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The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, August 29, 1905, Image 7

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MR. A. C. JONES REPLIES.
In Regard To His Young's Grove
Address-Quotes Testimony Be
U. S. Court of Claims.
To the Editor of the Herald and
News: I find the following editorial
in your paper of the 22nd inst:
"When Ellerbe died and McSweeney
became governor there was a reign
of blind tigers and wholesale viola
tions of the dispensary law,' said Mr.
A. C. Jones, in his speech at Young's
Grove, as reported by the Observer.
'He believed there was an under
standing between the dispensary au
thorities and the blind tigers that the
latter would not be disturbed so long
as they got their liquor from the dis
pensary. This state of affairs con
tinued through McSweeney's second
term, and then when the people elect
ed Heyward on the unders*anding
that he would enforce the law; and he
believes he is trying to do his duty;
but has been told that blind tigers
are almost as open in Charleston and
Columbia as they was in McSweeney's
time.' The man who told Mr. Jones
this wonderful thing was evidently
well informed.
"Possibly it may be that he should
have told Mr. Jones, however, that
there are no blind tigers in Charles
ton; that there is nothing blind about
the iliegal sale of liquor there; that
it is sold openly now, as it has been
since the dispensary law was enacted,
and asit will be so long as the public
sentiment of Charleston upholds it.
Nye believe that Governor McSweeney
tried to do his duty, and we believe
that Governor Heyward is trying to
do his duty. ,Why this effort at this
time, three years after Governor Mc
Sweeney has voluntarily retired from
the highest office within the gift of
the people of South Carolina, to cast
reflection upon his administration.
And where is the proof? Let's be
specific, rath'er than general, in our
charges."
That your readers may understand
what I said in connection with that
portion of my speech you find fault
with, I would say that I was giving
a review of the history of the dispen
sary law from the time it was passed
tnrough the different administrations,
up to date, and I had said in beginning
my talk that I did not mean to be
personal in the remarks I would make
but would endeavor to give a fair
statement of the law and 'the manner
it had been enforced and let the peo
ple decide for themselves whether it
should continue or not, and when I
reached Governor Ellerbe's term I
- told them that he seemed 'to be anx
ious to be reelected, and was trying to
please the people; :hat he used to
great advantage the organization of
the mrilitary for the Spanish war for
this purpose; that when he issued the
call for trocops it was responded to
promptly; without regard to the fac
tional differences existing at the time
and met to a considerable extent in
the same spirit by Governor Ellerbe,
and had Governor Elierbe lived 1
believed the condition of :fairs would
have been better, but his failure to
carry out his promise to The State
newspaper, to recommend high li
cense to the general assembly and the
criticisms by the press of the State
of all parties connected with the deal
iS said to have hastened his death.
Then followed th-at portion of my re
marks, the substance of which you
quo:e above, and after commenting
upon them then you call upon me to
specify. In doing so I will use the
sworn testimony given by Mr. WV. E.
Johnson before the United States
court of claims in the case of South
Carolina vs. the United States, as
follows:
1. Question. State your name,
age, residence and occupation.
Answer. My name is WV. E. John
son; my age is 40 years; I live at
Laurel Md.; my occupation is that
of a journalist.
2. Question. State whether yon
have any interest, direct or indirect,
in the subject-matter of this suit.
Answer. I have no interes:, direct
or indirect, in the subject-matter 'ot
this su4t.
3. Question. State whether or not
you are related. and if so, in what
degree, to any of the parties plaintiff
or defendant in this suit.
Answer. I am not related in any~
degree to any of the parties plaintiff
or defenidant to this suit.
4. Question. Sta:e whether or not
von ever visited the state of South
Carolin for the purpose of examining
into t*e dispensary system in vogue
in that state, and if so, in what capaci
tv and when.
Answer. In May, 1899, I visi:ed
South Carolina for the purpose of
stuVing and investigating the work
ings of the dispensary law. I went in
the capacity of a staff correspondent
of the New Voice, then published by
tie Funk & Wagnalls company, of
New York City. In February and
March of this year I also visited
South Carolina for the same purpose.
On this trip I went in the capacity
of staff correspondent of the New
Voice, now and at that time published
by the New Voice company, of Chi
cago, Illinois.
5. Question. If you answer "Yes"
to the foregoing question, state in
particular the -character, nature, scope,
and extent of the examination so made
by you, giving the place or places
visited by you in said state and the
character of your investigation at
such places.
