The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-03-28

five States to become q SlOpheepeI ::
Frankly-now don't doge-does The
Item imagine that Speaker Cannon in
his Republican "outfit" has anything
more radically opposed to Democracy
than the State whiskey monopoly
idea?
Would The Item welcome the exten.
sion Of the dispensary system so that
As American states should have it and
hazard the formation Of an alliance
between these State concerns for the
purpose of controlling national af-
fairs? How long does the pro-dispen-
sary Item think the nation would sur
vive with IS State dispensaries?
Will not our esteemed contemporary
confess that Democratic principles
are a little embarrassing at times ?
Would not the Item feel better if for
the purpose Of pending State cam
paign bedrock democratic princi-
pies" were forgot? and Cou-
rfer.
The dispensary system is defensible
only on the assumption that it is an
exercise Of the police powers Of the
State, and it is on that score alone that
The Item endorses it, or would under
take to defend it. We are, and have
been from the day the dispensary sys-
tenn was first suggested, opposed to
the State engaging in trade, for we
recognize as clearly, and admit as can
didly, as the News and Courier, that a
State monopoly of any commodity is
an encroachment upon the right Of the
individual citizens, and is, therefore. in
direct violation Of the fundamentals of
the Democratic faith.
Holding this belief, we were long
time in coming to the conclusion that
the conditions resulting from the ad-
mitted evils of the liquor traffic war
ranted the exercise Of the police DOW
ers to the extent of monoplizing the
liquor traffic by means Of the dispen-
sary system. At the outset we con-
demned the dispensary system unre-
servedly and without qualification, and
could see no good in it, except the ear
ly closing feature; but as the years
passed we could not honestly deny
that the sdispensary, as conducted in
this city, and as it could be conducted
elsewhere, if the right sort Of men
were in charge, was a decided inn
provement on the old barroom system
in every respect Furthermore, we
know that it is an improvement on
prohibition, for Sumter gave prohibi-
ton a trial under the old local option
law that ante-dated the dispensary
system.
This eliminates ali proposed systems
tor the regulation or suppression Of
the liquor evil, save that % high Il
cenSe. as substitutes Ter the 3isPer-
sary
We fail to see wherein high Ii
cense, or any other license system, is
theoretically or practically any i'm
provement on the dispensary system,
or any less violation Of the abstract
principles Of Democracy. In the dis
pensary system the State does
through its own agents what,
under the license system, it
would delegate to individuals, for
price The dispensary is a State
monopoly, While under the license
system the State would farm out the
monopoly. It is a distinction without
difference, and in our judgment it is
better for the State and for the peo-
pie at large that the State operate the
liquor monopoly, than to farm it out
to individuals whose only aim would
be to make as much money as possible
out Of the privilege for which they
would pay the State a high price.
There is, of course, danger Of venal
men gaining control Of the State liquor
| monopoly and using it as means OF
enriching themselves, and as politi-
cal machine, for the furtherance OF
their own interests; but SO long as it
remains a State institution the people
have the power to turn the rascals out
There is just the same danger, and
| even greater probability, of the high
license ub-monopilists-by purchase
Of the privilege from the State-or-
ganizing political machine, and
such a machine would be bigger, more
powerful and more difficult to over
throw than a little ring such as has
in the recent past, and may, in the fu-
ture, temporarily control the State
liquor monopoly. Under the license
system more men would have interests
at stake and with the large profits