dress Of the rrohibilionis,s to the
people of the State. The appeal is as
follows:
To the People Of South Carolina:
The prevailing condition brought
about by the sale of intoxicating
liquors through the State agencies
and otherwise is such as to demand
the attention Of even sthc most
thoughtless, and we have endured the
evils arising out Of the liquor traffic
until we feel the necessity for deter
mined effort to remove the entire
liquor business. We therefore ap-
peal to all good citizens of the State
to join us upon the following
grounds:
The sale Of liquors for beverage pur-
poses is not afunction of government
The State cannot enter into any com
peting business with her citizens
The State has 10 better right to en-
gage in the sale Of liquors for profit
than she has to engage in cock fight
ing, in horse racing, in gambling, or
in setting up dens of infamy.
The evils arising out Of the liquor
business of the State are literally hor-
rible. 1t is generally admitted that
three.fourths of all crimes committed
by our people are directly due to the
drinking of liquor. Tho homicides
have increased in the State since tho
enactment Of the dispensary more
than 100 per cent, while crimes Of
all kinds have kept pace in proper
ton.
The dispensary system has incrcas-
ed it's sales of Intoxicating liquors
enormously every year, and last year
it consumed $4,000, ,000-the equal Of
100000 bales of cotton--of the com
mon stock of the State, and put back
ii it's stead mere p;::sEce in educa-
tion, while it poured into the State
millions upon millions of its own evil
products.
The men employed to conduct the
liquor business Of the State must
necessarily be of low moral concep-
tions. Before a man can get his own
consent to serve in the business he
must put the money he is to receive
for such service into one side of the
scales and into the other he must put
the sorrow and shame, the poverty
and crime, disease and death he is to
be instrumental in bringing into the
homes of the people. If with him
the money outweighs and he strikes
the bargain, it is because of his moral
obliquity. Hence the dispensary can
be conducted only by the weaker mem.
bers Of the human race, and is open to
all kinds Of crime as is evidenced by
the large number Of dispensers who
have come short ii their accounts,
and the general charges Of corrup-
tion, from top to bottom, which have
become the common talk of the whole
State.
The interest and excitement mani
Tested when it comes to the election
OF member of the liquor board by
the legislature indicates that the free
distribution Of samples" has had the
usual effect, and it is commonly ao-
cepted as true that members of the
liquor board WELD more influence in
legislative matters than any like num-
Der Of members ef the Legislature.
This, in all probability, accounts for
the fact that enough South Carolin.
ians were found in the legislature to
vote the passage Of law which allows
the establishment Of dispensary by
the vote of q bare majority of those
in favor Of liquor selling, while it de-
manded, in addition to majority vote
of sober, God-fearing men, a tax Of
thousands Of dollars laid upon them
selves to get rid of dispensary.
The constant violations Of the dis
pensary law by those whose duty it is
to enforce the law is rapidly carrying
our people into utter disregard Of all
law The restrictive features Of the
dispensary law have we'll nigh been