Answer. I visited Charleston and
Columbia on both trips. My investi
gations consisted in a thorough ex
ai- 'ion of 'th-e reports of the dis
pensary, of the liquor legislation of
the state, of examinations of the
books of the collector of internal
revenue for the district of South Caro
lina, a personal examination of the
premises of each local dispensary in
said cities, in interviews with leading
business men and newspaper men, as
well as of the state and municipal offi
cials. I also personally visited and
examined more than 250 so-called
"blind tigers"-places where intoxi
cating liquors were on sale by the
drink-most of the proprietors of
which had paid an internal-revenue
tax as retail liquor dealers. I made
maps of some of the localities, show
ing- large numbers of these "blind
tigers" in the immediate vicinity of
local dispensaries-in some cases in
the same buildings.
6. Question. As a result of your
examination, what can you say with
reference to the effect of the dispen
sary system upon the increase or de
crease in the consumtpion of spir
ituo,s, vinous and malt liquors with
in the confines of the state of South
Carolina? Answer fully.
Answer. The dispensary has re
sulted in large increase in consump
tion of liquors. This is especially
true of the past three years. Prior
to 1899 there is some uncertainty in
this statement, for the reason that the
sales of the "'blind tigers" were then
an unknown quantity. Also, owing
to litigation in Federal courts, 'the dis
pensary did not have a real monopoly
of the traffic. Its monopoly as in
name only.
"Blind tigers" were numerous in
most parts of the state, where liquors
were sold openly or secretly by the
drink. This liquor was largely so
calle<d "moonshine whiskey," and
was chiefly made in the norhwestern
counties. "Moonshine whiskey" is
that made in illicit stills, mos-tly small
affairs, and which pay no revenue tax
on their product.
In 1898 the dispensary adopted the
policy of fighting the "blind tiger"
competition by putting on the market
what they called "eighty proof whis
key," an article composed of 8o per
cent whiskey and 20 per cent wa:er.
In 1898, shortly after this scheme
was inaugurated. I visited the State
dispensary at Columbia and inspected
the room set apart for watering the
whiskey. A distilling plant was put
ir. and distilled water was used for
this purpose. In this way a brand of
whiskey was put on the market at
a c- 3.per rate than the "blind tigers"
co'.. . supply it. The local dispen
saries would sell a whole i-alf pint of
whiskey for 15 cents, the price of a
simple drink in a license state. The
result was the state was flooded with
cheap whiskey by the dispensaries.
The colored population particularly
became accustomed to chipping 5
cents each into a pool and buying
w~hi sk ey by the bottle and drinking
it on the street corners. I have stood
on the street corners of Charleston
freauently and seen three or four
parties of colored men sucking at a
bottle that they had bought from a
dispensary for the price of a drink
in a license state.
The dispensary followed up this at
tack on "blind tiger" competition bay
lending its influe'nce in the direcionu
of0 proscuting liquor sellers who were
in c ,etito,u: th at is. those who did
m:prhase their supplies from the
di.spensaries. This they were able to
controlled the machinery of the domi
-ant political party of the state. Th
rcsult was that the "blind tigers
found it to their interest to purchas
their supplies from the dispensaries
Since the close of the year 1898 th
policy of purchasing their supplies c
1 liquors from the dispensaries has bee
closely followed by the "blind tigers.
Since that time the sales of the dis
pensary very closely indicate the tota
consumption of liquors in the state
I have here a statement compilei
from the annual reports of the dis
pensary showing the sales of liquo
to the county dispensers since i89:
and .by county dispensers since 189o
The figures are in dollars instead o
quantities, but as the prices of liquo
has remained practically stationar3
the tabulation is an accurate index o
the growth in the consumption o
liquor year by year in the state o
South Carolina. The said statemen
is as follows:
Liquor Sales by the Dispensary.
Fiscal Yr. Sales to Co. Sales by Co; Net profi
Dispensers Dispenser. beer dis'r
1894 a....... $ 573,539.91 - - - -.......
1895 b........ 1,076,963.65 ............ .....
1896 ... ..... 1,305,340-00 ............ ...........
1897.......... cl,125.674.oo $1,252,289.08 $26,1o-q.
1898........ 1,225-303.00 1,.358.989.42 d 50,867.4
1899.......... 1,513,777-77 1,788,425.80 26,448.S
goo e.........1,755,924.22 2.421.840.22 27,669.E
1901.......... 2,003,313.93 2,328,681.21 44,443.5
a Nine months ending April 21.
b Eleven months.
c Temporary drop caused by th
"original package" decision.
d Beer dispensaries pushed to figh
"original package" competition.
e Eleven months; fiscal year cihang
ed to end November 30.
f Not including sales of beer dis
pensairies and blind tigers.
