The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-03-04
DISPENSARY AGAIN
IN LIMEIIGHT.
Board Proposes to Go into Matters
Hitherto Untouched 30 Some
Extent.


termoth Of the recent session OF the
General Assembly. 1t cannot be
told Just how far the investigation
viii proceed, but the commission has
laid out a big scheme before 1t Wnen
it announces that it will 60 into the
matters hitherto untouched to some
extent Some Of the firms that may
be investigated we're under fire dur
ing the days of the legislative COM
mittee, but that committee did not
have the ammunition at hand to 60
into a detailed investigation OF al
fairs as the commission now expects
to do.
s'Conscience Money!
The commission expects to get
some more "conscience money" "
This is what the "returned graft
is termed. The first time firm
turned over to Tom Fielder a good
sum upon his "call," the Atlanta
attorney was talking about the af-
fair to one or two newspaper men.
"Yes,'' said Col. Fielder, ''their con-
science hurt them little and they
handed the money over!" The
newspaper man Zone who was in the
erowd) went up to his Office and IN
\ writing the story Of the matter
started off by saying: "Consclence
money to the amount off, etc. etc.
The saying then got into the head
lines on nearly every such story as
to the State dispensary returns and
it has stuck. In the dispensary COM
missions report a more dlgnatled
term "graft aecount'' is used to de-
scribe the money so turned over to
the commission.
How It's Done.
Many people have asked the ques-
ton: "What makes the whlskey
firms scome across?' :" When you
ask Tom Fielder about that he looks
at YOU in a queer sort Of way and
says: "We've got the goods on
'em.'' An interpretation of the
Atlanta brogue would run something
like this: One of those who had
dealings with the State dispensary
in the palmy days is visited by the
attorney. A conversation something
in the nature of the following
might take place:
stWell, old man how'd you like to
20 back to South Carolina and face
the courts on the charge Of conspr-
aey to defraud?"
"Could you make me 60 back and
do that?''
4Well, rather, you know what
Won fellows used to do with the boys
over in South Carolina. Yes, We
know all about the commissions you
paid and you do, too. You paid 50
much per barrel on bulk goods and
50 much per case on case goods. Yes,
we've got all that figured out, ex-
actly to the penny. 1t was all fixed
up one night at a hotel in Columbia,
you know: Oh, yes, your man was
there, too. Of course, he did rep
resent other houses, too. But you
were figuring on getting your share
of the pie. What We want to do Is
to get back the money you over
charged the State. Let's see-you
sold over there about $4,000 cases.
Paid 81 q case COMMISSION, WASH t
it, on that class <of goods? Thirty
thousands dollars then will do the
trick" :
An then the check is drawn.
Of course it took more than this
in some cases.
It Costs Much.
II cost much to do the work, but
the commission feels that the State
has been fully repaid. The attorney
fees have been large, no doubt, the
expenses heavy, but if solely the
matter of money is to be considered
there is also no doubt that every
thing the State has received is clea'
profit.
On a smaller scale some folks
have been jollying members Of the
dispensary commission about the
multiplicity Of their expenses. Not
many years ago certain candidate
for office charged up bath to his
expense account, and the joke was
on him, the matter being referred to
frequently and with increasing
laugh by the various papers.
OF course, now nobody is saying
that the expenses charged up by the
5:eroL,.s,,1 commission ara not le-