The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-25
Southeast Alabama's
 Chain of Dispensaries

The dispensary system tranaplanted from South Carolina has found a fruit xul and congenial soil in Southeast Alabama. It has grown so strong and So widespread that without a general State law that entire section of Alaba- ma is as much under the system, to the exclusion of the saloons in some towns and to the wiping out of prohibition in others as Is the state of Ben Tiliman,
 In truth Southeast Alabama is the Of the State notably in the mining dis tricts of Jefferson. Walker. Tuscaloosa, and Bibb Counties, but it's true and original home in Alabama is in the wlregrass.
 Prominent citizens of Dothan avail cd themselves of the South Carolina idea as far back as January 1, 1899 and in that year they succeeded in estab- fishing the first dispensary in Alabama. The D0than dispensary is therefore a Title more than eight years old. In clear profits this dispensary last year made over S14.000. The year was finan- eially a disappointment for the board of managerg of the dispensary, for during thn previous year the clean and clear profitA of the same dispensary reached tho huge total of S17.5oo. That big amount was left in the bank to be paid out in the uDbuiiding of the public school system.
 The figures are given merely as an indication of the way money is made out of the plain unostentatlous little building which houses the dispensary.
 A dispensary is merely the assump- ton by the city. county or State of the s-riskey tranic to the exclusion of all p-iQa, aealers. It is signal instance G. r aoF nd the only instance of rn ppp2}y s1t aat found favor In the ,s.1 t- sa-Ssgf fAa 4yg >.n is opular. EaP fe 4Ets. ESstAa1o-i ]. favor it sad azapG ag 5t Sac be no doSal q sse aves n 1f the Ges nd the prophecy Islag ha aer.area aat the next State 1sSS si&l-.e wiiI .gely ex- tend the system anS pot sia ensaries in towns where there are. t ne, even as the last Legislature did.
 A State dispensary law. similar to that of South Carolina failed before the Legislature two years ago. It was brought to the lawmakers with rath. !. or strong backing for the new move ment. Frank S Moody, of Tuscaloosa, led the fight for 1t and before the bllI Pnd It's accompanying petitions were brought before the Legislature a speaking campaign was carried on in various towns of Alabama. The dIspen- sary agitators brought their biIi in Hopefully. but the temperance commit tee 0k Lne Eouse tnrotCte0 the life out of it. Viewing the remains of their slain infant the dispensary agitators vowed that they would go forth and with word and tongue set Alabama aflre for q State dispensary system They would, they declared, so sweep the State. that the next Legislature would be enthusiastically for a stats diepensary law.
 There seemed to be something wrong in their plans. however. The dispensa- ry crusade has not yet been inaugurat- ed. No Peter the Hermit has appeared in Alabama preaching the dispensary as a riddance of the evils that many people find in the whiskey trafac. Those who were interested in the movement. however. assure all enquir- ing ones that at the proper time the or. ators and the spellbinders win 20 forth and that 1t is their opinion the great issue in the next campaign will be State dispensary or anti-State dispen- sary. The practical politicians and those informed on Alabama affairs do not share this opinion.
 The impressions here recorded are those which came from enthusiastic advocates of the dispensary. In spread. Ing them out for the perusal of whoev-