The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-05-26
DlsPEHsARr GRAFT CASES.
DIsrENsARY COMMISSION WILL
BROOK NO FURTHER DELAYS.
i'eccss To be Taken I'm the Inycstiga-
sipn Untli June 8, ami the Claims
or the Firms Not Represented nj
TIE Hearing WIN be Adjusted as
Tie Commission Sees Fit.

Columbia. May 2O.--The attitude Of
the dlspensary windlng-up commits
sion as set forth IN n resolution adopt
e. today is that there viii be no fur
ther delays In the work. and that un-
less she whiskey houses produce the
books and hles required by the COM
mission. their claims will be adjudi-
Gated according TO the Information
now before the commission. The date
set for the next meeting OF the com.
mission after an adjournment Is TAX
en- at this sitting Is June s. and at
that time all witnesses. all books re-
CURED TO be brought here. and any
other information and data must be
on hand. The situation is that case
after case has been called at this sit
tinz and no representatives OF the
firms were present nor were books
brought to this city for examination
according TO the mandate OF the COM
mission. Yes" said member OF
the commission today. I'VE are tired
OF this diliy-dailying. We must wind
up this business. yet we do not feel
like rendering Judgment in any case
without giving the whlskey houses a
chance TO have full hearing before
ur But We viii stand for no foolish
4 ness. The mandate OF the commits
sion must be obeyod."
At this session OF the commission
thcre has been but one hearing In
open ineetins. and tha: was the case
OF the T.. A. Saunders Company. which
was set for continuance this after
y noon. The only witness who has been
placed on the stand In open sessions
W Nr. Chambers. OF this company.
whose eyes were optnoi to the trans
actions between representatives of his
company and the liqior agents In
this state. There. were two executive
sessions OF the commIss on. and at one
OF these there was present a witness
for Clarke Brothers Z Go. There have
been no settlement OF claims or judg-
ments In any Of them as yet. Some
members OF the commission have ex-
pressed their regret that things have
moved along 80 slowly az this session.
In addition 10 the fac. that books
have not been produced by the whis-
key houses as required by the COM
~ ioh thorS row appears 20 20 m
ciher ,efncul,y.
II y s.as: Coz. Feldec has already
snfacient evidence rtrarGlus the
el@lrs- ioE tbom q be atlu4lcatcd by
the commission on tho civil side. But
ss Indicated by Attorney General Ly-
on at yesterdays session, there is an
other side TO this matter. This was
evident when Mr.. Lyon wished the
representatives oe the iarm OF New
York and Kentucky Co. to admit
that fhcre had been over-charges.
Mr.. Lyon wished either for this ad-
mission 20 te made or that the claim
should he settlel only after the testi-
mony had heen gone into Mr.. Field
er has aided the commission on both
SIDES OF the question. and seems to
bs willing 20 go even further. He has
c,nsented In every case for the set
tiement OF claims to be postponed
where there was a chance OF securing
additional evidence and testimony.
There was an interesting side Issue
In the dispensary COMMISSIONS ses-
sion yesterday. The object OF these
sessions Il 10 give liq''or houses the
opportunity 90 say whether or not
their clnims are In every respect just.
They an assert this most positively
and eli deny "rebatirg g. giving
"sraft." commissions. etc.
The eIving Of graft" would be a
moral lniqLity, II no worse. but the
commission. through Messrs. FIELDER,
HllI and others. has been able 20
prove that this graft was fraudu-
lent because II came out OF the pock-
cts OF the people OF South Carolina.
This was the case of Ullinan & Co..
and others represented ~ NJ a.
Goodman. who swore repeatedly and
blandiy that he had never. no never.
done such a thing-and then he was
confronted with one of his own letter.
contradictlng everything hh had said.
Ihis letter showed that the liquor
houses paid the rebates 90 middle
men, ana not directly 70 ary one con-
nected with the state government