The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-06-13
THE WAY TO PURIFY IT IS TO KILL IT,

THE WAY TO PURIFY IT is TO KILL IT.
Just what the people expect
to do about the revelations in
the dispensary Investigation we
are not yet in position to know.
but there is one thing certain,
unless something is done to rid
the State of the scandal-breed-
ing machine, the end Of trouble Is
not here vet. If the corruption
lists win in the coming tight,
their looting viii have been en-
dorsed. and it Will be virtually a
license from the people for those
entrusted with dispensarv affairs
to continue in the methods which
has brought so much shame on
the State.
It is up to the people to say
whether or not this rottenuess
shall continue eating its way
deeper and deeper into the body
polite. The Investigating COM
mittee has but, in our opinion,
moved partially aside the cur
tain, and the people only have
had a Slight insight to what is
behind it; when the whole cur
tain is removed, and all the rot
tenness exposed, they will see
a picture sad to behold. They
will see South Carolina PROSTATE
with her body covered with
leeches, and tears Of agony and
shame streaming from her eyes;
surrounding the PROSTATE form
are a gang of leering devils sit
ting on bags of gold. gloating
over the misery and shame they
have brought upon their strick-
en- victim. Then will the people
realize what it is to be in the
clutches of corruptionists, and
what it is to let Indifference put
such in control. They will also
realize if this State of affairs
continues that the whole ma
chinery of the government will
be cob-webbed with corruption,
aud the burden will weigh heav-
lily upon the taxpayers.
II the people endorse by a
continued support) a system
which has from it's very incep-
ton proven corrupt, how can
they expect purity in the other
systems of our States The friends
Of the State Dispensary say to
this: 'sContinue the system, but
put the rascals out" The task Of
putting the rascals out seems
impossible, for thirteen years
every means to purify the sys-
tenn has been tried, and the cry
still comes: purity the system,
until we are convinced that the
task of changing nature itself is
impossible. The sale of whiskey
whether by individual or gov
ernment is a sin breeding bust
ness, and we do not believe
there are any set of men who
can or will make it pure. "Put
the rascals out, say all of US,
but the trouble is, as fast as one
set are taken out another goes
in. Take the present board, so
far,it has had no opportunity for
much graft, but the fact that the
General Assembly elected on the
board a former liquor drummer,
is within itself a violation of the
intention of the dispensary law,
and his election on the board is
a suspicion pointing towards
corruption. If this member of
the board gave up a liquor
drummer's job to accept a $500
a year job on the board, the peo-
pie at once suspect something
wrong in the transaction, and
they have right to. The testi-
mony before the committee
shows that the Old board divided
the liquor houses among them
selves and received commissions
from them for goods purchased.
Then on down from the State
board to the dispensers the pill
fering has been something fear
full if the evidence is to be be-
lieved. From start to finish the
system is rotten and the only
way to remedy it is to let the
people adopt their own system.