The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-04-03

changes in the law along the lines
suggested iii the Raysor- Manning
bill that all possibility Of stealing
and bribing in the purchase of whis-
key for the state can be- prevented
and it stands to reason that if the IL
quor is purchased at wholesale by one
board, shipped by the car load, and
bottled at one establishment there
will bssaSgreat saving in tbe. expense.
The, COUNTY dispensafies would have
no facilities fof handling the whis-
key, but leaving ar IF this out of
consideration the one crucial test Of
the relative merits Of the two sys-
TENS, state dispensary or county dis
pensaries, is simply this: if we can
not by law so hedge about and con-
troll one state board as to prevent
stealing how in the name of common
sense will we be able to watch and
prevent thirty or forty boards from
doing it7 Because the retiring state
board has engaged in questionable
practices and was guilty of such gross
mismanagement and malfeasance in
office is no argument to show that the
law cannot be changed so as to de-
stroy all opportunity for such prac-
tices. No law will execute itself when
those charged with the execution Of
the law fail utterly and there is neg
lect from the highest to the lowest, it
follows as a matter Of course that it
is the duty Of the people to elect men
who will not finch or neglect their
sworn duties.
1t is therefore obvious that the
people must look more to the integ-
rity, honesty, truthfulness of the can
ilidates who ask for their votes than
to the mere capacity to speak glibly,
and the plausible address Of the oily
politician. The people should bid
fence straddlcrs to get to the rear;
they should demand outspoken decla-
rations of policy and no man who
failed of his duty in the past should
be again entrusted with Office. Look
Mt the present disgraceful and out
rageous condition in Columbia. The
old board of directors of the state
has loaded down the state
with about 100000 worth of liquor
bought on credit in open and direct
violation Of the law. Why are not
these men arrested for 'malfeasance in
office9 Why were they not removed
last summer when the evidences Of
gross incompetency and mismanage-
ment were first made public7 Why
did the legislature ever elect such
men? Why in the face Of absolute
proof in the letting of glass contracts
and in the purchase Of tables to say
nothing of the purchase of whiskey
that they were guilty Of misconduct,
why T say did the legislature refuse
to change the law when the house
found that the senate would not con-
sent to the abolition of the state dis
pensary7 It was because Of the in
fluence Of the State newspaper.
There is every reason to believe
that the house stood out to the last
and refused absolutely to amend or
alter the law in any particular in the
hope and intention to have the slate
dispcnsary so far disgraced before
the people that in the coming election
it would be destroyed. Did these leg
islators discuss the question Of ahol-
ishing the state dispensary when they
were running for office in 19O49 Did
they have any authority from the
people to abolish the state dispen-
sary because of mismanagement Of
the men the legislature itself elect
ed9 Was not the failure of the house
to accept any measure Of reform in
order to prevent fraud and specula-
tion in the future due entirely to
the influences of the new Columbia
ring. Was it not clearly shown that
the primary object was to destroy
the state dispensary and thus pave
tho way for licensing the sale of IL
quor in those counties which wanted
it, even providing for wholesale H.
cense in Charleston with the purpose
of having Charleston sell to the coun-
ty dispensaries instead of having the
state dispensary supply the necessary
stock7 Was there not bargain be-
tween the prohibitionists and the old
barroom or high license element and
is there any man in the state so bra