The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-04-13

uune tnrough n state d~isp0nBary.
There Is therefore danger of the dis.
pensary forces being divided into two
factsona and the adye Gates Of the
county dispensary system aligning
themselves with the other three ele-
m6ntS. *
COUNTY AND STATE DIsPENsARIEs
Let us consider for q moment the
relative advantages and disadvantages
OF county d%ispensarlss and state dis
pensary. | declare most emphaticslly
my belief that by proper changes in
the lew al ing the lines suggested In
the Raysor Manning bill that all pos.
s'bility Of stealing and bribery in the
purchase Of whiskey for the state oan
be prevented and 1t stahds to reason
thatif the liquor is purchased at whole
sale by one board, shipped by the car
load, and bottled at one establishment
that there will be o great saving In the
expense. The county dispensaries
would have no faciliti, 8 for handling
the whiskey, but leaving ali of this
out Of consideration the one crucial
lest Of the relative merits of the w
systems, state dispensary or county
~dispensarie is simply this: If VIC
cannot by law 30 hedge about and
control one state board as to prevent
stealing how IN the name Of common
sense will we be able to, watch and pre-
vent thirty or forty boards from do
Ing IT.? Because the retiring state
board and Its predecessors has engag
ed In questionable PRACTICES and was
guilty of suoh gross mismanagement
and malfeasance in oGica Is no argu
ment to show that the law cannot be
changed so as tn destroy all oppor
tunity for such practices. No law will
execute itself, when those charged
with the execution Of the law fail u0.
terly and there Is neglect from the
highest to the lowest, it follows, as q
matter Of course, that 1t is tho duty
Of the people to elect men who will
not finch or neglect their sworn du.
ties.
OUTRAGEOUS CONDITION.
1t Is therefore obvious that the peo-
pie must look more to the integrity,
honesty, t~ruthfulness of tho candi-
dates who ask for their vote than to
the mere capacity to speak glibly,
and the plausible address of the oily
politician. The people should bid
fence s'raddlcrs to get to the rear;
they should demand outspoken de-
clarations Of policy and no man who
failed Of his duty in the past should
be again entrusted with Office. Look
at the present ~disgraceful and out
rageOus condition In Columbia. The
old board of directors OF
the state dispeusary has loaded down
the & ate with about 800, 600 worth
Of liquor, bought on credit, in open
and direct violation Of the law. Why
are not these men arrested for NAL.
teasance in tnicep Why were they
not removed last summer when the
evidence Of gross incompetencY and
mismanagement was first made pub
lie? Why did the legislature ever
elect such menp Why in the face OF
absolute proof In the letting Of glass
contracts and in the purchase OF
labels to say nothing Of the purchase
Of whiskey That they were guilty OF
gross misconduct, why l say did the
legislature refuse to change the law
when the house found that the senate
would not consent to the abolition OF
the state dispensary? II was be
cruise Of the influence Of. the State
newspaper.
MILK IN Ii COCOANTT.
There Is every reason to believe the
house stood out to the last and refus.
ed absolutely to amend or alter the
law In any particular in 6he hope anc
intention to have the state dispensary
80 far disgraced before the people
that In the coming election it WOULD
be destroyed. Did these legislators
discuss the question of abollshing the
state c.spensary when they were run.
ming for office In 1904? Did they have
any authority from the people to abol.
tsh the state ~dispensary because of the
encouragement Of the men the legis.
lature itself had elected? Was not the
failure Of the house to accept any
measure OF reform In order to prevent
fraud and speculation In the future
due entirely to the Influences OF the
new Columbia ring? Was it not clear,
~ shown that the primary oil j3ct wa
TO destroy the state oispensary and
thus pave the way for licensing the
'"Io VI liluOl III UlUSe U unUleS which
wanted 1t ever providing for whole.
sale license In Charleston with the
purpose OF having Charleston sell to
the county dispensaries instead OF hav-
Ing the state dlspensary supply the
necessary stock? Was there not a bar
gain between the prohibitionists and
the old barroom OF high llcenfe ele.
ment and Is there any man in the state
SO brazen as to stand up and call this
honest politicsf Can the men who
with their ayes opened to CORFU ption
refuse point blank to reform the state
~dispansary have the impudence TO ask
the reople to trust them again?
FolloW-citlzens We need some hon
est politics in South Carolina; we need
some straightforward, plain speaking
we need aggressive and honest action
by the masses TO protect themselves
The people have been asleep. They
have been killed into inaction by the
honeyed words Of adroit politicians
and 1T Is time for them to awake.
Eternal vigilance is the price Of lib,
erty.
INVESTIGATING COMMITTED.
Look at the present situation also.
A new board Is elected to manage tue
state ~dlspensary under tho old law.
That old law was fatally defec bive in
some particulars, but 1t has not been