The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1907-03-07
Turn on the Light.

the reason why the House of Repre-
sentatives refused TO pass the puri-
fcation measure. The State Dispen-
sary as originally designed was al
most graft proof, but it had been SO
changed by the Legislature that
graft became an easy matter in its
management. The Raysor-Manning
Bill would have put the institution
back where Senator Tillman put it
when he designed it, but the prohi-
.bitionists, the County Dispensary ad-
vocates and the high license or bar
room element in the Legislature by
acting together prevented the pas
sage of the Raysor-Manning Bill
and thus prevented the publication
of the State Dispensary. They claim
ed that the State Dispensary could
not be reformed.
1t must be admitted that there
was considerable graft in the man
agement of the State Dispensary,
and the Legislature must be given
credit for turning out the old board
of directors and electing new onet
but the House of Representatives
refused to do what the friends Of
the State DispensaFy; asked them to
do. which would have made the
State Dienensary graft proof. When
the new board of directors was ell
ected it was hoped that its members
would so act that there would be no
ground for the slightest suspicion
Of any wrong doing on their part,
but unfortunately this was not the
case, and very soon after the Legis-
lature met committee investigated
them and the Legislature unani-
nously recommended that they be re-
moved from Office, which to his Gre
dit be it said, Governor Ansei very
promptly did. The revelations
brought out by the committee doom.
ed the State Dispensary,
It was brought out by the COM
mittee that Mr.. Black, one of the
members of the State Board of Dis
pensary Directors, had placed a very
large order with one whiskey house
under very peculiar circumstances.
In repo, ting their findings the COM
mittee said in reference to. the case
mentioned above that they found
that Mr.. John Black, a member OF
the Board of Directors, purchased a
large amount of liquor amounting
to about one thousand six hundred
barrels, finn Clarke Brothers & Sons
of Peoria, ILL.,, Black making the pur-
chase in person at Peoria. The COM
mittee went on to say that the IL
quor. thus purchased by Mr.. Black
from Clark Brothers & Sons at Sl.50
to S1.75 per gallon, is a very infer
ior quality of liquor, being what is
known as high wine, and it is not
worth more than S1.33 to $1.35 per
gallon and can be bought in the
market at that price. s.s q.
Mr.. Norfolk, the blender at the
State Jispensary under the old sys-
tenn, testified that the rye whiskey
purchased of Clarke Bros. & Sons,
was nothing but "chlogne spirits
worth but s1.32 per gallon in the
market, whereas the State of South
Carolina was expected to pay from
s1.5O to s1.75 per gallon, notwith-
standing the fact that the single or
der aggregated nearly 100000. He
declared that the corn purchased OF
this firm was about as cheap whis-
key as one could buy, and was worth
about s1.33, while the State was to
pay S1.6O for it. According to these
figures it appeared that the State
paid about thirty thousand dollars
too much for this one order. 1t was
just such transactions as this that
caused the downfall of the State Dis
pensary.
This matter should be probed by
the commission appointed to wind
up the affairs of the state Dispen-
sary. Let the commission hold up
all the bills of Clarke Brothers &
Sons until this transaction is sifted
to the bottom. They should be fore
ed to tell how much they were to
pay for this large order and to whom
If it should develop that some dis
pensary official was to get this rake
off he should be prosecuted to the
full extent of the law. Let an en-
ample be made of some old State
.spensary official if he has been
dishonest, and it will have a most
wholesome effect on the officials Of
the County Dispensaries throughout
the State. If the dispensary system
is to stand it must be conducted
honestly from top to bottom.
Brains Will Count.
According to the Washington Her
aid, Senator Tillman has now booked
engagements to speak every week