The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-02-18

! expire every two years, and II the tw,
additional members are not furnished
the Dispensary affairs are liable to b,
j placed In new, inexperienced hands
! every two years The incoming board
would in all probability elect q new
Commissioner and the institution
would be greatly embarrassed by In,
experienced officers. BY the plan
have suggested there would be two
directors always in Office who would be
familiar with the business and no,
dependent upon State officers for theii
4 appointment. The responsibility foI
the success of this business rests upon
the Board of Control and it is unfair
to the Governor and his associates
upon the board to compel them to
vouch for every check that is signed
and every purchase made and every
dollar expended. The duties of their
offices render 1t impossible for them
to do justice to this business and to
even know OF what is going on. For
tunately we have had Commissioners
so far in whom we have confidence
but should this officer prove to be cor
rupt or incompetent he could In few
| weeks wreck the entire institution.
The inducements to corruption In this
business are exceedingly great, and
the men with whom the Commissioners
is compelled to deal are often un-
scrupulOus. 1t is useless for mo to
enumerate the many ways in which the
Board OF Control may be imposed upon
and unless the most stringent reguia-
tions are thrown around the business
to protect it, / fear the result. It is
made the duty of the Governor as
Chairman OF the Board OF Control to
approve every warrant drawn by the
Commissioners upon the State Treas
urer, and have approved as high as
thirty thousand dollars In one day
without having any evidence as to
how 1t was to. be applied except the
signature OF the Commissioner and the
draft of the firm for whose benefit it
was drawn. This Is too much re-
sponsibility to place upon the Cover
nor, and ne should be relieved of it.
l would, therefore, recommend that
all accounts of the State Commissioners
be first approved by the State Board of
Control and the consent OF the board
be first obtained before the Commits
sioner is allowed to incur any debts,
and that such bills when so approved 90
presented to the Governor for approval
and payment. 1 would further recon-
mend that tho clerk of the board be
paid salary OF fifteen hundred dollars
per annum and his duties enlarged
and he be required to certify all bills
approved by the board and cheek off
the merchandise purported to Re cover
ed therein. In this manner the Board
Will be enabled to know what they are
doing and the Governor relieved of a
responsibility that should not be placed
upon him. This would also relieve
the Commissioner of any insinuation
or charge of favoritism and remedy
the weakest feature of tho law, and
thus place it beyond the criticism or
reproach OF its enemies. or one thing
you may be certain, If any degree of
corruption isuever discovered at this
institution the people will destroy it as
quickly rs they inaugurated it, and
should such corruption be practiced
1T Will be sure to be unearthed sooner
or later. 1t is your conscientious duty
to SO frame this statute as to guard
against any contingencies that may
arise in the future by the election of
State officers hostile to the law or
from its careless enforcement by it's
friends. There are amendments of
minor importance, but which are
necessary for the enforcement of the
law, but am sure they will appeal to
your good judgment without further
hint from me.
The system of operating the County
Dispensaries since the Inauguration
OF the Scruggs furm of bookkeeping is
as near perfect as you can make it.
During the past year we have discov-
cred three defalcations among County
Dispensers. They ha been reported
to the Attorney General, and he had
entered suit upon the bonds and COM
menced criminal process against the
hiSnnnSnra 10 hut ;,,,t al, 90
these defalcations occurred during the
year previous to the inauguration of
the Scruggs system of bookkeeping.
apprehend no further trouble on this
line.
L woald recommend that the County
Supervisors be taken off the County
Board of Control as under the new
Constitution he is Ineligible, and be-
sides the duties of his Office are incon-
sistent with those of the Dispensary,
and If he attends to them properly he
will have but little time to devote to
the business. / desire to impress upon
you the advisability of divorcing the
Dlspensary from any other Office or
State institution. So that no RESPONSE
bility for its management and success
may not be divided, but rest entirely
upon the shoulders of officers appointed
to look after In exclusively.
In conclusion, permit me to say that
J feel q peculiar anxiety and interest
in the success of this institution by
reason of my connection with the enact
mont of the law while member Of
your honorable body, and without any
hesitation or apparent egOtism on my
part do not believe that any future
Governor will feel towards the law and
guard it as scrupulously as my prcde-
cessor and myself. For these reasons
| have endeavored to talk to you plain
ly and point out what sincerely be-
lieve necessary to perpetute law 80
wise and salutary.
SENATOR TlLLMAN'S PROGRAM.