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BILL 10 REFORM The South Carolina State Dis= pensary. A COMPLETE SYNOPSIS Of the Raysor-Manning Bill, Which Was Origitally the Work of Senators Raysor of Orangeburg, and Manning of Sumter, But Li Somewhat Altered. The bill popularly known as the Raysor-Manning, because it was the joint work of Senators R vsor, of 0: angeburg and Manning, of Sumter, being the fruit of the matured thought and labor of these two men; who con scientiously believing -that the dis pensary system, properly and honest ly conducted, offers, under the condi tions prevailing in the State, not only the best, but the only practical and satisfactory means of c.ntrolling the liquor traffic and minimiz'ng the evils that attend the use of any and all alcoholic lfqfors as a beverage, sought to frame a law that woul purge the Stale Dispensary of the corruption believed to exist therein and so to hedge about the manage ment with the restrictions that the opportunity for graft and dishonesty in the purchase of liquor and other supplies, which the law as it stood not only permitted, but appeared to invite, would be impossible. Senators Raysor and Manning with the same otjaot in view, viz: to mak the dispensary as Dearly as possible a graft-proof business institution, which under the exercise of the police pow er of the State should control and rcg ulate the l-quor trtffis, which is con ceded by all to be an evil that of nec essity must be regulated and curtail ed for the public good worked inde pendently at first, each preparing a bill to be introduced in the Senate. When the legislature convened they found that their bills were drawn on similar lines and they, therefore, de cided to j .ntly prepare a new bill, utilizing the best features of each of the two previously prepared. Tne greatest care was exercised in draw ing this bill; information and sugges tions were sought from Senators and others who desired to purity the dis pensary system and' make it the in strument for good that it was and is capable of being made. When the bill s completed and introduced in the Senate it at once came to be known as the Rysor- Manning bill. Upon being referred to committee in the regulartorder, the billwas giv en throughtful consideration and a ilgid and patient analysis. The result of the committee's consideration was a substitute bill, which embcdied the distinctive features of the original bill, that being used as a frame work, and also the ideas of the committee and others who had made suggestions looking to the perfection of the pro posed new dispsnsary law. Among the suggestions thus embodied in the bill was one maaa by Senator Ti 1 man that liQuor be purchased from United States bonded warehouses ex olusively This subtstitute bill, which was in fact, the committee's bill, although built upon the Raysor-Manning bill as a foundation, was still popularly known as the Baysor-Manning bill and by that title It is yet known. This is the bill that the Hcuse of Representatives rejected and practi cally refused to consider at all, after the effort to force the Morgan (House) bill throo'gh the Senate had failed This is the me-asure that is now the leading issue in the State campaign. and which .Is the dispensary plank in the platfoim of Mr. Richard 1. Manoing In his campaign for gover nor. Occupying as it does so Important a place amongst the issues of the campaign, a synopsis of the bill wll be both interesting and instructive. Section 1 prohibits the manufac ture, sale or keeping of spirituous. malt or other intoxi.catingliquar that is used as a beverage, excspt as here inafter provided, under a penalty. All liquors sold or kept in the state. whether manufactured here, or Im ported, are rcquired to be tested by the chemist of the South Carolina Collede to determine their purity. and all liquors not so tested are declar ed detrimental to the morals, gooc health and safety of the State, and all such liquors may be seized where ever found, without a warrant. Ii also prescribes the- procedure to be followed by those who desire to im port liquor for personal use In order that they may do so legally. The ex pense of making tests of liquors t< determine their purity are to oe paid by the State tranrer, out of th: 'funds of the dispensary in his hand and not by the board of directors a: heretofore.* Section 2 repeals Section 556 w~hicy creates the State Board of Directors and thereby abolishes that board, the three members of which are intrust ed with - the management of a $3 000,000 business andi paid only $400 a year apiece. This is one of the mos Important, as well as sensitble anc necessary reforms contemplated b: the bill. The next section (3) is the mos' striking feature of the entire bll as i: contains the provislons that will wip< out the graft that has attended th purchase of liquror and other dls pensary sunplies. It first provides fo the election of a commissioner at salary of *3.000 per year, who shall b the executive board of the State dis pensary. His term of cifice is flxe at two years. The governor is en' powered to suspend the commissions: for cause. The commissioner 1s required to ad vertise for twenty days, commencing the first day of March In each year, ii two or more daily papers of thi state, and one daily newspaper jh each of the cities of Louisville, Ky7. Cincinnati, 0., Baltimoxe, Md , anc Pittsburg, Pa., for bids to supply the kinds and qualities of liquors requiret for sale by the St-ate dispensary dar ing the ensuing year, thre s ame b'einL specified In the advertisem::nt. Thes. bids must be sealed, a&t' withom mark to distinguIsh them one fron another and sent by express wittis ten days of the last advertisemenit t the State treasurer in whvse custody they remain until oiened on Marcy 31st, In public by a committee