The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-10-25
FACTS ALONE Count.

Some Of the newspapers are jump
ing On Mr.. QUITS for disclosing the
populations of the State board OF con-
troll, after he was discharged from
the service; they contend, that had
QUITS not lost his Job be would have
winked at the rottennSs. Be that
as it may, the propriety OF QUITS ac-
ton or conduct, like the Mikados
howers that bloom in the spring-time
has nothing to do with the case. Has
QUITS tc.u the truth? II be has,
then Miles, Haselden and Robinson
are not ouly unfit to hold positions of
trust but should be prosecuted to the
full extent of the law. Ii QUITS has
lied, then he should be prosecuted for
libel and punished with the laws dull
penalty. Because QUITS kept quiet
while he was employed may not show
up well for him personally, but that
does not lessen the crime against the
accused if he speaks the truth. True,
it looks like a case OF turning States
evidence, and such a witness state
ment should be carefully considered,
nevertheless if his statements are COR
federated by indisputable proof, such
as records, and other evidences, his
testimony is as good as that of a man
who did not "Peach" because of los
ing his job. The legislature will ap-
point committee to Investigate the
dispensary, and we sincerely hope
they will begin at the beginning, and
not stop until every transaction has
been thoroughly sifted. They should
be empowered to send for books and
papers, be given the services OF an
attorney not connected officially with
the government, and empowered to
employ detectives and every other
means to ascertain whether or not
there was any stealing and who the
thieves ore, and then when they have
found sufficient evidence, require the
chairman of the committee to immed-
lately cause the arrest of the parties
against whom they have obtained evi
dence. If the right kind of men are
appointed they will hew to the line,
letting the chips fall where they may,
and then the dispensary will be man.
aged in the future free from scandals.
We believe the dispensary can be put
under a system that will give satisfac-
ton; the present system will have to be
reYolutionized, by the Legislature, and
should that body fail, the people will
take hold and do the revolutionizing.
At the last session the writer in
troduced a bill to permit the people
in the respective counties to vote on
the questions Dispensary, Prohibi-
ton, High License, the bill was de-
feated, but We have never lost hope
in the final success of the measure
If the people of a county vote for the
dispensary system, and the manage
ment is put into the hands Of a local
board to buy the goods, and to see
after the enforcement of the law, the
law would be better looked after and
there would be less room for scan-
dals. On the other hand if the peo-
pie vote prohibition" there would be
no legalized liquor selling and those
voting out the liquor would feel large
ly responsible for the enforcement of
the law. Then where a county like
Charleston or Richland vote "IIigh
License" the local authorities issuing
the licenses would be forced to pro-
tect their licenses and thus crush
out the illicit traffic so common and
wide open in Charleston and Colutn-
bia Under existing conditions the
lawless sale of liquor in Charleston
and other cities, teaches and encour-
ages the violation of all other law; if
the disregard for law was confined to
the cities, those living in the rural
districts need not complain, but the
thing is spreading, and as oar city
cousins are defying the law, so is this