The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-09-13

Che old papers. and is manifestly the best
advertising medium in Sumter.
- The outlook is for the best busi-
mess this fall that Sumter has had
IN many years.
The sewerage question is not dead
and the men who want to be mayor
mex. year Will have to be well posted
on the subject and not afraid to de-
clare their views,
II seems to an outsider that the
wh;skey houses could have devised
s. more convenient voucher for the
use of dispensers than empty packing
cases. They were the most cumber-
some drafts on record, but SO long
as they brought the money promptly
the dispensers were satisfied.
If all the testimony taken is printed
IN the report of the Investigating
committee to the legislature it will
make bulky volume and the law
makers will have to work over time
TO read it all.
And after all graft found lodge
menf in the Sumter dispensary. we
were led to believe that the investi-
eating committee had been unable TO
discover anything radically wrong IN
s the. management of the local dispen-
sarv: and we actually had faith and
nerve to congratulate Sumter that II
nossessed a well managed and graft-
proo, rum shop. But it is evident tnal
Dispenser Windham was tarreo Win
-the same stick as the other dispensers
and utilized his opportunities to aug
mant his salary by traficking in emp
~ whiskey cases and beer bottles. we
+alxe hack all that we said a few days
ago and admit that Sumter dlspen-
Sarv affairs are neither better nor
worse than in other counties. The
d,snensary under the existing man
agement seems to be first and last a
system Of graft on the side for the
men who run it. The profit on the
side seems to extend from the hlgn-
est to the lowest, and when the local
s5ispensers have received a rake Oh
amounting to a few hundred dollars
q wear. the big men have had their
thousands. 1t is system Of pick1nss
from op to bottom and there IS yet
To he found the man who has not re-
ce;yed his share. This being the case,'
about the only way to purge the sys-
tenn Of graft is to make a. clean sweep
OF all who are now responsible Tor the
management Of the State or local dis
pensaries and change the entire sys-
tenn of purchasing liquors. The foun-
dafion of the present system OF graft
lies in the purchase and the sale OF
special brands Of liquors in the dis
pensaries and until the sale Of case
goods in discontinued the whiskey
houses will continue to devise schemes
to make it profitable to the dispens-
ers to push their special brands. The
faiscontinuance of the sale Of special
brands. would cut off the most profit
able graft of the local dispensers. but
the publication of the State dfspen-
sary. where the rake off on purchases
amount to thousands, if report be
true, is far more difficult matter.
The Christensen-Lyons sub-commit-
tee on county dispensaries have per-
eermed the duty assigned them fear
lessly, thoroughly and justly They
were directed to obtain the facts and
facts they have succeeded in obtain
ing are so complete and convincing
that no one can doubt the existence Of
mismanagement in each and every
county dispensary in the State. The
cose is complete and if the legislature
does not take steps to remedy the
conditions that have been growing
steadily worse for several years, 1t
will be because the lawmakers will
fully and knowingly disregard a plain
duty. Messrs Christensen and Lyon
have performed a disagreeable duty
with ability and painstaking care and
they merit the thanks of the people
of the State If the exposure Of the
State dispensary shall be as thorough
the investigating committee will have
performed monumental work.
The announcement Of Schwartz
Bros. that they will hereafter close
their store at 6 o'clock p. m, every