The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-15
DISPENSARY GRAFT.
Investigation Committee Has Probably Fin
isned Investigation-The Report to the
Legislature Will Contain No Direct Charges
Of Graft in the State Dispensa1y, BET
Manv InfinaffnnS
Special to The Manning Times.


Special to The Manning Times.
COLUMBIA, November lit IS be-
ginning to look practically certain no"
that there will be no more working ses-
sions of the Dispensary 1nvestlsatlnS
Commission before the convenlng OF the
Legislature, and that the COMMISSION 5
report to the Legislature VIII contalu
no direct or tangible evidence OF gfa!t
against anybody connected with the
central management OF the DlspenSarE'
although there have been lnnumeraole,
not to say irresistible. hints along this
line in the proceedings specially direct
ed at the sIb-Dispensaries, whose man-
aeement and operation have been shown
to be reeking with graft and bribery
and various other forms of corruption
and tilth-rottenness ell of which has
been. easy under the mismanagement
mot to call it by harsher nameI at
headquarters. The Legislature may be
informed. however, through this report
or otherwise, as to how a detective en-
ployed by the Commission had MS work
interfered with to such an extent by
prominent men whose duties required
their cooperation the other way that
he gave up in disgust and quit, giving
his reasons.
The Commission has been tied up in
it's work pending decision by the Su-
preme Court in the Farnum case, which
involves the question of its authority
and the constitutionality of the Brlce
Act. But so far not even the report OF
the special referee Judge Izlar, has
come into the Supreme Court, although
the hearing was concluded in Septem-
Der and the report was expected early
in October. Judge IZiar was not to re-
port any conclusions, but was simply to
Submit a transcript of the testimony,
and the sessions being short 1t has not
been expected this report would be
bulky. But should the report come IN
in a few days and the Supreme Court
make it's decision in favor OF the Com
mission, it is more than likely that the
Federal courts would be invoked to
block the work of the Commission.
In the meantime, interesting ana
strong proofs appear to support belief
that Commissioner Tatum is making
valiant and successful fight to hold down
the State Board of Control in the matter
of purchases by threats to bring the
matter to the attention of the public.
Under this persuasion only such pur-
chases are being made, it is said, as ne
sends acquisitions for in order to supply
the needs of the house as expressed IN
the requests of the Dispensers through
out the State for supplies. Members OF
the Boards say they passed resolution
20 this effect several months ago, and
they are claiming the credit, though
friends of Commissioner Tatum say the
resolution was squeezed cut OF the
Board by The Commissioner, who has
his eve on a political future. In any
event there will be scarcely much less
than million dollars worth OF whiskey
to be disposed of from this State If the
coming Legislature wipes out the DIS
pensary suddenly.
What the legislature will do about
the matter has the politicians aud
every body else guessing. The So
called prohibition party has split on
how the question should be disposed.
There are the passionate defenders OF
the dispensary, who have never for
saken the idea that the dispensary
SCrdpSu llSC VI OlC - LSAAo cSA AAeNS@NS AA1~-J
be patched up and placed in the hands
of new crew in such ideal shape and
condition as to accomplish all OF the
lovely things its sponsors promised,
while in the meantime some OF these
same sponsors and early defenders hav-
ing now been crowded away from the
pie counter have lined up with the
purists and others to ditch the thing.
Then there is large army of uncom-
promising prohibitionists who will ac,
cept nothing but prohibition and blind
tigers which go with it. Opposed to
this class, but seeking the same gen
eral object, are those who favor local
option as between high license, county
controlled dispensary and prohibition.
There are still others who hope to get
a return to the old barroom system, and
vet others who would make barrooms
of the present dispensaries. Senator
Tillman's plan to farm the whole busl-
mess out to some one concern to be
operated on the present general pan
does not seem to gather many adherents.