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

sense of those VINO Will CONSIDER II
a business proposition. We trust and
believe that other progressive mer-
chants will promptly fall into line and
make the o'clock closing unanimous.
A clerk does full days work between
Z or 8 o'clock a. m. and 6 p. M, and
there is no good reason why the stores
should remain open until all hours OF
the night, keeping the employees on
duty for twelve or fourteen hours.
There is just so much business I.
be transacted and it can be done be-
tween Z and p. m. and p. m. as
well as between s a. nm. and 10 p. m.
The Schwartz plan is good plan
and we heartily endorse it.
The State dispensary officials must
have burned all the letters that would
show of evidence Of graft, for no such
letters have been produced. The Co
lumbia gang, are evidently smarter as
well as bigger, graters, than the little
box and bottle traflckers.
II the farmers expect to make the
demand Of the Cotton Growers's AS
sociation that the buyers pay mini
mum Of II cents for cotton effective
they must hold at least Is per cent of
their crop until December lst and so
per cent. until January 1st. By that
time the world will be hungry for cot
ton and willing to pay the price the
producers fix. This is where the cot
ton warehouses come in.
Nearly all the testimony touching
on corruption in the management of
the State dispensary relates to Will
liams, Miles, Douthet and other men
who have been out several years and
are now without power OF influence
in the graft machine. Where are the
witnesses to tell what Evans, Boykin
and Towill have been doing in the
past year or two. Ancient history is
an interesting and instructive study,
but history of our own times is the
literature the people appreciate most.
A two volume history Of the reign Oh
Hub Evans would be the most popu-
lar story of the year.
It was to be regretted that Mayor
Rhett, Of Charleston, found it incon-
venient to attend the session Of the
Investigating committee in this city.
He may have been able to throw some
light on the situation in the blind
tiger metropolis, whereby we could
form an opinion of the conditions that
would result if the effort is made to
substitute prohibition for the dispen-
sary throughout the State.
The Cotton Growers Association
acted wisely in not fixing the mini
mum price of cotton at an excessive
figure. Eleven cents, under present
conditions is fair price and the SPIN
ners can afford to pay it and stlli
make money with cotton goods at
nresent prices. If the mill men and
cotton growers will get together and
cut out the Theodore Prices and sim
i,ar cotton future gamblers they can
regulate the price Of cotton to their
mutual advantage.
The young men are giving literally
toward the Presbyterian College fund.
The men Of moderate. means in sum
ter can always be counted ON to show
public spirit The will deny them
selves to contribute to any movement
that promises to benefit the town. II
is this spirit that has made Sumter
and will continue to keep it in the
forefront of South Carolina towns.
There is now substantial ground for
hope that the movement to secure the
location of the Presbyterian college
in this city will be crowned with sue
cess. The people of Sumter are begin
ming to put their heart into the worn
and if they beceme fully aroused and
determined to secure the college the
college will come to Sumter. Men OF
all faiths, callings and PROFESSIONS
have united in the effort to bring the
college to Sumter and this unanim1ty
Of thought and purpose should ac-
complish the task Of raising the few
thousand dollars that are needed to
complete the fund required. 1t IS
not questioned that it would be to the