The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-08-25
HOW TO FIX II.
Senator Tillman Points Out the
Weak Points OF the
STATE DISPENSARY

Plan of Making 1t an Institution
Without Graft, If the Grand
Jurles Will Make Officials
Do Their Duty.
Mr.. James a. Hoyt, Jr., says ii
The State that Senator Tillman wep'
to Anderson with the expectation O
making a speech In which he should
outline bis Views on the dispensary
II give his remedies for the canke]
now eating out the life Of. that insti
tuition. He had gone to the unusua
trouble Of writing out his speech
showing that he desired it published
and published in full, In order that
his views might have the widest pub,
licity. The conditions we're such that
he was pre- vented from delivering his
speech in full, though it must be said,
In juhtice to Senator Tillman, that
a he been ungcnerOus he could have
made his speech and had plenty Of
time to do 1t in, but he was very
careful not to intrude upon the rights
Of the other invited speakers, and
gave way to them, particularly to Mr..
Smith. the president Of the Cotton
Growers association. Senator Till.
man, had he had the opportunity,
might not have stuck close to his
manuscript. as lie Is not accustomed
to speaking that way, and the little
OF IT which he did read was interpo.
lated with side remarks as they would
Yep into his head. But his prepared
speech Is OF interest and is given in
full a. follows:
l think the facts will warrant ma
In claiming that l know as much or
more about the dlSpensary and about
the liquor traffic In general than any
other n man in the State. The law
was enacted in December, 1892, and
went into effect 1at OF July following.
During this interval | examined most
thoroughly into the whole question
and gave the administration of the
proposed system the most arrest
thought. EVERYBODY predicted failure
INK l was most anxious that the ex-
pertinent should succeed. For a wear
and q half L administered the law
almost alone, and l therefore had the
fullest opportunity, both BY observa.
zion and experience, to find out It's
good and bad points, and above all,
It's Weakness. :
The original draft and much~that is
SUN III the law WaS the work OF the
piohibition committee, and only sucn
hahEc were mace in the bin aS IL
passed the House as was evidently ne.
cehsary Ter The changed purpose to
winch the law was to bedcvoted. At
n next session Of tie Legislature my
Efforts were devoted entirely to
strengthening tile statute so as To
prevent and punish the illicit sale OF
liquor. ! gave lie thought to safe.
guarding the State against fraud In
lts administration except in the rules
anu regulations, because | did not
noG Then believe, ano l 90 not now
DeileYe, that the State OF South Caro-.
Ina could elect three men TO tile
highest responsible tnicc8 of Cover.
nor comptroller General and Attor-
e General who would fall so low as
to become thieves. During the u
years that the system has been on
Trial Tie law has been changed time
a Time again. But my opinion and
advlce nave had no weight. The first
Dad Diunder was taking the law out OF
n hanos Of men elected by the e
pie and putting 1t into the hands OF y
board elected by the Legislature. The
heXG mistake was taking The appoint.
menu Ct The county board out OF the
hands or h State board, and giving
IL TO The delegation in the Legislature
1fom each county. The Stale board
Is no longer directly responsible to the
people, al4d there Is no way to get at
10 unless the Governor Should exerciye
MS implied power OF removal. The
county board Is no longer responsible
TO the State board, because it does
NOT depend upon that board for an
polntment and is not responsible to
That board, except in q way, but looks
TO the Legislative delegation. Tenn
tations that the Governor and other
nigh State officials would have been
expected TO withstand have, | fear
proven TOO strong for the boards
elected by Tie Legislature. The adj.
mlnlstratlon by the State board has
been lax and altogether censurable.
IL has allowed some Of tho mcst valu.
able restrictive features OF the law to
1all INTO disuso--hlling out oue
blanks, selling TO minors, drunkards.
etc. There has been no
head with power to see that the law
was administered in good faith, and
the county boards have too often al
lowed improper influences, ncpotjsm
ana other selfish motives to govern in
elcctlng dispensers. One OF the most
far reaching and destructive actions
or the State board vas the change in
the manner Of buying liquor from
thai which was instituted in tho be.
ginning, TO wit, the purchase OF whis
key TO be sold under the brand and
name and III the package Of the seller.
Inc original scheme, which has the
soundest reasons In good business
Judgment for its inauguration, pro.
Vided that no liquor, except bought
IN barrels and boI0led a. the dispen-
sary and labelled X, Xxx, XXX,
NNHN, according toage and quality.
All OF tho bottlcs sold through the
disponsary wore Of tull measure and
all The whiskoy OF full proof, as desiE-
mated on til, label, and all were sealed
tightly With tic best scaling wax.
prices were put OH u card and
hung In the window, so that thcrc
could be no cheating CT the purchaser
by the QiSpenCGrS, Case pOOda woro