The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-07-04
After A Long Silence
TIlln1an Speaks Again
or coffee probably less so.

drinking to excess has caused as much
or more crime and misery than any
other one thing.
3rd. The PROPER policing and control
of the liquor traffic so as to minimise
it's abuses is one of the most perplex-
ing and troublesome questions with
which any government has to deal.
Men have never agreed as to any one
method being best and never will, and
there is a constant agitation of the
subject in some form going On all
the while in almost every state in the
Union.
4th. Experience shows that some
men will have liquor as beverage
and that no law has ever yet been de-
vised which will prevent them obtain
ing it. Wise men are therefore con-
tent to reduce the evils OF liquor
selling and liquor drinking to the
minimum and the question at issue in
South Carolina now as it has been
these fifteen or twenty years past, is
how to do this.
There is no need for any heat or
passion in discussing the subject and
we should divest ourselves of all preju-
dice in it's consideration. Three poll
cies have at one time or another been
adopted in dealing with the question.
License. high or low. prohibition and
the dispensary system. Since 1893 the
last named has been the method fol-
lowed in this state but ali along there
have been staunch advocates OF the
other two systems embracing within
their ranks many of the most intelll-
gent and best people we have. 1t is
therefore eminently proper that we
recognize these earnest, honest advo
Gates as having just what we claim for
ourselves, no other purpose than that
Ol lHS pIOllS WClld1S. -Ailo liloSS oA
us who have been the supporters OF
the dispensary system must meet
them in argument and show from the
experiences through which the peo-
pie OF the state have passed as we'll
as with force and logic that the ad-
yOcates of both prohibition and high
license are in error.
You ask Have you lost faith in the
dispensary system and do you con-
slider it so inherently defective that
it can not be purged Of corruption
and made to serve its original pur-
pose?" | answer most emphatlcally
No. | believe the principle of state
control and the sale of liquor through
bonded officers to be the best that was
ever devised, that it comes nearer to
the ideal idea of teaching men to use
liquor instead of abusing it. and
throwing around its sale safeguards
which will be the best for the cause Of
temperance. There is no inherent
defect in the scheme and if there be
corruption and mal-administration in
the enforcing OF the dispensary law
it is directly tracable to the leglSla-
ture and to those who have been
placed in charge OF its execution. In
the absence of any positive proof Of
corruption We must await with deep
interest the investigation which is
now under way and urge those in
charge OF that important work to
earnest. thorough and speedy action.
The people believe there is corrup-
tion and great deal OF it, Very
many things go to show that this be-
, lief has good foundation in fact. We
ought TO know as soon as possible
| lust what and how far men have been
guilty Of unlawful behavior. The
| suspicion which now hangs over the
dispnsary like a pail will cause many
! to hastily vote for it's destruction who
are still or have been strong believ-
ers in the dispensary system as a
means OF controlling the sale OF whis-
key. So | would say to the gentle
men who are in charge OF the inves,
tigation that they can do the people
Of the state a great service BY letting