Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-10
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proved beyond reasonable contradiction
that the dispensary has failed in all
that was promised for it to the very
great moral, political and financial loss
of the state.
Few of the people who have been
watching this experiment of state
monopoly of the liquor traffic from the
beginning have forgotten how Senator
Tillman told them years ago that the
great benefits to- follow the Inaugural
ton of the proposed new system would
be the elimination of the saloon element
from local and state politics. substitu-
ton of honest, wholesome, pure liquor
at low prices for the adulterated water
ed stuff the saloon people had been
selling, and profit to the state sufficient
to greatly augment the school fund and
practically abolish the necessity for
levying taxes for state and county pur-
poses.
We have seen the old saloon element
eliminated from direct control of poll
TICS but in place of it we have since
been introduced to the representatives
of the wholesale liquor dealers, and the
Wholesale liquor dealers themselves,
and we have noted that where the bar
keepers formerly had a say in small
rect access to the ears of our governors.
Instead of little bar-keepers who for
merly shivered at the approach of
blue coated policemen, we have liquor
directors elected by the general assem-
bly, at a cost of from $50 to 500 vote,
and who though known to be guilty of
all manner of corruption are so far
above the law that they cannot even be
prosecuted. Instead of the tax levy
having been wiped out it has been in
creased throughout every department
of the government. Instead of de-
crease in drunkenness, debauchery and
crime, conditions are worse than they
have ever been in the history of the
state and the whisky monopoly,
through which has passed millions OF
dollars and the profits on which have
gone somewhere, now lacks some four
or five hundred thousand dollars of be-
ing solvent. There is necessity right
now for an extra levy to pay its debts.
Maybe Senator Tillman had his ma
chine running in an honest way once
and maybe he could run 1t honestly
again; but just so surely as corruption
crept into the system years ago and
permeated it's every ramificaton as
now, if the whole business were
Strengthened out and put on an honest
basis again there Is no guarantee that
history would not repeat itself; and 1t
would be only a few years more before
the state would be under control OF
another gang of grafters as rotten as
those who now have to be removed.
If we conscientiously could, we would
like to agree with Senator Tillman in
the contention that his dispensary sys-
tenn has proved an Improvement over
former conditions; but so far as this vi
cinity is concerned we cannot. The dis
pensary sold more whisky here than did
the blind tigers in their palmest days
and the removal of the dispensary has
been followed by conditions immeas-
urably more sober and orderly. But
this question has been over -shadowed
by the greater ones of graft and cor
ruption, lack of respect for the govern
ment of the people and other consid-
erations that are hardly to be thought
tial academic query as to whether when
a man gets his liquor from a tiger,
barkeeper or a dispenser there is great
er harm to society. The graft business
threatens the continuance of organized
government.
We can very we'll understand how
Senator Tillman is wrapped up in the
dispensary system heart and soul. So
far as this state is concerned 1t is his
invention, and he naturally feels q
pride in its permanency. But i'm the
hope that it will continue we cannot
see it otherwise than that he is deceiv-
ing himself. He may be able to get
the people to elect men who Will
agree to patch ii up; we doubt even
that But should the dispensary be
patched up the issue will only be delay
ed The thing is too corrupt to last
and the best thing the senator himself
can do for his own future reputation is
to kill it.
According to our view, the best thing
for society is prohibition. Laws that
authorize the sale of intoxicating Ii
quor are not creditable to a Christian
people,; they are not creditable to
people who admit that they have to
give an account in the hereafter for
things done here. But if the people
insist that liquor must be sold their
safest plan is to put the business i'm
the hands of men who are willing
to engage in it and who can be made
to obey such legal regulations as may
he necessary for their government.