The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-02-13
ALL FOR PROFIT.
What Has Charleston to Gain by the
Abolition of the State Dispensary??

Mr.. Editor: In an editorial IN the
News and Courier occupying nearly a
column on Tuesday, the Old Lady on
Broad Street discusses the Carey
Bill an6 Charleston, ''in an effort to
tell what Charleston will gain by the
change fro-a the State dispensary to
the county dispensary-
It says:
"a aispensary system would be
managed by Charleston men,
esThe profits would go to Charles
ton, city and county
eThe incentive would be given to
Charleston County taxpayers to see
that the system were honestly and ef-
nciently managed
4.Under the existing regime, there
is no reason to believe that improve
rnent in enforcement in Charleston
would inure to Charleston's financial
benefit" hence there is no incentive
to enforce the law.
with the county d;spensary sys-
TEN established in Charleston, it
would be the duty and the opportuni-
ty of substantial, upright and intelli-
gent taxpayers to take it in hand and
endeavor to manage it so that the
greatest possible benefit should be de-
q = Z
rived from it.
SO it seems to be a question Of "pe-
cuniary profits" to Charleston that has
inspired the fight against the State
dispensary made by the News and
Courier during the last campaign, and
that has caused the persistent and
open violation of the dispensary law
BY Charleston from its enactment.
This opposition to and disregard of the
law does not date from the time of
the investigating committee, but
existed at the time the law became
effective. Before the estate dispen-
sary was the exposed and unblushing
thing that it 1s,'' blind tigers flourish
ed and were encouraged in Charles
ton. and neither private citizen nor Of
fcer of the law made an honest effort
to enforce the law. In the light OF
this editorial it appears that the 1'pe-
cuniary profits which Charleston did
not get. was considered by the good
citizen as well as the tough, sufficient
justification for the open violation Of
the law
AThe Charleston man who con-
denans the local blind tiger feels taat
it would make him the picture OF
fool were he to become an aggressive
crusader against it when the evidence
is overwhelming that the State dis
pensary is in the main unlawfully
managed
what an argument to excuse an
unlawful act. Even admittirg all
that is charged against the manage
naent of the State dispensary, does it
help the case or make it right to en-
courage lawlessness in Charleston? :?
If the rnismanagement Of the State
dsspensary is the justification for the
existence ,pS blind tigers in Charles
ton, what right had they to exist be-
fore the smismanagement was proven !?
They were there the day the old bar
rooms were legally closed, and have
been there every day since.
Has it been case of "pecuniary
profits all along?
If the Charleston man feels that
he would be '1the picture of foop' If
he helped to drive out blind tigers
helped to uphold and enforce the law
Of the state-now since the dispen-
sary management has been shown up
in a bad light, does he not feel that he
has looked like the picture Of knave
to the rest of the State when he made
no effort to uphold the law, when
this excuse for encouraging the blind
tiger to flourish in Charleston did not
exist
Charleston is 50 community utterly
unlike any other in the State as to
habits ard education. so far as the
consumption of intoxicants and their
sale are concerned says the News
and Courier, and the inference is that
sse should therefore ignore State
anif it does not suit her taste, or
bring her "pecuniary profit" 1t is
"a community utterly unlike any oth-
err in many respects besides its pecu-
liar education on the liquor question,
and my experience agrees with
number Of business men that when
ever there is chance for "pecu-
mary profits the Charleston spirit
shows itself.
The position of the News and Cou-
r;er on the dispensary question and