The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-02-13

small, but in the aggregate the
amount due US for subscription Is
nyite iaree-and we need the money
-
The communication Of Taxpayer
critscising the News and Courier's po-
sition on the dispensary-blind-tiger
issue as it relates to Charleston, goes
TO the marrow of things and is we'll
worth reading. It makes the point
clearly and tellingly that if Charleston
were not so peculiarly and utterly IN
ike other places it would be better
for Charleston and the State in many
respects
The Carey-Cothran bill is a lengthy
complicated and verbose measure and
Sc simcult to be understood by one
not learned in the law. There is
room in it for half dozen s'jokers"
and full score Of niggers in the
wood pile. and before long some Of
them will come into view. One sec
fiou forbids the keeping or selling OF
4 EIiuuor by clubs and provides a pen
atty for so doing without license"
Nowhere else in the law is provision
made for licensing clubs or indlvld-
uals to sell liquor, but the wording OF
the section referred ii is peculiar, to
say the least
The State dispensary has been dead
ever since the primary Of last sum
mer, according to the newspaper op-
pouents of the system, but neverthe-
less announcements continue to ap-
pear daily that ii has been killed
again. When it has been killed few
more times we hope the wake, funeral
and interment will follow quickly.
we fear the conditions that will even
Aually follow the abolition Of the
dispensary much more than we dis
ike the worst that has been charged
against the management Of the State
dispensary, but we are tired Of the
daily killing which has been served
ap to the public for many months for
the purpose of creating public senti-
ment, it is to be presumed.
The refusal of the house to appro-
pirate $4,000 for the department OF
commerce and immigration is no
more than was expected of body
that has shown a disposition to be
extravagant in several instances,
where big appropriations will help TO
make votes. In this instance where
a large appropriation is really need
ed and where very dollar will be Of
direct benefit to the State niggard-
ly spirit is displayed. It would be far
better to cut out the appropriations
for the Calhoun statue and for the
fence around the State House and
give the money to Commissioner Wat
son.
The directors Of the State dispen-
sary have been removed, as there was
no way to doage the issue raised, but
who believes the talk Of prosecution
amounts to anything more than talk?
Who believes Rawlinson, Wylie or
Black viii yer be punished for buying
whiskey Illegally? Who believes that
Hub Evans and his crowd will ever
be called to account for their alleged
Illegal acts? The thing desired is the
abolition, Of the State dispensary, not
the punishment Of the grafters. In
fact, the opponents Of the State dis
pensary owe a deep debt Of gratitude
to the critters, for without the invalu-
able aid of the grafters the State dis
pensary could not ahve been brought
into disrepute and without being
brought iato d:srepute it could not
be abolished;
Gov. Ansels cromptness in remov-
ing the di-ec-ors of the State dis
pensary is 70 re commended. If he
deals in the same positive manner
with all issues that come before him
in mis- official capacity his administra-
ton carcat fail to be a success.
It is true that the removal of the
dispensary directors by Gov. Ansel
was, in effect, demanded by the legis-
lature and that there was scarcely
any room for escape from that course
Of action, but he could have dilly-dal-
lied and quibbled and postponed ac-
+;or y,r+iJ the abolition of the diSDen-