The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-07-11
pose is to have Charleston wholesale

QuUl SulppSu LII 1IOA NOT GH CdIOlIH
and Georgia, as 1t now is, because /
would keep the money at home, I d.
not believe chat the people Of th
State are now willing OF will ever b.
willing to see the State Dispensar'
destroyed, With the Inevitable resul
that liquor selling will gradually g.
back to the old system Of private con
troll. I would bs glad to have Char
lesion prosper, but it Is net the los:
OF the liquor trade that has hurl
Charleston. O5her things are tc
blam=.
The issue between .pciv2te contIo
and control by state cfaSials mus'
hinge at last on the question Of
| whsthec OF not the people Of South
Carolina shall determine that We can
not find honest men enough to carry
on the dispensary system and devise
laws to make those who are dishonest
afraid. I say we can. I do Tot be-
! lieve that every man who handles
Whiskey must become q thief. be-
lleVe that the people only need to see
and know that the dispenrary system
can be reformed and clssnsed OF cor
ruption to make them stand by 1t.
will proceed og:va the plan which
appears to me after a great deal OF
thought and consideration Of sugges-
tions from very many sources to be
the best. We will oegin on the coun
ties.
County Dispensers should be elected
in the Democratic primary the same
as other officers. TheiCounty Board
should be composed OF ths Mayor OF
the town in which a dispenssry is 10
Gated, the Supervisor OF the County,
who is the business agent Of the coun-
ty, and one man appointed by the
Governor. The County Dispenser
should be removable by the Governor
for cause. The State Board Of Con.
troll ought to be elected by tae legis
lature, but its duty should be confn q
to general direction andsupervision OF
the business the same as the Peniten-
Gtary and Hospital for the Insane are
run. It should not purchase any
whiskey OF anything else required in
the business. Everything required,
including the whiskey, should be
bought under annual contracts made
as follows. After the State Commis
sioner has advertised in the manner
prescribed by law (snd this ought to
oe very clear and specific, leaving
nouhing to the discretion OF anyone,
aad going fully into details) the bids
should be opened In public by three
nsn selected just before the date fixed
oy the Governor and the contract
made with the lowest bidder By the
year for the supplies to be ordered ou5
by the Commissioner as needed. These
three men are to serve, only oncs and
annually there shall DO three lew men
chosen 10 make ths contracts. The
bidders will not know who will uaks
the awards and therefore cannot en-
ter into collusion In advance and even
should the Governor, which is incon
ceiVsble. be willing to select board
which would act corruptly. the speci-
6cations Of the bidding made With
minuteness and tie publicity would
prevent any graft.
No whiskey or liquor should be
purchased except from Government
bonded warehouses. In the case OF
wines and beer the brewers sEould
alons furnish tha first direct from tbs
oreweries, and the small quantity OF
the other used could be hedssd ABOUT
in the advertisement SO as to insure
honesty and the purest and best arti
Gle. For the information OF those who
are not posted ! will say that the
Government bonded warehouses are
under the control Of the D 1ired States
Internal Revenue officials entirely and
whiskey deposited in them comss di
rectIy from the still and the owner Is
not permitted to manipulate 1t or
handle it in any way uctil the tax is
paid and it Is removed. Ws thus get
guarantee OF absolute purltg without
chemical analysis and such liquors
are as much ST. pie articles OF COM
merce as corn, Whsat or bscoG. It is
the blended and rectifed WhiSkeys
that are aduitsratsd and where the
cheating comes in. The blending and
mixing could be done in the State
Dlspensary where there would be no
iuceDllve to increase profits by adul-
uerations, besides the Law would pro.
vids severe penalties for that kind OF
thing.
The County Dispensers being elect
ed by tile people will be ANXIOUS to
please the people as they will be beaten
at the polls If they do not do their
duty. The County Board chosen as
indicated will be responsible to the
people also with every incentive to
give q good administration. The
Hh!skey purchased in that way will
be as pure and as good as can be OBJ
tanned under any possible conditions
and there is absolutely no way IN
which corruption can creep in, II there
is the least effort On the part OF the
people and the Governor to prevent
it.
The trouble with the Dispensary
now is that our Governors have neg
lected their duties and have not kept
supervision oyGr the workings OF the
local dispensers and ths State Board.
Excuse may be found for this by say
ing the legislature pus the Dispense
~ beyond the Governors control.
This is true In a way and it was a very
great mistake, yet the Governors
oath of ctice requires him TO "ses
that the laws are executed in mercy. !
And with the power 10 appoint con
stables at his discretion and dstec'
tiyes also when needed 1t cannot bs
denied that the decentralization anc
corruption which have been so mucE
in evidence would have bssa prevent
ed by the Governors using trustee
agents to keep supervision over tht
| Oisnenss1v system and see WEotle.