The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-06-10
political Leeches."
Newberry Observer.

ne denounces the State convention for
refusing to give him an hour at the
State campaign meetings to air b;s
views In defending" an institution
that needs no defense. he says:
Il venture the assertion that abou,
one In 20 primary voters is on the
public payroll in some capacity. This
State Is flooded with political leeches
performing no useful work, but bend
ing their energies to keep UP a ma
chine which will perpetuate their
Jobs. Food inspectors, drug inspectors
whiskey constables. special constab ables
charity experts, labor experts hook
work and pellagra and tuberculosis
experts. hog agents. anti-toxin dis
triDuters. mad dog inspectors. white
slave agents. demonstration agents
crop bureau information gatherers.
upon whose information the prices of
our products are forced down. trus-
tees. purity congress delegates, drain
age delegates-anything that will
create a job-all travelling over the
same field, everlastingly drawing sala-
ries and piling up expense accounts to
the profit of the political machine and
the improverishment Of the ordinary
taxpayer. Who pays the freight !?
Where is 1t all to end? What man
outside of the lunatic asylum does not
know that such q loose, diffuse admin
istration of its affairs would bankrupt
the United States steel trust In a few
years? The State only survives such
lack OF efficiency at the expense of a
constant drain upon the taxpayers,
We. need ordinary business efficiency
and plain common sense in public SER
vice."
What payroll does he refer to?
He no doubt wants the readers to
think the State payroll. although he
does not name that
Does he believe one in 20 primary
voters is on any payroll where the
pay comes out OF the pockets of the
taxpayers? He is an intelligent man,
whatever else he may be, and is well
informed on public matters. having
been In public life for a quarter of a
ce4tury. a large portion Of that time
himself on the payroll" Of the State
or federal government--now on the
payroll Of the State government to the
tune Of $4,000 a year. He knows about
payrolls.
), Then he follows his wild assertion
OF zone In 20" by an equally wild
aist OF "jobs"---with the evident inten-
ton; to make the uninformed reader
think that these arc all State "1obs'.
for he Is writing about State affairs
only--and '"all everlastingly drawing
salaries" when he knows that not one
half of the Jobs names have
any salaries attached to them: he
knows also that large number of
the "jobs" he names, IL not the larger
portion OF them. are the work Of the
federal government. and II not of that
government alone ARE the joint work
OF the federal and State governments.
1t Is an outrage to characterize men
who are performing public duties, !
many of them at a personal sacrifice, |
as political leeches. performing no
useful work, but bending their ener-
gies to keep up machine which will
perpetuate their jobs" 1t is unjust and
untrue and a gross libel.
The attack is of course meant to
hurt the present administration. But
sift out his list of. "jobs." and see how
many Of them have been created by
this administration. The liquor con-
stables were here before. tho extra
constables the food inspectors-and
SO on. How many of these "jobs' did
Mr.. McLaurin try to abolish while he
was In the State senate up to two years
ago? They were all irf existence tlsen
except the charity experts and the
labor experts''-and the warehouse
commissioner and his force Of helpers.
Did he try to abolish any Of them
then? He wouldn't want to abolish
the warehouse experts now, we know.
Maybe his ire Is concentrated on the
charity experts" and the labor ex-
perts." For our part. we are proud of
tho fact that the State is looking after
tn interest of its unfortunates and of
Is laborers. and doubly proud of
four of the experts-George B. Cro-
mer. Albert Johnstone, John L. Davis
and /. H. Hunt-are of Newberry
blood and that they are all giving
their service freely to the State.
Mr.. McLaurin has descended to a