:Prohibition and Dispensary
Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson once confessed, “I am more afraid of the effects of King Alcohol than all the bullets of the enemy” (Jones 443). To make such a firm statement, Jackson had to understand just how harmful the effects of alcohol on people and America as a whole has had throughout history. From 10,000 B.C. to today, alcohol and its effects have been evident (Hanson). In the 19th century, the consequences that come along with alcohol sprung up more than ever before, specifically in America. Therefore, to find a solution to the issues brought about by the growing alcohol consumption rate, plans such as the dispensary system and the plan of prohibition were established. To solve America's …show more content…
One of these strategies was the dispensary which established by Ben Tillman, Governor of South Carolina at the time, to avoid statewide prohibition. Under his guidance, the General Assembly established the dispensary system, a state-run monopoly on liquor sales, for South Carolina on December 24, 1892. The goal of the dispensary system was to reduce the consumption of intoxicating liquors without completely banning it; furthermore, this restriction hoped to knock out the social problems and crime. He believed the dispensary method would be a better fit than prohibition for South Carolina at the time because Tillman viewed the prohibition plan as “practicable, or even desirable” (Krause 15). Ben Tillman expected to create a law that would find a happy medium for prohibitionists and drinkers. Limiting the consumption of alcohol was supposed to satisfy prohibitionists and slightly allowing the use of alcoholic products was supposed to satisfy drinkers, for it was an improvement from prohibition. However, a peaceful medium was not found. Prohibitionists were stubborn and firmly wanted complete prohibition and drinkers still were infuriated that drinks were not completely accessible like they once were. Neither prohibitionists nor drinkers were pleased by the dispensary system.
Despite the disapproval from both prohibitionists and drinkers, overall, …show more content…
economy suffered because of the enforcement cost of prohibition as a result of the 18th Amendment. After National Prohibition began and the plan started to seem successful, enforcement of the plan was common among prohibitionists. Enforcement became so important that sending individuals to certain areas to ensure the law was being obeyed weakened the government's economy. In the letter from the Governor’s Office to J. Elmore Martin, on October 3, 1918, it shows how the government responded to violations of the law by stating, "There seems to be a well organized traffic in liquor, not only so far as the Pullman porters are concerned, but among the negroes of the town as well...it might be well for Mr. Eichelberger to look into the whole matter before making any arrests" (Governor’s Office). The travels taken by those that helped ensure the law was being enforced, such as Mr. Eichelberger, cost the government loads of money, which weakened the economy; therefore, prohibition was a
Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson once confessed, “I am more afraid of the effects of King Alcohol than all the bullets of the enemy” (Jones 443). To make such a firm statement, Jackson had to understand just how harmful the effects of alcohol on people and America as a whole has had throughout history. From 10,000 B.C. to today, alcohol and its effects have been evident (Hanson). In the 19th century, the consequences that come along with alcohol sprung up more than ever before, specifically in America. Therefore, to find a solution to the issues brought about by the growing alcohol consumption rate, plans such as the dispensary system and the plan of prohibition were established. To solve America's …show more content…
One of these strategies was the dispensary which established by Ben Tillman, Governor of South Carolina at the time, to avoid statewide prohibition. Under his guidance, the General Assembly established the dispensary system, a state-run monopoly on liquor sales, for South Carolina on December 24, 1892. The goal of the dispensary system was to reduce the consumption of intoxicating liquors without completely banning it; furthermore, this restriction hoped to knock out the social problems and crime. He believed the dispensary method would be a better fit than prohibition for South Carolina at the time because Tillman viewed the prohibition plan as “practicable, or even desirable” (Krause 15). Ben Tillman expected to create a law that would find a happy medium for prohibitionists and drinkers. Limiting the consumption of alcohol was supposed to satisfy prohibitionists and slightly allowing the use of alcoholic products was supposed to satisfy drinkers, for it was an improvement from prohibition. However, a peaceful medium was not found. Prohibitionists were stubborn and firmly wanted complete prohibition and drinkers still were infuriated that drinks were not completely accessible like they once were. Neither prohibitionists nor drinkers were pleased by the dispensary system.
Despite the disapproval from both prohibitionists and drinkers, overall, …show more content…
economy suffered because of the enforcement cost of prohibition as a result of the 18th Amendment. After National Prohibition began and the plan started to seem successful, enforcement of the plan was common among prohibitionists. Enforcement became so important that sending individuals to certain areas to ensure the law was being obeyed weakened the government's economy. In the letter from the Governor’s Office to J. Elmore Martin, on October 3, 1918, it shows how the government responded to violations of the law by stating, "There seems to be a well organized traffic in liquor, not only so far as the Pullman porters are concerned, but among the negroes of the town as well...it might be well for Mr. Eichelberger to look into the whole matter before making any arrests" (Governor’s Office). The travels taken by those that helped ensure the law was being enforced, such as Mr. Eichelberger, cost the government loads of money, which weakened the economy; therefore, prohibition was a