The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-12-17
Mr.. Blease's Plan,
News and Courier.

! lie pronlDltlon bill to be introduce
ed by Senator Blcasc, Of Ncwberry,
has special Signigcancc by reason
or the fact that Senator Blcase di
rectcd the attention of the Senate to
the view that the Constitution does
not preclude the legislature from pro-
vldln" that intoxicants may be soll
by the drink if they be sold by state,
county or municipal officers authoriZ-
rd by the legislature. The point of
Mr.. BlcaSc, as We remember it. was
that the s"-callcd di<pcnsary rcstric-
llons. which outlaw the sale of intoxi-
rantS, except in the day line. in ori-
@lnal packages of onc-hulf pint and
over. which must not be drunk ON
the promises of the seller, are quail
lied and limited by the wore, "h-
c2nsc,' 40 "iiccnScS' being lawful
for sales unless they be so restrict
ed, but that the Constitution permits
sales by officers Of the state. etc., in
'such packages and quantities"
and 'undcr such rules and rcgula-
tions' as the legislature "dccms cx-
pcdient.' -
The measure which Mr. Blease
proposes. as outlined in our New
berry dispatches yesterday. is sim
liar TO that Senator Otis, Of Chero-
kce, contemplatcs Offering in so far
rs it enacts prohibition for the state
and leaves to the counties the op-
ton of "voting in" the whiskey
trailicc. At present, counties hay
ing the traffic must take affirma-
tive action to be rid Of it, and the
history of the operation OF the Brice
law and the Carey-Cothran law has
shown this to be attended with diff
ficulties. But Senator Blease's meas
nre appears to go further and to de-
stroy entirely the county dispeasar-
ies, transferring the sale Of intoxi-
cants 10 private individuals. The
dispensary plan has for one Of it's
central principles the removal Of
sales from individuals so that the
motive for private profit be elimia-
ated, the theory being that an indi-
vidual citizen, as whiskey mer-
chant, would strive more to increase
sales than would the state or the
county. This principle has not been
vindicated by experience. The state
disreasary pushed sales energeticai-
~ always and multiplied retail dis
pcnsaries whenever possible, and a
similar policy as We have alrea1 1y
pointed out, has been adopted in
more than one county under the
county system.
Without implying that Senator
Blease's scheme should have un-
qualified commentator in any event,
we think its popularity wouldabe en-
hanced were he to include not only
the option Of licensed sales, but of
sales by state, county or city Off
cials in such counties as prefer that
whiskcy be sold by the drink. The
inhibition of sales by the drink and
OF drinking on the premises has al
ways been Of doubtful value as a re-
ducer of whiskey consumption.
While it may have eliminated drink
ing in the town saloon, it has pro-
NOTED drinking in alleys and seclud-
ec places about town, and especially
III the country. The dispensary has
probably caused an enormous in
crease in rural drunkenness, the bot
tie Of whiskey carried to the coun-
try gathering place, and that is the
probable explanation Of the dispea-
sary systems failure TO show any
decrease in the number OF crimes Of
violence usually attributed to intem-
peranre.