The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-05-26

possibility. aud if the system shall
finally fail it will be owing to the i'm
proper administrator of the law.
So much for the general subject.
Now, for particulars | have waited
to see this weeks Headlight, SO as to
have Gantt's specific charges cover
ing the administration OF the Jaw
under yBen Tillman and Traxlcr =
and, liHk others. / have been aston
ished a the afrontery which gives
out SO much smoke aDd so little fire.
He merely dips his syringe into the
gutter of filth and slime emanating
for the last three years from the
News aud Courier. the State, the
Spartanbnrg Herald, and the Green
vile News, with which the people
have been SO disguised, and spattess
me along with others with its con-
tents. He, however, winds up with
a reiteraticn of the cry "lnvesti-
gate Investigate Investigate =
/ have not Stunned nor dreaded an
and l do not shun it
now but / venture the prediction
that my enemies will be sorry if one
be held, and will declare that it is
not honestly made. They do not
want the time to come when they
cannot dig up the question OF rebates
and cast insinuations against my hon
esty. When tness stale ISLANDERS
about rebates under my administra
ton were put in circulation by the
newspapers and then taken up by
General Butler, in the canvass three
years ago, met them promptly and
vigorously at Union and elsewhere,
and last winter I joined with Govern
or Evans in asking that the Legisla-
ture should appoint committee to
look into the D:spensary's manage
ment and set the charges of corrup
ton at rest forever. The books of
the Dispensary and everything con
nected with its financial affairs have
been investigated aBd reported on
tine aud again by legislative com
mittee, one of whose members was
au anti, incapable of seduction or of
being induced to cloak wrong The
committee has never yet made re-
port rejecting on the integrity or
honesty of its management Now,
the cry is tInvestigate y and while
Can't and no one else has or can
give any satisfactory reason why my
administration of the Disoensary
should be Investigated, l desire to
ask the Governor to select commit
tee of citizens to enter upon an in
vestigation Immediately. aud | am
willing 30 answer any inquiries made,
and I doubt not that every other man
with the Dispensary in
any official way would be willing to
do likewise. The expense cannot be
great, and could be paid out of the
contingent fund. and the matter is of
sufficient Importance, think, to war
rant the outlay
The friends of the Dispensary can
not allow it TO be undermined and
smothered in filth by the guttersnipes
who are running the editorial pages
of our daily papers, and if any cor
ruption can be shown. other than
what has already been shown to ex-
ist, punishment swift and sure should
follow. / stand ready to explain
aud justify every act of mine in con-
nection with the law, and doubt not
that Governor Evans can do likewise.
Let the matter be set at rest and the
smolderisg embe1s of envy and hate
be put out once for ell
Now. in regard to the Agricultu-
raj Hall matter. presume to offer
advice because | am solely RESPONSE
BILE fol. the States attitude In tie
case, and felt, at the time l took ac-
ton and feel still, that it was the
only proper coarse to pursue. | haye
seen the full text of the decision of
the Supreme Court, aud speak in full
knowledge of it's import The situa-
tion is this Mr.. Tindal cannot de-
liver the property if he wanted to.
| cannot believe that Simonton or
any other judicial tyrant will under
take to take the building by force
from the present State officers If
they do, then the act Of dispossessing
the State will in the minds of fair
minded persons show the falsity Of
the decree that it is not suit against
the State. The whole fight hinges
on the possession of the building.
and 80 long as the State can hold
that, it must retain the advantage
Once Wesley and his attorney get
possession. with or without the con