The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-06-27
MoNCKToN,

mittee of free conference one whole
day rather than see reduction in
the appropriation for State colleges
50 reduced that they would be Grip
pied.
It is the custom i'm the eastern States
and in the northwestern States to
promote the lieutenant governor to a
higher position. He thinks he is en-
titled to this. from the people of South
Carolina for there has been no appeal
from the thousands of decisions in the
chair which he had made. He con-
graduated South Carolina on his rec
ord as lieutenant governor. He prov
ed his interest in education by telling
of his having given twenty acres of
land valued at $1,000 to the Columbia
college.
He stated his belief chat the dispen-
sary is the best solution of the liquor
question. He does not know whether
or not these reports as to grating are
true, but he wants to see the dispen-
sary purified. The dispensary has
been abused unjustly, he said, and
recited instances to show that he got
"spiked" soda water in Maine and
Kansas
There are $4,000 boys in South Car
.olina who have never been in a bar
room, he said, and the dispensary is
better for them than prohibition with
1000 blind tigers rampant.
MIR. FRASER LYON.
There had been little enthusiasm
manifested in the course of i, the
speeches, but Mr.. J. Fraser Lyon
warmed the crowd up bit.
"Fellow Citizens: None of my op-
ponents are here today and shall not
therefore undertake to gointo details.
But from the very outset I want the
people Of South Carolina to know that
I am no straddler. am unalterably
opposed to the State dispensary. I
am sworn enemy of graft.
eff you could have gone to the va
rious States that I have visited and
where have had to say 4 am from
South Carolina and am investigating
the dispensary, you would have heard
them reply, Ugh! That rotten thingn
We should hang our heads in shame
until we are rid of this rotten thing.
I tell you the State 'dispensary is like
monster serpent that has wound it's
coils about the State Of South Caro-
lima and is crushing out it's life.
"Our friends that you have heard
speak here today say we should tame
this serpent. Let us draw it's fangs,'
they say. Let us loosen it's coils
They may draw it's fangs and they
may loosen it's coils, but the nature
of the serpent will remain there still
and the fangs will grow again and the
coils will tighten and again you will
be in a death struggle. I point you,
fellow citizens, to the head of this
serpent and bid you strike it off.
"They ask you what you will have
instead. could point you to num-
Der of county dispensaries in the State
of Georgia, where they are down close
to the people and where they make
more money, and have more sobriety
than we have.
II watched the workings Of the dis
pensary in Abbeville and it suited me,
and it suits me yet, but I see too
plainly the graft in the State institu-
tion. I heard one of the candidates
for governor this morning say, Let us
put the stripes on the grafters and
those who are disgracing this fair
State All I ask of you is that now
that I have finished this work of in
vestigation you elect me attorney
general and give me the pleasure Of
putting on the stripes"
MR.. RAGsDALE's STATEMENT.
Mr.. Ragsdale, candidate for attor-
pp,e HPEArEP,