The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-10-25
,HASELDEN HURLS
HOT SHOT AT Elm.

ember Of the Board Be.
plies to Mr.. QUITS.
Below is given the reply Mr. j
Dndiy Haselden, former chairman
and present member of the State
board Of control, and chairman of the
snb-committee sof Investigation, to
The charges recently published by
depoeed Bookkeeper D A G QUITS
Itsspeaks for Itself
70 the People Of South Carolina;
have delayed reply to the series
Of abusive sirades published in the
daily newspapers. Of the State over
The signature Of D. a. G QUITS until
their conclusion I have been salts.
fed that the peple Of the State, who
may not know this man 0uzts, at least
are sufficiently we'll acquainted with
lnost ef the men whom he has been
nsal1gnsng 30 defer d conclusion as
to ms statements until q further and
conIxadictory assertion should
be made. It has given me.
personally, and the others whose fate
ithad been to incur HE malice, plea
snre to know that this confidence has
not bees uDfounded
It has been my policy since / have
been 8 member Of che board of con
tIoi, and It has been that Of my two
colleagues, whom the < clerk of the
e commissioner designates as the
Haaiority faction Of that body, to give
10 the details of dispensary manage
ment the widest publicity. The dis
pensaig is the peoples institution.
It's management is their business,
and they of right are entitled to such
information as will convince them.
sDd keep them convinced, that it
IS honestly and competently conduct
ed. We do not attempt to deny
that it offers temptation to the die
honest who may secure place and
position in it and have long realized
that It's best safeguard and surest
protection against the thief and the
rebate taker is an open board meeting
aud the full glare Of the public eye
into it's innesmost workings.
a realization of this fact and of the
further fact that the best way and
the only way to purify it. rests in this
publicity. prompted the majority Of
the board to give the facts ELECTED
by the investigating committee to
the public in all their details. instead
of attempting to cover up and to
cure the defects laid bare therein
within a secret board meeting
Whether the facts developed war
ranted the suspension of Mr.. Douthit
the public eau determine. / believe
that the afidavits published are q
Sufficient reply to any suggestion
fhat the removal of the commissions
WIS due TO any factionai feeling in
the board. Until these afddavits
brought to light condition of affairs
which surprised US, Mr. Douthit was
in hearty accord and had the unreser-
ved support of majority of the
board Of control, and would have i,
today but for these facts. l believe
that he has been given q considers
tion tha. be does not deserve. ia view
of them, and | am aetounded that
two of my colleagues on the board
of control can strive to keep him in
the position of commissioner
Shipping Clerk Black. in calling
some of the acts elicted to our at
tep,ion (specifc instances of mismau
agemept affecting the Efficient dis
charge of the position be held) was
protected by the board in thus cour
ageous!y doing his duty, and would
have been protected, it matters not
upon whom his charges reflected
But. unlike Black. so long as
QUITS held his job he had nothing to
report to the board, although he
knew that three out of the FIVE had
recently voted to retain him in his
place while the other two acquiesed
because it couldn't be helped, and
hence would protect him /; although,
like Josephus Woodruff, be kept his
little note book, eavesdroppiDg the
conversation and taking notes of the
Supposed errors and supposed dis
honesty of Commissioners Vance. to
whom be held the position of conf
Dental clerk The facility With
which dates and incidents are quoted
q astonishing. and the fact that they