Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-30
Passing of the Dispemsary
By Frederic j. Haskin

sunset to sunrise, and must be kept
| closed on Sundays. state and national
| holidays, and on election days, includ-
ing days on which primary elections
are held. No liquor is allowed to be
| sold to minors. to intoxicated persons
or to those who are in the habit of be-
coming intoxicated. The person desir-
: ing to purchase liquor must fill out an
application blank setting forth the pur-
| pose for which the liquor is to be pur-
chased and the amount desired, and
| sign his name and address. If the
applicant is not personally known to
the dispenser as reliable and trust
| worthy person of good character and
| habits" the dispenser must state that
he is not a minor nor habitual drunk
| ard.
1t is admitted that there is consid-
| cradle laXity in the enforcement of
| these provisions of the law, especially
the one requiring written application
and Identification of the applicant. 1t
| Is generally understood that the dis
| penser desires to have his sales as
| large as possible, since his compensa-
ton is regulated by the amount he
| sells 1t is believed by advocates of
the system that the elimination of this
| feature would greatly improve the
law. Charges of corruption in the
management of the state dispensary
were made, and apparently were sus-
tanned. The trade feature appears to
have been made rather too prominent
by somebody.
/ But it is admitted by some of the
most pronounced opponents of the sys-
tenn that 1t has not had fair trial in
South Carolina, either as a trade en-
terprise, police regulation or a tenn
perance measure. The overwhelming
majority of the people Of the towns
in which the dispensarles were located
were bitterly opposed to Governor
(now senator) Tillman, and conse-
| quently opposed to the dispensary.
which he fathered. On the other hand,
his friends shouted for the system,
without regard to it's merits South
Carolinians, now that much of the heat
Of those earlier days has passed, ad-
NIT this, and that the dispensary has
not been fairly tested.
Civil war actually threatened to
break out in South Carolina on ac-
count of the dispensary. Members of
the dispensary constabulary came into
collision with the opponents of the sys-
tenn. Several citizens were slain by
constables. The governor pardoned
more than one officer convicted of
murder. One pardon was sent by tele-
graph. OF course, this enraged the OPP
ponents of the dispensary. A large
number of constables became involved
in an encounter with citizens of OAR
lington, where opposition to the dis
pensary was stronger than in almost
any other town of the state. A young
man named Norment was killed by a
constable. The constables were at
tackled and McLendon, the man who
killed Norment was wounded. The
conStab ulary took to the woods and
the whole population went in pursuit.
\ Governor Tillman promptly ordered
out almost the entire militia force, but
the majority of the companies refused
to obey the law. The citizens of OAR
lington received the soldiers in the
most hospitable manner; such excel
lent order prevailed while the troops
were in town that they were with
drawn in few days. and the Palmetto
state settled down again to something
like quiet. But that was as near to
civil war as any state, with the excep-
ton of Kansas, ever came.
! Copyright 1909, by Frederick ]. Haskin).