The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-02-13

Under the new dispensary
system, the counties having dis
pensaries will continue to run
on until the people ask for an
election to close them up; unless
an election is asked for by one
third of the voters Of the county
the dispensary continues, but
keep the profits here instead Of
dividing with the State. The
division will be one-third to the
county fund, one-third to the
schools and one-third to the
town. The State dispensary
sore heads, and they are not a
few, and not confined to any par
ticular class, the ministry not
excepted, they are already try
ing to create a prejudice against
the new system by telling people
that county dispensaries mean
nothing but barrooms and blind
tigers. They also say it means
the restoration of the barroom
system in this State. They
know there is absolutely no
foundation for such conclusion,
and so far as blind tigers are
concerned the country has been
full of the things all through the
State dispensarv regime, and
with the knowledge and patron
age of some of the strongest ad-
vocates of the State dispensary.
The return of a barroom sys-
tenn can only come by Coustitu-
tional amendment. To get an
amendment to be submitted to
The people, it requires a two.
thirds vote of both houses: and
when that has been done, it re-
ouires a two thirds majority Of
the votes cast by the people at
an election of which notice must
be given, then after the people
have voted, the general assem-
bly, must ratify and pass the
necessary law. 1t does not take
a Solomon to know that it is al
most impossible to have the
State constitution changad so as
to admit barrooms, but for the
sake of argument grant the nee
essary requirements can be Sc
cured, and the people will vote
to admit barrooms, who is there
to say nay? The people are all
powerful and if they wish to
change the Constitution they
will not be hindered.
We would ask our readers to
put down in their memories
every man who tries to use the
barroom bugaboo argument.
He has some other purpose,
whether he be a preacher dab
bling in partisan politics, or the
henchman of any other kind Of
politician. We have reasons
for believing there is a gang Of
politicians forming an alliance
now, getting ready to make "a
momentous issue, one which
affects the vital interests Of the
down trodden masses. The cry
will be ''high taxation" ring
rule" :court house rings" and a
whole lot of catchy stuff such as
was once 'sthe thing to get
votes," but the people are wise,
and will aot be caught again in
this generation.
Mark our predictions the dis
gruntled politicians will make
one more effort to regain their
lost possessions, their grip on
the flesh pots, and already we
can hear their little ':me-too's"
quoting the sayings Of this and
that politician who fought for,
and lost the State dispensary:
The first effort of this crew will
be to try and make the county
dispensary plan unpopular; to
get the people dissatisfied with
it, and this has already begun
before the plan has started. We
heard of a certain preacher tel
ling people that the county dis
pensaries are barrooms in dis
guise, and they are financial
failures, yet this man has never
seen one tried in this State, and
in the States where they are
running, they are big financial
success.