Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08
South Carolina Once Tried State
DispensatiOn to Solve Rum Problem
Continued from Third Page.)

DAol1O1odI1OH "
Continued from Third Page)
! lowed to go to the railway station, at
| the edge of Darlington. where the
fatal fight had occurred, to testify at
the coroner's inquest. Nobody was
punished and the orders for searches
were modified.
Promised Financial Success.
Financially, the experiment prom
fore the dispensaries were establish.
ed, South Carolina had GLIB saloons,
which paid counties and towns $215.-
900 and very little to the State. In
1904, when 144 local dispensaries
were open in 80 counties, the profit
from them for State, counties and
municipalities was S775.00O, approx.
mately % per cent on total purchases
of S3,375. 900, about $40 for every
adult male inhabitant. differences
may be drawn from the fact that four
years later. when but 100 dispen-
saries remained, the profit was $685.
1913, or 26 per cent on the purchases.
When it was seen that 100 dispen-
SOL ico pau 2iSo,UUU lIldD la anu
showed heavier sales of liquors, the
conviction that something was very
rotten in the State of South Carolina
was strengthened.
By that time it was generally un-
derstood that in the very first year
of the dispensary'S life opportunity
didn't stop to fool with knocking at
the door. but climbed in through the
window and over the transom and
squirted liquid gold through the key
hole. The State was an ideal GUS
toner for any distiller, brewer or
wholesale liquor dealer, buying by
tens and hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars and paying cash. To travelling
men for liquor concerns, forced
usually to consort with undesirable
and unpleasant persons and to swill
and haggle and meet strong cOmpeti-
ton to sell Il few cases or barrels to
buyers frequently of dubious re-
sponsiblity, chance of connection with
4 carload lots cash customer was a
blissful dream. To realize such a
dream was worth risk and liberal in
veStment.
Expensive Tastes Acquired.
The atmosphere became misty with
mysteries. Men who had schemed
and worked for jobs at SIS a month
or less manifested affiuenCe and graft
fed unsupported and expensive tastes.
Those to whom four and two dollars
A day had seemed desirable began to
regard and treat money in those
amounts as chicken feed. Citizens in
cool, sequestered wales Of life whose
bibulous wishes and ambitions had
not roamed beyond white corn
whisky ut 10 cents per gulp or $3.50
per gallon, ordered wine at Sc per
quart amid the madding crowds
ignoble strife. The thing was so safe
and easy 1t worked from top to
bottom, from bottom to top, both ways
from the middle and all around. Local
dispensaries might inform headquar-
ters of heavy and growing demand
for a certain brand. Headquarters
might convey to the local dispenser
that to push and recommend a GER
tain brand and stimulate demand Tor
it would be to the general advantage.
Two or three gallons of river water
poured into a barrel of high PROOF
spirits made no appreciate dlfference
to the ultimate consumer, but meant
from 81 to $40 clear profit to some
body. 1t was discovered that a pall
of ordinary concentrated I've in a
ostensible age and a large percentage
to it's sale value. The dlspensary
catered to all tastes and purses, offer
ing high-class imported champaSneS
for weddings and receptions OF the
wealthy, plain corn at so cents a pint
for the humble soak. Minors ana
drunkards could get all they wanted
bv the simple device Of inducing some
body to buy for them and sign the
cards.
1t became too rank. Slight investl-
cation showed that the explorations
of expert accountants and legislative
committees at 81 a day were more
or less intoxicated and intoxicating
farces A commissioner had received
from a wholesale liquor house IN
Atlanta a Christmas present of car
load of parlor furniture, valued az
81 500. as a little token of good Will
and good cheer for the season, ana
a carefully popularized brand OF
liouor sold by the house had peen
billed to the State at $50 the drum,
in carload lots, while ordinary saloons
could buy the same at SIS by the
single drum. SO it went merrlly all
along the line. Labels for liquor pack.
ages. which cost $4,000, were sofa
TO the State for S35 600. A suisse
Quently dlSgruntleu pieWei Nv:
edged that he could get no as
orders for his beer untll ne
raised the invoiced price to S125 the
carload, after which orders were salts
factory. BY 1906 more than 15o man
ayers of local dispensarleS had oe-
faulted, although they subjected them
selves to unnecessary annoyance.
Staging a burglary was very mucn
ga sier and safer and more romantic
and interesting than defalcation. KIDD
berries of dispensaries were regular
routine items of the quarterly reports.
They became quite fad. Some We're
arranged to hide shortages. some
we're genuine. Elements of the pop
ulation came to regard invasion OF
dispensary as a prank rather than a
like raldlnS an ap-
nle orchard or a melon patch.
Graft Got S50O,O00 Year.
Conservative estimates placed the
craft at half a million dollars year.
bier and little Slices.