Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-18
Negro Homicides.
DIsPENsARY AND OTHER GRAFT
John p. Grace Writes as If He Would
Expose Something.

Charleston Common Sense" June Is.
The statement published in these
columns charging wholesale graft by
the constables, in the enforcement" Of
the dispensary law in Charleston seems
to have stirred up a hornets nest
throughout the state. The further
statement that I'VE have traced this
graft practically up to the governor
himself has met deservedly with tre-
mendous interest and has elected from
the governor a rather caustic, II in
deed, irrelevant, denial, coupled with
some biting epithets. 1t will be noted,
however, that what the governor says
Is that anyone who stated that he,
Blease, had received graft from Char
lesion blind tigers was a coward and
liar" This Is not to the point. 1t Is
non sequitur. Upon it there can be
no issue between the governor and us.
If we had competent proof to show
that the governor did himself in prop
er person, receive" this graft, our
readers may rest assured that we
would say it. But we have made no
such claim. What we have said, and
can abundantly prove, is that the con-
stables here in Charleston have re
ceived" 1t. Moreover we say now,
weighing our words WELL that not only
have they received 1t, but that the first
thing they did when sent to Charles
ton was to organize q perfect system
of graft; that In one first stroke they
made a lump collection Of a large
amount, and that ever since, they have
been exacting and collecting, according
to the volume Of business done, stat
ed sum at fixed intervals; and that
these actions have been coincident
with the comings and goings Of GER
tain persons and personages whose
movements point with utmost circum-
stantiality to our conclusion that the
graft is traced practically to the gov
ernor himself" The known facts Of
graft collection are so clear and the
conditions are so convincing that we
have for ourselves reached a moral
conviction in the matter. Upon the
same character of evidence we would
under oath find guilty person accus-
ed Of murder. Whether or not the in
Ivestigating committee will reach diff
ferent conclusion from our own re-
mains to be seen.
And now let me drop into those mat
ters which are a little personal. 1t
seems to be the conventional thing In
journalism to do everything behind the
editorial "we." Views are put forth,
characters blackened, Infamous libels
and malicious lies propagated under
the embracing impersonal- personal
pronoun, first person, plural number.
I'VE" has covered a multitude Of sins.
1t has also afforded safety against just
and unjust physical attack, and If 1t
has sent brave men to death 1t has as
often saved cowardly writer's from un-
timely graves. 1t Is all very nice and
all very conventional. But somehow or
other 1t seems to us to be an evasion.
When articles amount to nothing more
than an impersonal view Of impersonal
topics. nothing Is to be gained and a
great deal of egotism to be lost, per-
haps, in the disuse of the pronoun II"
But inasmuch as the mission Of this
paper Is the eradication Of evil in gov
ernment. and as most evil in govern
ment arises through the corruption Of
men; and as 1t Is necessary In proving
the corruption Of men to come down
from glittering generalities to specific
charges, / feel that 1t would be un-
wise and manifestly unjust If for an
other moment I allowed any doubt to
linger around the authorship Of these
articles, or If not always the actual
authorship. at least the inspiration.
They are by John P. Grace, and what |
ever he asserts he Is ready to prove or