o three citiz3Ds, appointed by the go ernor on or before March 20th. Con tracts are to be awarded by this comn mittese to the lowest responsible bid aem for the several kinds of liquor and otier supplies rr quired. The -eu~hPrs of the committee are to be 3%d $10 "e ch per day and five cents nileage for each mile actually travel ed, and they are ineligib'e for re-ap oirnt nent. All bi'Jdrs 2 re r. quired tc) g: ' go.1d and bLfi :lent bctd as a guarantee of good faith for the per -crmance of the obligation in the event of receiving a contract. Tae contracts must be approved by the .ttorney general and the am unt of bond shall equal 20 per cent of the estimated cost of the 1:q-or or other supplies to be purchased. Tne kinds of liquor that shall be ourchased are the following: Pure C :ogne Spirits, or doodoriz-d ticohol, 95 per cent from gove n ment bonded warehouses. Two stamp whiskey, 50 per cent. proof from the bonded warelhcuses of the U te States. with the understanding that the State shall buy the whiskey on th' *arehouse certidtates and shall pad the revenue taxes itself in order t. insure its not beirg adulterated or tampered with. The three kinds of i q'3o-s, cowr, rye and bourhcon, shbi be purchased in this way in dh q tn Cities, which in the judgment or the commissiOner, sill be required by the -emand in thi- State. I is permhsi ply to m-ake co.ntracts for each. 3 the four kinds of alcoholic product: above designated with different per. aons for the supply needed for tuf year to be ordered out by the com missioner, as indicated, and the b:d ding for the diffarent varieties of-whis key shall indicate not less than t. n o d.fr-nt brnds :f whiskey quote& on tte mrket la the wholesale price. "urrent of the various cities designat ed. No wnisey snal be purc ssed for use in this State that is less than one year old es shown by the ware hour.e ctnuicate. A record of all bids hdall be kept in book provided for that purpose. The bids above designated shall include whiskey one year cle whiskey, thrme} ear-old, dvo-year-od. and tiose whiskies of taee ages desig nated shall be a basis, when mixed with cologne spirits, or sold juit at they are received, for the different grades to be furnished the county di pensers. - The commissioners shal' also in the same way invite bids to be opened wnd c -ntraets awarded at the same time and in the same manner as hereinbefore provided, for Cognac brandy, Cailfornia brandy, peach anc apple brandy, rum and gin in such q rantities, with the right to purchase more, as may be in his judgment nec e sary to supply the demands. ThesE oids shall specify the kinds and quan titles of such liquors, and bids for wines, lquors, and cordials shall be Limited to such as may be advertised for by the dispensary commissioner as hereinbefore provided. Bids for he'. (o be advertised for, opened, etc., as aforesair) shall designate the alcohol ic contents not less than 4 per cent , and the amount of malt and hops to be used in its manufacture, and no beer sh-all be purchased that is not shown by chemical analysis nog to contain salacilic ac'd, or any otbe" adulterant to prevent fermentation. No beer shall be purchased except ex port beer, or that which is already in bottle and pasteurized and beer is kegs aged at least three months in cold storage. Bids shall also be ad vrtised in the manner already pro vded in the purchase of liquors ac. at the same time for supplying the state dispensary with glass bot:les, demijohns, corks, labels, sealing wax. sipping cases, paper wrappers for the bottles and all other needful sup pies required in the conduct of the business of the State dispiensary, and these shall be let to the lowest bidder, in like manner -as provided for the bidding for liquors, and a bond witb god and stiliilent sureties shall be repired for ane faithful performance of the contracts. The commissioner having order d out the whiskey anc cologne spirits of the kinds and qaan itles designated, is author.zed and empowered to employ for a period or four months a skillsd expert to blend the same under his direction and su pervision, In such a way as to supply as nearly as practicable the llq1:ors known to commerce but which shall not in any way be adulterated by ad mixture, of any injurious or unhealth ful ingredients, and in order to di. this, he shall take out a rectifier's license from the U aited Stttes gov ernment, and thus be enabled to rec tify or mix tbe 1rquors which are re q-ired for the busmness. Such blend og shall be don-e upon a formuls sat s~all be posted in the com missioner's moile, subj-ect to the per oal inspecrtion by any cit zen. The iquors thus m~xed or blended shal' be designated by the signs x, xx and nx and the age of the whiskey :ied with the cologne spirits shall constitute the basis, to wit: Whiskey one year old with the pro portion of cologne spirits used, shalt e designated as x; three years old as xx; and five y ears old as xxx; provided: hat if there shall be a demand for he straight whiskey unmixed with cologne spirits, the same may be used nstead of the blenderd goods, and the price shall be governed by the relative -rost of the same and the labels indi rate the charsct-er of liquor, whethe2 olended or two stamp. There shal e another brand known as xxxi .vhiskey, wbich shall be whiskej oottled in bond, not less than sevei. tears old; Br the came varie~ies o iquors as designated by the distillens brand may be purchased from he bonded warehtusea, as here ,beore. provided, in the barrel, an' nav be bcttle-1 at the State dispen ary the same as other li.ors are ;otted. There shall be no case whis cy kept in stock at the State dispen iry. All such purchases must bc cade upon special orders sent throng he county dispensers tc the 'Stat ispensary by the persod or person issiring to obtain same and