This table shows, therefore, tha
the consumption of liquor in the stat,
is now increasing at the rate of abou
$2oo,ooo worth' per year.
- Under the present plan describe4
the illicit sellers are practically im
mune from prosecution. They bu:
their liquors from the dispensarieE
and the officials controlled by the dis
pensary political machine do not ser
iously prosecute the dispensary's bes
business customers.
The report of the attorney-genera
for the year 1901 shows but five ca.e
of selling liquor without a license ii
Richland county, the county in whicl
the city of Columbia is located. Eacl
one of these five cases was dismisse<
without any trial whatever. Th
same report shows but fifty--nin
cases of selling liquor without a li
cense in the city of Charleston fo
19ox. Not one of these cases wa
prosecuted.
7. Question. As to the result o
your examination, what can you stat
concerning the dispensary system il
that state as a temperance measure
Answer. The dispensary is not
temperance measure in any respec
whatever. It is purely a shrewd an
successful business method of sell
ing liquor and a shrewdl politica
method of preventing the adoption c
a prohibitory policy.
8. Question. As the result of you
investigation, what can you say wit1
reference to the practical operatio:
of the dispensary law as it was ad
ministered during the time of your ex
amination upon the morals and sc
briety of the comunity?
Answer. The operations of the dis
pensary had a disastrous influenc
upon the morals and sobriety of th
people. The fact that the state it
self was the dispenser gave a stand
ing and responsibility to drinkin.
customs that they had not known be
fore. The cheapness of the liquor
sold added to the incentive to drin1<
The advertised purity of the dispen
sary liquors also served to promot
their use.
9. Question. In the practical ad
ministration of this law during th
time of your examination, was it ad
ministered in such wvise as to dis
courage or encourage the sale o
spirituouis, vinous and malt liquors.
Answer. The dispensary manage
mue:.t encouraged and pushed the sale
'f liquOr in the same way aid for to
same purpose that priva:e deal er
1woIubl. L'cai dispensers xho wer
unable to~ sell enough liquor to pa;
their salaries and expense:; and re
turn a profit were discharged. Dis
pensaries that could not be made t<
pay a profit we-re closed up. Dis
pensaries were not established a
places unless there was a prospec
of making a profit.
10. Question. Frora your exami
nation what can you say as to the in
- law upon the ete-t of the sales made
by the various dispensarie?
Answer. The average monchly
net profits of the dispensary have
arisen from about $6.6oo dturir the
first administration of nineteen
months to more than $45,ooo during
i the fiscal year 1901. The success of
an administration is reckoned in the
~ public mind upon 'he amount of the
profits turned into the state treasury.
The sales are therefore pushed in or
der to show an attractive balance
- sheet in the annual reports.
ii. Question. During the course
of your examination, did you in any
f wise have occasion to examine into
r the numbers and locations of places
v.-here whiskey and spirituous liquors
f were illicitly sold, commonly called
f "blind tigers;" and if so, please give a
f full and complete statement of the ex
t amination made by you and state
whether or not these illicit sale rolls,
or "blind tigers," were or were not
operated with the knowledge and tacit
consent of the officers and agents of
'rhe dispensary system?
Answer. I made a careful per
sonal examination of the location and
character of the so-called "blind ti
gers" in both the cities of Columbia
and Charleston. The "blind tigers,"
as a rule, were much more numerous
in the immediate vicinity of the local
dispensares. I made maps of two lo
calities of the'sort showing the loca
tion of the "blind tigers" surround
t ing the dispensaries. One of these
maps, showing the locaton of the dis
pensary at 1422 Assembly street, Co
lumbia, managed by C. C. Cooper, is
as follows:
t (Here appears Map A.)
This place is on the corner of the
t alley, by the city market. On the op
posite corner of the alley, at No.
1424, was a "blind tiger," run with no
pretensions to secrecy. Next door to
this "blind tiger," at No. 1426, was
another dispensary run openly with a
regular bar. in the rear. On the other
side of the dispensary, and two doors
away, was still another "blind tiger,"
t run as openly as a grocery store. The
number of this place was 1416. At
1 No. 1404, burt a few doors away, was
I another "blind tiger," run by a man
named Hendricks. There were in
February last fourteen "blind tigers"
run openly and aboveboard within
two blocks of the dispensary managed
by Mr. Cooper.
- I also made a map of the surround
r ings of the dispensary at 911 Ger
s vais street, Columbia. managed by W.
D. Price, as follows:
f (Here appears Map B.)
