Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-06-06

Result of Attempt
Bus
CLEAR EXPOSITION o.
Rev. DR.. J. l.. Stokes Reviews
of South Carolina Sought
Business, Politicians Succ
Giving Their Quasi Approx
Their Judgment and consc
Rev. DR.. ]. L. Stokes preached quite
an interesting and comprehensive an
ti-dispensary sermon from his pulpit
i'm Trinity church last Sunday night
and because there is reason to be-
lieve that 1t will be read with Interest
1t Is printed In full as follows:
Psalms xciv. 20: SHALL the throne OF
iniquity have fellowship with thee
which frameth mischief by a law?"
This text may be called veritable
bombshell In the camp Of all the tim
orous, the time-servers, the smooth
preachers of "expediency." Men are
constantly saying, IF we cannot do
away with an evil, why. let us take
charge Of it-regulate it-bend 1t to
our own purposes" A daring pro-
gram truly; and one not necessarily
evil. But we need to be reminded OF
the danger of It; that In a handling
Of "edged tools" that we are playing
with fire." But above all we need to
be reminded Of the short step to real
participation in and responsibility for
the evil itself. We are agreed that
there Is sometimes room for expedi-
ency. But there Is expediency and ex-
pediency. There is expediency that Is
right, and expediency that Is wrong.
II expediency means that II we cannot
kill an evil outright we will be con-
tent for the time being to cripple and
hamper and load 1t down. all we'll and
good. But IL 1t means that we Will
give 1t a new lease Of life under our
fostering care-trusting that some-
how our fostering care" will restrain
and sanction it-why, In that case, all
Is not we'll and good. We may admin
ister even a bad law in the interest
of something better; but 1t Is another
thing to actually enact a bad law be-
cause, forsooth, we may esteem 1t
little better than the existing statute.
In the first case we have a right use
of expediency. In the second we nave
expediency In no right sense of that
word, but base surrender to the
forces Of evil. We are having EEL
lowship with the throne Of iniquity In
framing mischief by law"
This leads us naturally to speak OF
the Dispensary Law in South Carolina
L. And first, let US give a Bit OF
History. 1t Is very simple story.
The temperance sentiment had been
steadily growing in our state. Already
all of it's territory had been put under
prohibition. except the incorporated
cities and towns; and to these incor-
porated towns and cities was granted
the privilege of local option" 1t was
the best law on the liquor business
we have SO far had. But naturally we
desired still better things, and 30 In
1890 the Democratic party gave the
people the opportunity Of voting on
the question of state prohibition at the
primary election. Accordingly the
state went for prohibition by 10000
majority. It was then plainly the duty
Of the next legislature to enact a pro-
hibitory law. With this In view Mr..
S. A. Nettles, then a representative
from Clarendon county, introduced a
bill bearing his name. But now
came in the first instance Of Tillmans
baneful influence in politics. At his
suggestion-perhaps we might better
say dictation-the bill was so amend
ed as to give us the famous dispen-
sary.
1t was not, however, the dispensary
law as we have 1t today. At first II
conserved all of the good features OF
the local option situation. except that
the right to vote upon the establish
ment of a dispensary did not carry
with 1t the old right to vote upon It's
removal. This many Of us overlook
ed, unfortunately, at the time. Thls'
however though a serious defect In
the law, was Offset largely by the pro-
vision that only property holders
could vote upon the opening Of dis
pensary In any town.
This was the boasted best solution
of the liquor question" But 1t was
not long before a qualifying phrase
was appended to this oracular state
ment, and 1t became, "the best solu-
ton of the liquor question, with few
needed amendments" This was duly
followed by the amendments FORE
shadowed, but all In one direction, In
the direction Of the business expan-
sion of the institution, and the fas-
tening of 1t more and more securely
upon a long suffering people. l need
only mention the beer privileges and
the extension of the privilege of vot-
ing In a dispensary to the entire cleo
torate.
H. A Bit Of Analysis may we'll fol-
low this simple recital How STANDS
the case today? Has the dispensary
done us any good? Has 1t lessened
;he drink habit? Has 1t proven, In
deed, step towards prohibition?
Let us state a few facts in answer:
l. THE annual reports Of the board
of directors of the dispensary note
with graduation that the sales and
profits are constantly increasing
Sales for 1903 were $2,Sl7,sss.l7'
Sales for 1904, s3,S74.7S6.4S, increasing
over preceding year more than hall
a 'million!" 2. There will be no ques-
ton made that crime Is constantly IN
creasing in our state; and no fair
minded man will fail to see that the
dispensary Is responsible for the larg-
est part of it. 3. 1t has been a clear
financial loss to the people, costing
more than 1t has come to. So our
neighbors in Cherokee figured it out;