The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-05-31
A GOOD WORD
From a South Carolina College
Professor for the
STATE DIsPENsARY.
lie Says No Student Has Been Up"
for lutoxication Since the Dispeu.
sary Began Contrast With Con.
ditions Under Barrnans.
Effect Beneficial.
STATE DISPENsARY.
Effect Beneficial.

time the sentiment Of Richland coun
ty and especially Columbia was over
whelmingly against the dispensary,
bur year by year there has been q
stesdy change until now few people
doubt that 8 majority OF the people OF
Columbia es vol as of & Rchland coun
ty favor the djsoensary. This wa
evidenced by this countp's election OF
delegates to the ate Democratic con'
venGion. This ohsnge Of sentiment
has been brought ablut gradually oy
a growing conviction that conditions
In this town rs far az sobriety is CON
cernsd have been greatly improved
BY the operation OF the dispensary
system. Not only is 1t true that those
who had already acquired the drink
habit drink lsss than they did In the
old barroom days, but it is also true
that those who have come to manhood
during the thirteen yeas OF the dis
panssry's operation in this city are
remarkably free from the drink habit.
Advocates of the dispenhsry have al
ways held this out as one Of the great
est advantages and blessings of that
Institution, that it decreased the in-
ducements to drink and that therefore
the longer it was operated the fewer
would hs the young men Of each gen.
Grafton who acquired ths drink habit.
That this has been tine case in Column
bia 1T would be idle to deny. A stead
lily increasing realization Of this fact
has oeen responsible for the equally
steady change OF telling here as 10 tine
dispenssry. Tt Is true that the revenue
to both. city and county from the DIS
Bsry Is very large and greatly helps in
f6ermitting large public Improvements
without increase OF the tax levy, but
this fact Is by no means responsible
for the change Of sentiment, though
it has undoubtedly helped. But many
former enemies Of the dispensary have
been converted and among them are
scores whose opinions coald not be
changed by mere monetary ccnsidera-
tions.
A striking instance of the improve
nent of conditions in Columbia as 8
result of the operation OF the dispen-
eary law WIS stated In conversation
Monday by one of the proies sors OF
the South Carolina university, which
for more than q hundred years hiss
been engaged in Columbia in the great
work of educating the young men CT
South Carolina. 1t Is a w1ll.knoWn
fact that the graduates Of that insti-
tutirn have taken remarkably pro-
minsnt part In the politics and gov.
ernment Of this state. Therefore 1t
cannot ba denied that what benefits
them morally, or physically, that
tends to make them better men and
citizens, has beneficial results for
scores Of years after they leave the
college. .
The professor was discussing the al
legation that the dispsnsary was q
governmental novelty, practically
without precedent. He laughed at
this theory and quoted number Of
precedents Of governmental control of
business, even where there was not
that chief reason for the dispenssry,
that Is o bene fetal exercise Of the po-
lice power OF the state. Continuing
he said In substance.
A remarkable tribute to tho dispen-
sary Is the fact that In ten years the
faculty of the South Carolina uaiver-
sity has not had occasional to try
student for intuXication. It Is un!or-
tunately true that among the more
than three hundred students at the
university there are scme who drink,
but the conditions have been 80 chang.
cd by the operation Of the dispensary
that none Of them drink so that 1t is
necessary for the faculty to take cog
nizance OF their indiscretions. 1t was
not so in the days prior to the dispsn-
ssry, when there were so many temp
tations and inducements to young
nsn to drink. Then many young
student, without intending to do so,
drank TO the point of into1lcatlon. He
would come up street for one reason
or another, meet friends, stop In a
bar to take drink or two, get into
q crowd of good fellows, each Of whom
insisted he must have his turn at
treating, and take a half dozen OF
more drinks where he had only inten.
ded taking one. The effect of the op-
GRAFTON of the dispensary upon stu
dent life in Columbia has been 30 ben
e6cisl as to have made it's substitu-
zion for the barroomS .aal blessing.