SThis dispensary was within a block
1 and a half of the State capitol
grounds and within two blocks of
the city hall and police 'headquarters.
tIt was within three blocks of the
State dispensary. Yet within two
blocks of this dispensary were 1
"blind tigers" running openly and
abovebgard. These "blind tigers"
were operated with the full knowl
r jedge and tacit consent of the dispen
1sary officials and agents.
SI could continue until I gave you
the location of the 208 blind tigers
in the city of Charleston and the
names of the persons keeping them,
as shown by their having paid the
required United Sta:es Revenue Li
cense, but I think I have shown be
yond question that this was the day of
Iblind tigers in South Carolina. as
well as the day when the dispensary
run things to suit themselves. I have
Iverified myself hj other witnesses
s some of the testimony of Mr. W. E.
Johnson and believe what he testi-'
fied was true; but if The Herald and
SNews is not satisfied I will furnish
additional evidence to prove the cor
rectness of what I have stated. I
ihave no desire to be personal, but
II do want the records kept straight.
f A. C. Jones.
INewberry, S. C.,
August 22, 1905.
Miss Raffle McIver Leavell
(B. lil. o1f0Wo19.l1 0o 16 hi%i11A,V
Pupil of Virgil Piano School of'
- New York, N. Y.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.
Studio over Mower Go.'s Store.
School Opens
September I st, 1905.
SSpecial Attention to Beginners.
NOTICE TO STOCKHOLDERS.
Notice is hereby given to the stocl:
iolders of The Pomaria Ol Mill.
hat by order of the board of d-irec
:ors a meet!nz cl :.ie stockholders.
Xil! be- h&d at the said mill at .>
naria, S. C. on thC T3 day of Sep:_m
>er :10 o'clock a. m. to consider a
-eso.ution to authurize the president
:o borrow thirren thousand do..
,or the Pomaria Oil Mill, and to se
:ure the same by executing its bond
Lnd mortage of its franchises and
)roperty, real and personal.- All stock
iolder:, are urged to be present in per
;on or by proxy.
Ben. M. Se*zler, P:esident.
A goodTypewite
I am agent for the FOX
rYPFqWRITER. This Type
writer is not better than the:
>est, but is better than the rest.
Dur terms are easy, and
whether you are thinking of'
>uying a Typewriter or not, I
will be very glad to have youe
:all and see this machine.
I carry a full line of Type
writer Supplies, Ribbons, Pa
per, Carbon Paper, Brushes,
Erasers, Oil and Oil Cans.
I am also agent for Office
Furniture, such as Filing Cab
nets, Section Book Cases,
Desks, Etc.
waVes Book Store.
Dr. R. M. Kennedy,
DENTIST.
Newberry, - - S. C.
OVER NATIONAL BANK.
Best Mineral As
phalt Roofing.
C. H. CAN NON,
Near C., N. & L. Depot
Newberry College
SEMI-CENTENIAL YEAR.
Courses in
Science,
Classics,
Philosophy,
and Engtnearing.
Thorough Collegiate Training
under positive Christisn in-~
fiuences at a minimum of
of expense.
Next Session begins Sept. 27.
Address
JAMES A. B.SCHERER,
President.
(Schedule in Effect April x6, 395
No. 52. Daily.
Lv. Newberry............12.36 p. m.
Ar. L.aurens ...... ... .. ..50 p. nm
No. 2. Daily.
Lv. Laurens.............. .50 p. m.
Ar. Greenwood ......... 2.46 p. mi.
A.r. Augusta............. --5-20 p. m.
ar. Anderson ............7.10 p. m.
No. 42. Daily.
Lv. Augusta........... ........ .. .... 2.35 p. mn.
Ar. Allendale....................... .. 4 30 p. m.
Ar. Fairfax.... ............. ........ 4.4! p. mi.
Ar. Charleston............................ 7.40 p. m.
r. Beauf ort............. ............. . t.c p. mn
r. Port Royal............... ..... 6.40 p. m.
A r. Savannah..................... .. 6.45 p. ml
Ar. Way'cross.......................... ic.oo p. m.
Ar. Iack-son ville. ..................................
No. !. Daily.
[v. Laut ens... .......................- 2.07 p. m
ar. Spartanburg .......................32 p. m .
No. 52. No. 87..
Daily. Ex. Sun.
v. Laurens............. 2 09 p. mi. S.oo a. mi.
.r. Greenville .... ....-.. 3.25 p. m. !o 20 a. mi.
Through Pullman Cai Service between An
uvsta and Jacksonville, Flis.
{. G ASQ UE,. Agt.. Laur ens. S. C.
O. T. BRYAN. Gen'l A gt., Greenville. S. at
SN EST WILLIAMS,Gen 'iP ass. Agt Augu

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