The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-06-13
THE DISPENSARY SIDE.
z Card From State Senator Cole. L.
Blease to the People Of
Newberry County.

In view of the fact that the effort
is being made to vote out the dispen-
sary system in Newberry county,
take this opportunity OF presenting to
you some facts in regard to said law.
It has been charged frequently that
at the election in 1892 the people of
South Carolina voted for prohibition,
and that the prohibitionists asked for
a hsh and were given serpent. This
statement is not true At the session
Of the legislature Of 1892 the prct;bi-
tionists made a strong fight for the
Childs bill, which was passed by
good, safe majority through the house
OF representatives. When it reached
the senate Ex-Governor Evans, then
senator Smoved to strike out the
Childs bill and insert the dispensary
law as an amendment. That was pass
ed by the senate and returned to the
house OF representatives. The prohi-
bition leaders, notably MI. S. A. Net
ties, who is now a Methodist minis
ter, and who had been making stren-
uous fight for the Childs bill, arose in
his seat and begged the prohibition
members, whose leader he was, 10
vote for the senate amendment, which
was the dispensary law. Now, if the
prohibitlonists were strong enough in
the house to pass the bill. were they
not strong enough to have defeated
the dispensary amendment? Certain
ly they could have done so if they
had combined with the anti-proflibi-
tionists, who did ask them to help
them kill the dispensary amendment.
You see, therefore, that the prohibi-
tiou majority IS responsible for the
passage fthis law, and not the anti
prohibitionists.
You all remember the old bar
room system, with all of its evils,
which are so numerous that I need
not mention them. You also remeln.
Der that when the courts closed the
dispensaries for the time being, what
the condition of affairs was from orig
inal package houses and blind tigers.
Do you wish to return to either of
these systems? The dispensary law
provides that no whiskey shall be sold
between sunset and sunrise; no WINS
key shall be drunk on the premises;
no whiskey shall be sold to minor or
habitual drunkard: no person shall be
allowed to purchase whiskey but once
in day; no whiskey shall be sold ON
credit: no whiskey shall be sold in
less quantity than one7half of one
pint; and no man pays cent to keep
up the dispensary except the man who
buys the whiskey. A revenue is re-
ceived from the sale and is divided be-
tween the town and county. For the
year ending November 80. 1904. the
net profit of the state dispensary,
placed to the credit of the school fund,
was SI7I,377.73. In our own county,
Newberry, we received SI3,5o4IS
From our county dispensaries the
county received last year $1,000 and
the town received $1,000.
Now, if the dispensary law should
be voted out, it would necessitate
the raising of the tax levy from two
and one-half to four and one-half OF
five mills In addition to this, the
schools throughout the entire county
would be materially injured. We all
know that schools which used to rum
three and four months are now run
ming six and seven months: that the
teachers are receiving higher salaries;
that the school houses are being i'm
proved, and that new equipment, such
as desks: maps. etc, are being added;
and surplus yet remains T5 the
credit of the schools.
1t has been said that it was sin
for the state to receive this money
from the sale of whiskey. Which is,
the greater sin. for the state to sell
the whiskey and receive the profits,
or to sell license for the sale of
whiskey and to receive the license
n1nev2 Is II more evil to sell u.his.