The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-06-20

the old papers, and is manifestly the best
medium in Sumter.
.uu..m.s.a.a,zsa.as...aa.e..
Essays the Sumter Item (: The sen
sihle thing to do is to put the grafters
sn the penittntiary and put honest
men in charge Of the dispensary-" But
fhe Item does not name honest men
who are willing to take charge OF the
dispensary. Moreover since 1859
scores Of men thought to be honest
have been electeS or appointed TO
high Office IN the dispensary ana
some Of them were honest and re-
NAMED honest. Nevertheless, the
item practically admits the corrup-
zion in the dispensary. Does the Item
mean to charge that the commission
ers ana members of the borad of con-
troll who have held Office durig the last
thirteen years were elected as dis
honest men 9".-News and Courier.
The Item is not prepared to prove
athat the commissioners and members
OF the board Of control who have
held Office during the last thirteen
wears were elected as dishonest men,
and we DO not believe they were Sc
1ectedS because of that characteristic;
but the News and Courier has made
ana reiterated the charge that the dis
pensary is corrupt, root and branch,
SO frequently that we have come TO
believe that it could prove that the
current suspicious are founded on
fact. The conditions exposed by the
investigating. committee appear to IN
dicate that some dishonest men were
elected, whether they were elected as
dishonest men or not The members
OF the legislature alone know, or at
least should know, why certain men
were elected There are reasons to
believe that presents of fine shot-guns,
suits of clothes and similar delicate
attentions had something to do with
some of the elections.
The enactment of, the Raysor-Man-.
ming bill at the last session Of the leg
islature would have afforded an op-
portunity to ascertain whether or not
men Of unquestionable character
would consent to take charge of the
dispensary and conduct it under re-
strictions that would have eliminated
the wide-open opportunities for graft
that now exist and have existed. Such
an administration Of dispensary af-5
fairs was however, the last thing de-
sired by those who advocated the
nigh license blind tiger system, for
4he honest management Of the dispen-
sary would deprive the anti-dispensa-
~ element Of the only ground for op-
position that they are candid enough
to admit. A graft infested dispensary
exactly suits the purpose OF those who
would destroy the dispensary as the
first .rtep toward return to the old
barrooua regime, via theoretical prohi-
bition, blind tigerism and high license
LIQUOR shops, conducted by individuals
with the ayowed purpose OF selling all
the liquor possible at the greatest pos
sible profit.
The dispensary as it has been con-
Quoted has been baaenough in all
conscience, but it has been immeasur-
ably better in practical results,
despite the corrption alleged to have
existed in the State dispensary and in
certain counties, than the Did bsrroom
system was, or the proposed high IL
cense-prohibi5o on -bhnd-tiger regime
would be-
The dispensary law has never been
respected or enforced in the very
places that now most loudly cali for
its repeal, and the same element that
has brazenly violated this law, will,
most probably, violate any other nQ-
nor law that may be enacted, be 1t
high license or prohibition, and we
fear that the abolition Of the dispen-
sary would be followed by worse con-
ditions than we have yet seen in this
state.
Bryan is causing the Republican
politicians great deal Of worry for
a dead and buried presidential posi-
bility. The insurance compares a:d
other great corporations that bought
the elections of Mckinley and Roose-
yen doubtless feel that Bryan is treat
ing them badly by refusing to remain
dead politically. They are also averse
to putting up the millions necessary
TO defeat Bryan again.
The Black-Lyon affair turned out 10
he a farce Governor Hayward seems