The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-11-09
SOUTH CAROLINA, AFTER FOUR.
TEEN YEARS ABOLISHEs SYs-
TEN OF STATE CONTROL.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
IS IMPRACTICAbLf
NOTHING GAINED BY RADlCALisM
-TEMPERANCE MUST BE
TAUGHT BY APPEAL TO
MANHOOD,

An Associated Press dispatch from
Columbia, SC, says: 1.-THE State of
South Carolina is finally out of the
liquor business. On the first Of last
February there was in the warehouse
of this city about 100000 worth of
liquors belonging to the state. When
at that time the legislature determin-
ed to abolish the system a commission
was appointed to close up the business
and the last has just been sold. So,
after fourteen years, one month and
fifteen days, the Palmetto brand Is
no more.
90 This was the first experiment of
government ownership in South Caro-
lima, and the fruits have been such
that it is likely to be the last for many
year. Neither municipality nor
state is likely to embark upon that sea
while memory of the state dispensary
lives as terrible warming
Advocates of the system promised
that the dispensary profits would
eliminate state taxes That was an
unrealized dream. The thing got into
politics and stayed there; and the cor
ruption was so appalling that the
strenuous personal efforts of Senator
Tillman could not stem the tide of re-
volt"
Thus has another illogical effort to
solve the liquor problem come to a
logical ending.
The st. Paul Trade Journal has
consistently fought on the side of
temperance and moderation, not alone
on the liquor question, but on the
other issues Of national Importance
with which the people are contending.
Nothing was ever gained by radical
ism, and this is more true of the tenn
perance question than of any other,
because so many of our people con-
tend that absolute prohibition is an
unwarrantable interference with their
constitutional given personal rights
While this same issue is not nearly so
finely drawn in the attacks on capital
that have marked the past two years
in history, still thinking men are be.
ginning to realize that, as a people,
we are drifting dangerously close to
the rocks Of anarchistic socialism,
and the more conservative and far
seeing of our reformers are beginning,
wisely, to apply the brake to the rabid
onslaughts of the unthinking and rad
ically inclined of their followers.
But to return to the temperance
question:, which has been brought to
our minds by the action of the South
Carolina legislature in wholly doing
away with the state dispensary plan.
In spite of the advice of advanced
thinkers in the ranks of prohibition
workers, who asserted at the time that
Estate control of the liquor question
would not CONTROL" there was great
and widespread rejoicing when the
radical prohibition wing in South Car
DINA secured the enactment, fourteen
years ago, Of the state dispensary plan
tic and predicted that in a short time
all the states Of the Union would fol-
low in the wake of South Carolina
What were the results? In an incredi-
bly, short space of time state control
of liquor got into the hands of the
politicians Of the state and was made
means to the end of the election of
cliques, and, finally, the system be-
came so bad that even it's most en-
thusiastic supporters were earnestly
praying for it's abolition and return
to the more orderly, privately conduct
ed saloon.
Now, then, while on this subject Of
prohibition, it may be we'll to go into
the matter still further. AS we previ-
ously stated the ~. Paul Trade Jour-
nal has consistently advocated tenn
perance, but we want to warn our
friends with whom we are working on
this great question to beware the
danger of radicalism and its reaction
airy effects. We cannot achieve our
object with a sledgehammer, neither
can we legislate away mans de-
termination to get a drink. More
flies are caught with sugar than with
vinegar. In other words if we want to
see a lessening of drunkenness
amongst our people we must appeal
more to the man himself and less to
the laws.