The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-11-15
DiSrtkSASY GaaFT.
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE HAS
PROBABLY FINISHED IN
VESTIGATION.
The Report to the Legislature Will
Contain no Direct Charges OF
Graft In the State Dispensary
But Many Intin1ations.

to look practically cersaln now tnat
there will be NO more working ses-
sions of the dispensary Investigating
commission before the convcnlng OF
the Legislature, and that the commls-
sion's report to the legislature will
contain no direct or tangible evidence
of graft against anybody connected
| with the central management OF the
dispensary. although there have been
| inpumerable not to say irresistible
hints along this line in the proceed
ings specially directed at the s"o-dls-
pensaries, whose management and
operation have been shown to be reek-
ing with graft aid bribery and var,
ious other forms of corruption and
filth rottenness, all of which has
heen easy under the mismanagement
(not to call it by barsher name) at
headquarters. The legislature may be
informed, however. through this re-
port or otherwise as 10 bowsa detec-
tive employed by the commission had
his work lnterfered with 10 such an
extent by prominent m:n whose duties
required their cooperation the other
way that be gave up Iii disgust ard
Quit, giving his reasons.
The commission hss been tied 0p
IN its work pending cec;sion hJ T.:
Supreme Court in the Fernum case,
which involves questoIs of It's aD-
thority and the constitutionallty OF
the Brice at. But so far not even
the report of the special referee.
Jadge Izlar. has come in to the Su-
preme Court, although the hearing
was concluded in September, and the
report was expected early in October.
judge Izler was not to report any con-
clusions, but was simply to submit
transcript of the testimony, end the
sessions being short it has not been
expectd this report would be bulky.
But should the report come III
few days and the Supreme Court
make it drclsion in favor Of the COM
mission it is mora than likely that
the federal courts would be invoke d
to block the work of the commission.
In the meantime interesting and
strong proofs appear to support belief
that Commissioner Tatum is making
a valiant and successful tight to bold
| down the State board of directors IN
the matter cf purchases by threats to
bring the matter to the attention OF
the public. Under this persuasion
only such purchases are being made,
is is said, as be sends requsition tor
| in order to supply the needs OF the
house as expressed in the requests of
the dispensers throughout the State
for supplies. Members s.of the boards
say they passed a resolution to this
fh0U
are claiming the credit, though
| friends of Commissioner Iatum say
the re.oltuion was sqceezed out of the
board by the commiss one-, who has
his eve on a political future. In any
event there Will be hardly much less
than million dollars worth Of whis-
kev to be- disposed Of from this State
if toe coming legislature wipes out
the dispensary suddenly.
What the legislature will do about
the natter has the politicians and
every body else guessing The Sc
called prohibition party has split on
how the question should be disposed.
There are the passionate defenders of
tine dispensary. who have never fol-
saken the fond idea that the dispen-
SaTV SCrapeU IIS6 VI tbo s1dA1 "oAA q
cles may be patcned up ana placed IN
the hands Of Few crew in sucn ideal
share and condition as to accomplish
al of the lovely things its Sponsors
promised, while in the meantime
some Of these same spoDs1rs and
early defenders baving now been
crowded away from the pie counter
hava lined up with the purjsts and
others to ditch the thing. Then there
is large army Of upcomDromisins
orohibitionists who will accept moth
ing but prohibition and blind tigers
which 60 with it, Opposed to THIS
class, but seeking the same general
object, are those who favor local
option as between high license, county
controlled dispensary and prohibition
There are still other who hope to get
return to the old barroom system,
and yet others who would make bar
rooms of tie present dspensarles
Senator Til]man's plan to farm the
whole business out to some one con-
cern to be operated on the present
general plan does not seem to gather
many adhefnts.