The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-08-25
HOW TO FIX ii.
Senator Tillrian Points Out the
Weak Points Of the
STATE DISPEMSARY

AS It Is Now Operated and Suggest q
Plan of Making 1t an Institution
Without Graft, If the Grand
Jurles Will Make Officials
Do Their Duty.
Mr.. James A. Hoyt, Jr., says In
The State that Senator Tillman wept
to Anderson with the expectation Of
making a speech In which he should
outline his Views on the dispensary
and give his remedies for the cankel
now eating out the life Of. that insti.
tuition. He had gone to the unusual
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 were such that
he was pre- vented from delivering his
speech In full, though it must be said,
In juhtiCe to Senator Tillman, that
had 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, bad he had the opportunity,
might not have stuck close to his
n1c pIlcprint 90 lo TO ,,nt ,n,,,t>.a-l
TO speaking that way, and the little
OF IT which 10 Gid read vas interpo.
lated with side remarks as they would
rep into his head. But his prepared
speech IL OF interest and is given N
full as follows:
l think the facts will warrant me
In claiming that / know as much or
more about the diSpensary and about
the liquor traffic in general than any
ether n man In the State. The law
was enacted in December, 1892, and
went into effect 1at Of July following.
During this interval l examined most
thoroughly into the whole question
and gave the administration of the
proposed system the most earnest
Thought. EVERYBODY predicted failure
ana l was most anxious that the ex'
pertinent should succeed. For a year
aud a half l administered the law
almost alone, and L therefore had the
fullest opportunity, both by observa.
ton and experience, to find out It's
good and bad points, aud above all,
It's WEAKNESS.
The original draft and much that is
still In Tie law MAS the work Of the
ptoh1pitioh committee, and only sucn
changes were made in the bin as II
passed the liouSe as was evidently he.
cessary for The changed purpose &C
which the law ~ TO bedevotcd. AT
n next session Of tie Legislature m,
Efforts were devoted entirely t(
strengthening tile statute so as t.
prevent and punish the illicit sale 0
liquor. l gave 10 thought to safe
guarding the State against fraud II
Its ADMINISTRATION except in the rule,
and regulations, because L did no,
not then believe, Il | Go not nov
believe, that tile State OF South Caro-
lima could elect three non to TIL,
highest responsible LtllccS Of Cover
nor, Comptroller Genetal and Attor
ney General who would fan so low a.
to become thieves. During the /.
years that the system has been or
Trial Tie law has been changed tim,
n time again. But my opinion AM
advice have had no weight. The frs
bad biunder was taking the law out o
the hanos Of men elected by the pe0
pie and putting 1t into the hands OF
board elected by the Legislature. Th,
next mistake was taking The appoint
ment CT the county board cut Of tn,
hands OF the State board, and givip.
1T to the delegation in the LEGISLATURE,
nom each county. The Slate buar(
Is no longer dilcctly responsible to tn,
people, and there is no way to get a
IL unless the Governor should exercis,
his implied power OF removal, Tht
county board is 40 longer responsible
to the State board, because it doe.
not depend upon that board for ap
polntment and il not responsible t.
thaC BOARD, except lii 81 way, but look.
to he Legislative delegation. Temp
tationB that the Governor and Other
high State officials would have beer
expected TO withstand have, | fea,
proven too strong for the board,
elected by the Legislature. The adj.
m~inisCration by tho State board has
been lax and altogether censurable
1t ha allowed some Of the NEST valu
BILE restrictive features CT the law t(
fall into disuSc-iiling out request
blanks, selling to minors, dtuukards
etc. There has been no executive
head with power to see that the law
was administered in good faith, and
the county boards have too often al.
lowed improper inilu noes, ncpotism
n other selfish motives to govern in
elcctlng dispensers. One OF the most
far reaching and destructive actions
OF the State board was the change in
the marner OF buying liquor from
that which was instituted in the be.
ginning, to wit, the purchase Of whis
Key to be sold under the brand and
name and in the package Of the seller.
The original scheme, which has The
sonndest reasons In good business
Judgment for itS Inauguration, pro
yided that no liquor, except bought
In barrels and bOl6lel a6 the dispGn,
sary and labelled X, Xxx, xxx,
XXXX, according to age and quality,
All OF tho bottles SOLD through tho
disponsary yer Of full measure anc
oil The Whiskey Of full proof, as deslE.
mated on the label, and all were scaled
tightly with the best scaling wax.
The prices were put Oh q card anc
hung III tile window, SO that there