The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-07-05

he-e is corruption and 4 great dea! OF
t. Very many things go to Snow
hat this belief has so0d foundation
n fact. We ought to know as soon
IS possible just what and how far men
rave been guilty Of unlawful behavior.
The suspicion which now hangs over
he Dispensary like a pail will cause
many to hastily vote for it's dessruc-
ion who are still OF have been strong
believers in the Dispersary system as
4 means OF controlling the sale OF
shiskey. So l would say to the gen.
5lenen who are in charge Of the in
vestigation that they can do the peo
ole Of the State great service By let
ting in the light and probing to the
bottom. We want to know what is
wrorg and we can then determine
how to provide remedy, while the
criminal courts will or ought to pro-
vide punishment for the wrong doerS.
The Dispensary law has been under
FIRE in the courts and on the hustlcgs
ever since the system was inaugural
ed. There has been only one general
election in the state, the last in which
it was not an issue. II won victory
after victory, for it was the main issue
in the election Of '9t, in the elec ion
for the Constitutional Convention IN
'95, ana in the state elections OF 'S6,
'9S, 1900, and 1902. Those candidates
for public cttice who carrisd its ban
rers were always victorious. What
then has caused the present. uphea7a:?
"Lg are petitions circulating in q
d1z7n or more counties asking for an
election to vote it out under the Bryce
law and that too in counties in which,
in the past it's known advocates have
always had large majoriJieS: Have
the people any greater faith in P-o
o;b:tion than they have had al thcse
east years? do not think 50. Are
the advocates Of High Lice Sc aoy
stronger than they have beeu? l do
rot Think so. I an bound TO believe
that the existing dissatisfaction and
desire 10 destroy the DispenSary comes
from the well nigh universal belief OF
the people that there is corruption in
its administration and because tie
last legislature failed to take any &C
uion other than to appoint a commit
tee to Investigate. There were
charges, with low Euch truth they
we're made I co not know, that the
Dispensary influence in the legislature
was paramount. Any how the friends
OF une D;spensary and its enemies
joined forces at the last session to
prevent any action and nothing was
dJne, ard unless public opinion shall
Dive the legislature at its next SeS-
SIGN to some reform action which
will purify the atmosphere there is
10 possible doubt that all elements Of
opposition to the Di>pensary aided by
many CT its CID frierd; will combine
in tie next election and kill the sys,
TEN. I Go no0 hesitate to tell you
frankly that il 1t has become ard IS
20 remain a corrupt political machine
IS IS charged I can not defend it and
will lot do so, but will join the ranks
Of those who seek to kill it. believe
it can be reorgan!z,d ID and purged OF
corruption with safeguards thrown
around it to prevent the recurrence OF
the present unfortunate and disgrace
ful condition OF affairs. can not now
90 at length into the details and give
reasons but will state briefly the
causes as I see them which have pro-
ducsd the present situation.
The purchase OF liquor by any board
ex oficio or otherwise should be stop
ped. The original scheme which was
hastily gotten up made the Governor,
Attorney General, Comptroller Gen
eral, ex oficIo the state board OF con.
trol. This was changed very soon al
ter I left the Governors Office and the
Legislature assumed control by the
election Of the board, and in no in
stance since has my advice and opin-
ion had any weight in shaping its
management though have tried to
prevent some things being done and
have urged others without success.
It stands to reason that men VINO
have to depend upon the suffrage Of
the whole people to get high office are
or ought to be Of a higher type
with better characters AID in every
way better fitted for responsible
positions involving the handling Of
public money than those who with
petty salaries are elected by the Leg
islature. Politics always enters into
a legislative election. People who vote
for a Governor vote for him because
OF other qualifications than that be
would make good Dispensary Direc-
tor, and for this very reason the Gov
ernor is the best possible man to place
in such responsible position. But the
law is fatally detective in -eglrd to
the purchase OF whiskey in not speci-
IDEALLY defoing IN 5he most minute and
binding manner just what kinds OF
liquor shall be bought aud how IL shall
be bought without leaving it to the
discretion OF any board.
Every detail should be worked out
and then the law would execute itself
as far as that feature is concerned.
The Board would then only need to
supervise the conduct OF State and
County dispensers, the same as tie
Asylum aud Penitentiary are run.
Now as regards the proposed elec-
sicn to y5ts out the Dispeasary. II
the DiSpensary is to DO voted out il
should and must be voted out OF the
State, not out by Individual couatias.
D, course l lecogn;Z1 the deep seated
ove OF our people for local self gov
and l would not compel any
county to retain the D!spensary or
nave one established therein il a ma
ority Of the citizeps want Prohibition
Nth its ACKNOWLEDGED failure TO pro-
1ibiJ. But judging simply by the facts