The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-10-25
The DIspENsARY MIDDLE.

! S1G 0iA& SSSSa@s@ ~ ~ SSSA'
We have waited patiently for the
development of all the facts connected
with the alleged, We use the word
advisedly] disr ensaray scandal which
the public has recently heard so much
of before expressing an opinion on
the issues Joined True all the facts
are not yet in, as Mr.. Vance, who
was tie Commissioner until deposed
by Mr.. Doutbit, who in turn was
given the grand bounce by the ma
iority faction of the State Board OF
Control, has given public notice that
he will at some future day not
yet named, give to the public
his side of the controversy; but
enough has been unfolded to lead
an intelligent and fair minded reader
to the conclusion that there has
been great deal more smoke than
fire; too many broad and sweep
ing assertions and too little proof to
convince one of their correctness; too
much politics and jealousy, conse-
quently bad management of the dis
pensary and backbitipg among its
officials, and very little display Of
business judgment and a lack of har-
mony which are so essential to the
successful working of that institu-
ton. Nothing criminal has so far
been developed but vague and in
definite reference to the word "steal-
ing" but as the article wherein it oc-
Cured was so illtimed and iltemper-
ed that it cannot be entertained
by a reasonable mind. Negligence,
incompetency, laziness and general
disregard of the instructions OF the
State Board of Control are the counts
in the bill of indictment. These
evils probably exist in many private
enterprises today, because it is
natural that where so large anumber
of persons are employed there must
be some efl,cted with one or more OF
the evils mentioned above. There
is no way to guard against them and
the olny remedy is to do as the board
has done, root out the evils. Without
taking sides in the controversy the
matte, boiled to cold and unvarni>b-
ed facts, seems to US to be that
Dou,hit, the Commissioner pleads
guilty to the charge that he dis
obeyed the instructions of the Board
in that he did at divers times retail
whisky at the State dispensary but
puts in an excuse to condone the Of
fence that he did so under. misap'
prehension. QUITS, the erstwhile
book-keeper, enters plea Of guilty
to the same charge, and excuses him
self on the ground that he did bu'
obey the orders of his superior
Having entered these pleas tria
was unnecessary and they were
discharged from Office. Black, The
shipping clerk, admits that it is pos
sible thst some mistakes may have
occurred in filling orders and billing
goods, but contends that the errors
if any, were of such nature as we,e
liable to occur in any we'll regulated
wholesale house. These, in nut
shell, are the facts which have giver
Use to so much newspaper contro
yersy and which has been used by
the enemise of the dispensary sys.
tenn of controlling the sale of liquor
to bring it into disrepute. Amid all
the dust which has been raised, it is
a remarkable coincident that not one
word has been uttered derogatory
to the system itself. The advocates
of high license, which is but another
name for the open saloon, have sought
to tear down the dispensary only by
attacking the personal integrity snd
business character of its employees.
Weak indeed must be the contentious
of those who have to resort to such
illogical and disreputable methods
to accomplish their ends. Strong ID
deed must be the system which is so
impregnable as to force its enemies
into such weak and untenable posi-
tion. No matter what may be said
against the misdeeds OF Douthit and
QUITS, or, for that matter any one
else, the fact remains uncontradicted
and ncontradictable that there are
honest men connected with the dis
pensary, and that there are thousands
more in the State who would gladly
accept position there were an op
portuDity given them to do so, hence
it is certain that the dispensary will
not fall through for the lack Of honest
men to transact its business.
The difficulty with the dispensary
has been, as We see it, in recent years