The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-07-21
The COMING ELECTION.
Remarks by Senex.

Editor Press and Banner:
What are the people of Abbeville
County going to do in reference. to the
dispensary?
The election to determine that mat
ter Is only about mouth off, and it
behooves the voters of the county to
weigh we'll the matter as to whether or
not, all things being considered, it
would be best to abolish that institu-
ton.
Those Of US who are at all advanced
In life can recall the different eras of
licensed bar.rooms, so-called prohibi-
ton, and the dispensary system,
through which this town has passed,
and I must think that all of such
would unhesitatingly render a verdict
In favor Of the dispensary.
That people will have spurious IL
quOrs cannot be gains said and one of
the questions to be decided by each
voter when he comes to cast his vote
on the 18th day of August should be
whether 1t would be better to provide
way by which those who will have
whiskey can get it in a lawful manner
or be forced to patronize, and thereby
CaSodioSO ChooO pol WIZ arc Sus
gagged in an unlawful sale of it.
I have just read an article published
by the Mayor of the, City of Anderson,
gotten up ostensibly in the interest of
prohibition in which it is stated that
for the year 1908, there were received
by express at that place, in which
there is no dispensary, $4,000 gallons
of intoxicating liquors.
This amount of liquor was contrast
ed with what appears to have been
sold by the dispensary at that place for
the last year of its existence there, by
which it was shown that there was
considerably more than that sold by
the dispensary.
But If you will add to this $4,000 gal
Ions all the liquors received at Bolton,
Honea Path and all the other towns
and railroad stations in Anderson
County, which places got most of their
liquors from the Anderson dispensary
when it was in operation, 1t will doubt
less appear that there is being drunk at
the present time In Anderson County
as much or more of the stuff than was
the case under the dispensary regime.
1t IL also contrasted, In this article,
the number of arrests and convictions
by the city authorities during the reign
of the dispensary and that under pro-
hibition with the result largely in IA
vor of the latter.
This is doubtless true, but the same
can be accounted for largely by the fact
that all of the parties who were taken
up and tried for drunkenness procured
their liquor from the dispensary, al
though many of them lived in the
country, drank it while in town, and
If they got drunk 1t occurred while
they were there, and for which they
were tried by the city authorities.
Whereas parties who now receive their
liquors by express take it home and If
they get drunk on it, they are not
amenable to the city authorities for
such an offence. .t7
So much then for the moral side of
the question. Now let us consider it
from business standpoint.
The net income annually from the
dispensary is about 100000 This Is
divided equally among the City of Alb
beville, the county and the schools.
Close the dispensary and this $50, 900
will have to be raised by direct taxa
ton. So that the taxpayer residing in
the country, who now pays SIS taxes
will have to pay $8.75, and the city
resident taxpayer will have to pay just
about double what he now pays,
If this were only for one year 1t
would not matter much, but it will
have to be kept up for good many
years, as it will be long time before
the county will have paid the debt in
CURED in building the new Court
House. This doubtless will be regard
ed by some as q sordid view to take of
the matter, but in view of the fact that
experience shows that there is about
as much liquor drank and the evil ef-
fects thereof about as great under 30
called prohibition as is the case with
the dispensary-with no compensating
results in the former case, we think 1t
Is most common sense view to take
of the matter. Senex.