The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-01-10

urer and the State uperintcndent of
Education, with such powers and duties
as in your wisdom you may think
proper to confer upon them. do not
deem it wise to put the Governor or the
Attorney General on this advisory
board. You might add to this board
the chairman of the Finance Commit
tee of the Senate and the Chairman OF
the Ways and Means Committee of the
House. 1t would not be necessary for
this board to meet more than four times
q year and at each meeting competitive
sealed bids could be submitted and these
bids opened in the presence of the Com
missioner and such purchases made as
would be needed to supply the demand.
The State Treasurer is the custodian of
the funds, the Comptroller General dis
tributes the school part of the fund
arising from the dispensary, and the
State Superintendent of Education is
the head Of the educational department
which is the beneficiary Of the fund.
These officers are elected by the people
and have to give account to them for;
the manner in which they discharge
their duties and are always men of abil-f
ity and character. x5
In place of the County Boards would, ,
suggest that the County Superyis0r,
County Auditor, and the Mayor The;
County seat town, II a dispensary efpsi
Gated there, If not the mayor or 4nt6HG
ant of some town In the. County in
which there Iss dtspensaIy constitute
the County Board, and tiat they serve,
without extra comp epsasd Ihey. To-
have to give account OF theiE steWayds,
ship to the people, i would also stig
gest that the, county dispsusers ;sha
elected by the people aS other 3eolgsy
officers are elected and. i0sa teruis0t
two years.
because in my Judgment aonld I'M
prove the administretion DE laWs but
on the ground, of Acoueay lsregTet
that Ihave not the fg1IAs f0rathe hes last
fiscal year. They could not geo obtained
on account OF theH Hass6a1b1ing OF the
Legislature coming so rear TO the close
of the fiscal year. The fgnres, how;
ever, will not be materially different
from3tbose OF the fiscal! year 1885, so
far as,the County Boardsaret oncerne9
but the cost Of the State Board
doubtedly be very much increasedsA11
this year the total cost OF the Gengs
Boards was 9,724 co.. Fofs
wear the cost Of the sStata !.4E
Control was $4. 300. OIL
total OF S14,l442I sHstheE q he
State and County Boards
which by their abolitlon %
turned into tHssproa a q q sn snS
sary. ~ 3 3
so amended as NJ bring yiolations with
in the jurisdictions OF the magistrates,
so that lEcases might.be promptly and
summarily adjudicated. Much OF the
expense ofathe constabulary arises from
having to attend circnit courts as wit
nesses and prosecutors against blind
Soon after came into office;I reduced
the constabulary force nearly one-halt
and endeavored as far as [ knew and
could secure information to select men
of character and discretion to perform
the duties of State Constables. AS public
sentiment grows in, favor of the law and
MAG istrates and their constables, and
other officers realize that it is as much
their duty to enforce this as any other
law, am satisfied that the force can be
still further reduced and finally entirely
abolished. .
During the past year I issued circu
lar letter to all the magistrates ano
sheriffs of the State and the mayors ano
intendents OF the incorporated cities and
towns, calling their attention to the
fact that the Dispensary Law was as
much law OF the State as any other
law and also directing their attention
|, to their duty to enforce it just as they
would the statute against larceny OF
!, any other crime, and asking their aio
and cooperation in the wise and hu
name execution OF all laws. The re-
sponses were numerous and unanimous
ia expressions of hearty cooperation
, Some OF them were frank enough to say
; that they had been a1d<were opposed tc
!, the Dispensary Law but manly enough
to acknowledge it as law OF the State
and to pledge their support and co-ope
ration in its proper enforcement. an
satisfied that this circular has resulted
in good and that in many OF the cities
and towns the local authorities are DO
ing what they can to apprehend viola
tors and that there are fewer violations
4 of the Dispensary Law than OF many
other laws on the statute books.
II Mr.. w. w. Harris, who is clerk ano
is in charge Of this department under
my direction, in his report to me says
"There is less complaint OF the illicit
traffic in liquor coming to this Office
from throughout the State than ever
before during the five years have
: been connected with this department
and it is very evident that there is less
violation of the Dispensary Law over
the entire State, with the possible ex.
ception of the city of Charleston and
two or three; of the counties in the
north west portion of the State, and il
is probable that even in those sections
there has been improvement" L SUBJ
nit herewith a table showing the com
parative cost End the work done by the
reduced number of constables for the
last six months of 1899 and the CORE
spording six months of 1898. twill
be seen that so far as the work done
the number of seizures is about the
same, while there has been 8 saving
for the six months of 1899 over the same
six months of 1898 OF $S,25S.9O in this
one item.
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