The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-12-21
GOVERNOR ELLERBE
ON THE DISPENSARY.
Doesn't Approve of the Un.
limited Power of the Board
Of Control.

OOiuWuIa, Leu - uS opptooSu'
ing session of the general assembly
will very likely be an harmonious
ooe, for there are few discordsnt
issues at stake, aud these are expect
ed to be settled without much wrang
ling. However, there will be great
debate on the liquor traffic, and, as
there will be go many elements at
work, it will be difficult to foretell the
outcome.
Prohibition, high license, dispea
sary, anti.dispensary and local option
will each have support. The fight
will probably narrow down to dis.
pensary and anti.dispensary. Politi-
clans are casting anxious glances
toward the settlement of this vexed
question, and while the dispensary
advocates seem to be extremely
confident, still the opponents are
hopeful. But, whatever the outcome,
one thing is cersain--the dispensary
law, if continued in force, will be
changed. Those changes may be
radical, or they may be merely as to
detail!
One matter which Is causing much
concern to politicians and to profess
ed friends of the dispensary is the
State board of control. There is an
evident desire TO abolish this feature
of the government Of the dispensary.
Several ways of obviating the present
method have been suggested, but
none have yet become popular One
Of these is that the executive officers
of the State constitute the board of
control. Another, which has very
recently been suggested, is that the
governor have the power of appoint.
ment vested in him The objection
is avowedly not to the personnel Of
of the board, but because by the law
the board is an irresponsible body
and has unlimited power.
Gov. Ellerbe will in his message 10
the general assembly have something
to say in regard to the dispensary
law. In fact this will be one of the
most important features of his mes.
sage, bat he declines to commit
himself before that time. He says
that his policy is already mapped out,
but that no man other than himself
knows the tenor of his message.
He said yesterday that he had
heard of several ways of electing or
appointing board of control. but he
had not expressed his. views on the
matter. he did say, however, that
be was not at all pleased with the
present system. The State board
conducts an annual business of hun.
dreds of thousands of dollars, and
yet is responsible to nobody. as the
members are not required to give
bond. although in a measure the
board is responsible to the general
assembly. AS an instance of the
privileges accorded the board he
cited the purchase Of the building
now used by the State dispensary.
While this might prove the best in
vestment ever made by the dispen.
sary. still it was an example of the
unlimited power o; the board, and
to obtain permanancy such a state
of conducting business ought to be
remedied.
Along the same line another thing
was distastefnl to him as chief ex.
ecutive of the State. On certain oc-
casions his administration has been
held responsible for enforcing the
actions of the board when really the
administration was not 10 sympathy
w;:h these actions, and had no power
10 obviate them. He thinks that
the governor of the State ought to
have some voice or veto power in
such matters. as all biunders are