The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-08-16

ready to check or destroy any public
enterprise, institution, or law, which
forbodes certain future evil, and
threatens to sap the foundation of the
public peace, for public good or pub
lie morality. For l3 years the people
IF South Carolina have been watching
the unique dispensary system, and
have patiently awaited the result OF
the experiment. They have at last
been reused to recognition of the
fact that tile sale of liquor by the
State is inimicsl to the spirit and ge.
MUS of our political institutions, sub.
yersive Of the order and peace Of 30
ciety, demoralizing in it's effects, and
is breeding a generation of political
towards, rum suckers, drunkards and
criminals; it's destruction is sure.
The engine of public opinion, ths
mightiest force in free government
like ours, is moving to crush like a
juggernaut those who have upheld
and maintained it.
Heretofore when opposition to the
dispensary manifested itself, or pro-
tests we're made against it's honest ad-
ministration, the cry has been raised
that it was the wailings and foolish
action Of "fanatical women and
preachers who dream dreams and see
visions. Now when the people are
generally manifestiDg opposition to
the system and its administration, the
cry is that the people are enthused by
ignorance, know not what they are
doing, and have no right to exercise
their sovereign power by voting the
dispensaries out Of counties, but that
it must be done by all the people of
State in a general election; that the
system inherently is good one, but
has been maladministcred, and that it
ought to be left to the general assem-
bly, to correct the abuses in it's ad-
ministration. The admission has at
last been forced that the dispensary
law has not been faithfully and eff
ciently administered. Why has not
this admission been made before,
when it mas been known By those in
timately connected with the admin
istration or the law that there have
been abuses from its very incep.
tion.
No, this cry that the people them
selves should not vote the dispensary
out by counties is the same old cry of
1892, when the dispensary system was
forced upon the people Of the State
by the general assembly; notwith-
standing it had been determined at
the ballot box that the people wanted
prohibition. This is all clap trap,
and this talk about submitting it to
all of the people in general election
is nothing but political trick born
in the brain of it's originator to post.
pone action on the part of the coun.
ties and retain the system. If the
people Of the State should vote upon
the question and overwhelmingly de-
eide to destroy the dispensary, what
guarantee have they that the legisla-
'ture would repeal the law? The same
one man power that had the legisla-
ture to enact the diepensary law in
defiance of the vote Of the people
for prohibition, will have the legis-
lature to continue it in existence in
defiance Of the vote to destroy the
system.
This cry Of submitting the question
to all Of the people in a general cleo
tion is practically saying to the peo-
pie of the counties you are not compe-
tent to vote on this question, that the
general assembly alone is, and it must
be left to this wise and unerriug body
to be determined as political ques-
tion. It is the same old "ass in the
lions skin," the diotation of the one
man power, and the object is to take
from the people the right to decide
for themselves and to leave it to
others to decide for them. If true it
is sad commentary upon the intelli-
gence of our people, and rash indeed
is the man who dares to cast insult
into the faces of his fellow citizcns.
This is triflipg with the rights and
liberty, as we'll as the intelligence of
the sovereign people of South Caro-.
lima. The liquor question is morally
and politically local in its character,
what will do in one county will fail in
another.
I en- enc who has implicit conf.
dence in the honesty, good practical
sense and judgment Of the people.
They may be deceived sometimes, and
are often by demagoguss and time