The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-01-18

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and embezzlement to the smallest
amount possible. The State Commis-
sioner might be either appointed by the
State Board or elected by the General
Assembly. We have both systems now
in force in the State. The Superlnten-
dent of the Hospital for the Insane,
who is giving perfect satisfaction, is ap-
pointed superintendent of the Peniten-
tiary an equally efficient officer. is elect
ed by the General Assembly. But there
should be vested somewhere the power
bv which both State Commissioner and
County Dispensers might be suspended,
and, if necessary, be removed forcause.
| suggest also what seems to me need
ed improvement. and thatisa change Iii
the mannerof purchasing gliQuors. Whls-
key is as much staple article as corn
or -four, though it varies in quality and
price, according to age and the meth
DDS cf distillation and manipulation.
The large bulk of liquor consumed by
the people is obtainable in absolutely
pure form and of good quality, without
the necessity of recourse to chemical
analysis, for it can be bought directly
from government warehouses without
passing through the hands Of rectlhers
and manipulators who are almost sure
to adulterate it for the sake OF profit.
I think that the law should provide
that purchases should be made, under
annual contracts, with parties who
would agree to furnish liquors from the
bonded warehouses Of the United
States, of the required age and strength,
upon the most reasonable terms. These
contracts should be let in such way
as to preclude all possibility of collu.
sion or fraud. If blended or rectifed
whiskeys are bought, as is now the case,
there is absolutely no safe test by
which adulteration car be shown, un-
less the liquor is so bad as not to be tit
to drink. These remarks apply to the
X and Xxx whiskeys, or liquors OF the
first and second quality, enumeratlng
from the lowest to the highest, as has
been the rule in the state. do not be-
lieve it is, reputable, in the states bu-
siness, that there should be swarm OF
whiskey drummers meeting at Columbia
once a month to sell the required sup
ply in driblets. Arrangements should
be made under contract for the pur-
chase. as l have indicated, and the or
ders for additional supplies will 60 for
ward with as much assurance Of being
honestly filled as if salt or bacon we're
bought. The special brands and wines
required could be purchased in the
same way, as these constitute only a
small part of the business, no change
need be made in the present modes OF
buying them.
There is another matter that appears
worthy of mention. With the expert
ence gained by the employees in bot.
Ting and packing and shipping OF
liquors, there ought to be practically
no breakage, if the bottles were Of good
quality, and the packing were well
done, for the cars are loaded alongside
the State Dispensary building, and
there is hardly ever transfer from one
road to another. This matter Of break
age has been the main reason for con-
tinuing the County Boards Of Control.
It can be readily seen what a saving
would follow if these boards were abol-
ished, and it can be safely asserted that
the prevention Of breakage would make
these boards no longer necessary:
There is one other matter to which l
invite the careful attention Of the Gen
srsl Assembly: it is with regard to the
| importation Of whiskey for personal use.
The protection given by the Supreme
Court to those who desire to exercise
this right in good faith is in no sense
objectionable. The State does not need,
nor does it wish, to restrict its citizens
in this right; but the abuse Of it gives
a loophole for illicit dealers to obtain
their supplies, under the pretense that
it is for personal use. The provisions
of the law which was declared uncon.
stitutional in this respect think can
| be amended so as to make the importa-
ton of such liquors come within the
terms Of the Courts decree. But tor
for the opportunity thus afforded to
evade the law, by importing liquor un-
der the pretense that it is for personal
use, there would soon be small need
fo- oonetob]es 7 earnestly urge that
the Judiciary Committee consider the
subject carefully in the light Of Justice
Whites opinion, and see if some pro-
vision for inspection cannot be enacted,
that, while imposing no onerous bur
dens on the citizen who imports for his
own use, will yet insure the importa-
ton of pure liquors, and limits, as far
as possible, the abuse Of this right for
the purpose Of sale. Let the law define
fully and clearly the methods to be fol-
lowed in such cases. I have already
pointed out hov We may purchase, Tor
the dispensarySS liquors that are pure;
some provision requiring bonded ware
house stamps on liquors consumed in
South Carolina, it seems to me, would
answer the purpose; but I only throw
out the suggestion for what it is worth
and cali attention to the subjects be-
ause of it's importance.
a Goodspeech.
President Thomas E. Miller, Of the