Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-10-22
GRAFT PROSECUTIONS.
GreenviIle Piedmont Agrees With En-
quirer That Somebody Should Be
PunishAd

SreenNiIe FloomonS N9TSSo WIN GH-
quirer That Somebody Should Be
Punished.
The Yorkville Enquirer recently
printed the following paragraph:
I'VE may be considered a bit old
fashioned in the matter; but unless
there are some prosecutions and con-
victions in connection with the dispen-
sary corruption we insist that the state
has made no real profit by the investi-
cations 1t has gone through"
In discussing this matter. the News
and Courier presents several sugges-
tions and observations which ought
not to be passed over too lightly.
The News and Courier thinks that
the Investigations into dispensary mat
ters has brought fruit, that 1t caused
a change in the system and the dis
possession from Office of the men VINO
were conducting the INSTITUTION. IL
that Is so. then the people nave acted
on general principle and hearsay In
abolishing the dispensary, quite as
much as on evidence brought out at
the investigation. Indeed II we take
the evidence the investigators brought
out alone, the dispensary would have
a tolerabie clean record. Certainly.
nothing has been shown that would
warrant conviction, and yet there Is
very general opinion that many men
connected with the dispensary have
been guilty of wrongdoing. At every
meeting the evidence was promised
and at the next IT was postponed until
the investigation wore itself out.
But there are differences OF opin-
ion as to what the investigation real
ly accomplished towards proving ras-
cality. There are those who contend
with the News and Courier that 1t
caused the adjustment Of the state
dispensary and the turning out or OF
ficials. Why have we not had this
evidence followed up with convlc-
tions? Here Is a point 1t would De
we'll to settle, possibly lameness In
the law, or a misconception or duty.
We appreciate the fact that the
conviction of individuals who were
trusted with such large powers ana
given such wide opportunities for
grating is not easy. But where
charges were so often made and sen.
timent so greatly aroused IT would
seem that an investigating commit
tee ought to have found evidence sur
ficient to lodge indictments.
who is to institute prosecutions
asks the News and Courier and pro-
ceeds TO saw II the answer is the at
torney general. the next thing to con-
slider Is that II must be ION informa-
ton" Then we are told that, When
Mr.. ]. Fraser Lyon became attorney
general he ceased to be a dispensary
investigator" Our opinion is that II
the people of South Carolina had be-
lieved that all his information and
work as investigator was to be lost
when he become attorney general,
he would never have been elected.
The state furnished sufficient fundsl
to carry on an investigation for many
months When the funds were ex-
hausted, one Of the investigators was
elected chief prosecuting officer OF the
state, and we are told now that 1t isl
all over.
We are inclined to agree with the
Yorkville paper in the opinion that
the state has been buncoed In the dis
pensary Investigations
There ought to be sufficient ma
chinery to investigate the grafters at
any and all times, without special
committees. There Is lameness some
where. But II prosecutions do not
follow after special Investigations the
Iameness Is lamentable. The impress
sion goes out that all Is well.-Green-
vile Piedmont.