the Stat. lispensary shall order the said good. :hpped direct to the county d.spen ;ary. All whiskey, whether "blend .d" or "straight" sha.i be tut up ii b.ottls of full measure and labelled as iercinbefore provided, arnd thre proof. r alc'holic contents af each packagc hall be printed on said libel, te geth. r with the prIce as fixed by the Stati beard, and the grade of the whi -" bal be blown' in the glass as X, XX XXX, or XXXX Provided this shal pply to only such whiskiy as ma) e bottled at the dIspensary, and i1 ball be a misdemeanor for the com :isioner to bottle, label or sell an) IQuors which shall not be true ti trade below Into the glass p'unishable fl fine or imprisonment in the discre ton of court: Provided, further that nothing herein contained shall pre vent said commissioner of the dispen sary from making distillers in this State contracts for the purchase of squors manufactured by them within this State. Sectbn 4 of the bIll amends Sec .ion 558 of the Code so as to have the salaries of employees fixed by the gen rai assembly, Instead of by the State oard of Directors. The comm~ssion proved by the attorney general. The sommissioner is charged with the management and control of the State dispensary, subi !ct to the provisions of the dispensary law, and is empow ered to enter into contracts and em ploy or discharge the c-cers, and is borers necessary to the conduct of the business. He is forbidden, 'iowever, to employ any per son who is related to him by blood or marriage within the sixth degree. Lquor sold to the county dispensers shall be sold at a profit not exceeding ten per cent. of the cost to the State. The county boards of countrol are to be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of :he legislative delegation, or a ma jarity of the same, frem the respect ive counties, instead of by the State board, as heretofort; and the gover ,or isgtven authority t) remove mem oers of the county boards for cause. ?le cour.ty boards of c-ntrol employ *he dispensers and clerks, who are not ;o be related to them. The commisatoner, instead of the State b ard, is required to attach t -ertifioate as to tie chemical analysis. purity, etc , to every package of liqu >r.sold in, or brought Int, the Slate Any packages of honor without suck ertificate may be seized and sold aE sontraband, and the common carrier ringing it in may be fined. Beer dispensers are hereby express]; prohibited. .The use of rrquest blanks by coun ;y dispersers are rtquired but here sifter tnese books shall be furnished tc she auditors by the county board o sontrol, instead of the Srate board tnd shall be paid for out of the funds ,f the county dispensaries. C.unty boards of control are giver authority to establish dispensaries anc to designate their location, of whici twenty days' notice shall be given The establishment of a cispensar; may be prevented by a majority of .he voters of the township in which t is to be located signing a petitiot o the county board, reques;ing tha. the proposed dispensary be not estab is .eo. The failure of dispensers to perforn their duties is to be reported to tht go iernor, instead of the State boarc ,f Directors, and he is rcq ilrcd tc fortnwith institute proper proceed ings to enforce the law. Heavy pen alties are fixed for the violation of sny of the rn q iirements of the law b} dispensers Dispensers are rcqu'rec '.o see the req'ie:t books, and report ,o the auditor on or before the 10t >f each month and to subscribe to a; 3ath that they have complied wit: the law in this resp:c4. Te sale o' iauor to minors, intoxca:ed persone person, in the habit of becoming .toxieated is forbidden and fails t. make accurate returns as required by law, sLowit g the true signature tc -,very request by him received and granted, or sells l'quar to any persoL ithout first rc aring a writt- n re quest therefore, is liable to a suit for $200 damages on the bond of such dis penser, to be brouiht by the solicitor. who is required to bring suit whet. tmformation is lorigc d with him. Permits to manuf-.3ture liquor ma. -e granted by the commiseioner under r-per restriction, provided in seotloc 13, which amends section 571. The pa,-ment o? the Uniited Statea tax as a 1 quIor dealer cr notics of ani ind in any place of resort or in an) -iore or shop, indicating that alcoh-o c liquors are there sold, shall be held s prims fa~cie evidence that the dia pensary law is being viola~ted3, and a enalty of not less than 8100 nor mort han $5-00 fine, or imprisonment foi three to twelve m~nths is Imposed for uch violation. Section 19, the last sec tion of the bill, is one of the most important and is as follows: Section 19 -That Section 603, Vol, 2. (Criminal) Code of Laws, S. C.. 1902, be amended by adding at the end thereof the following: The salo committee shall have the power to make, prescribe and promulgate, and the commissioner shall enforce such rules an-i regulations governing the onduct of the cfders employes and methods of husiness of the State Dis ensary, as, in their judgement, may seem wise and proper not inconsistent with law; so that when so amendeo ?e said section shall read as follows: "Section 603. -Toe presidling rzerse i the Smnate and Heuse of R -pre sentatives shall annually appuAme a~ committee, consisting of two mem bers of the Hiouse of R :presentative' tnd one Sensatcr, whoe duty it saa e to make quarterlv examinations o: the books and financial transac ion: of the State dispensary for the fLca tears begim~ing on the first cny of N :vamber previousi to the date ci their appointment, and to make a ,ritten report of such exmnain to the General AEs~mbly at the ses 3ion next succeding after the appoint aet. IB shall be the duty of a- leasi e member of said committee to b present at the taking of the inventor> f the sttek cof t..e S3ate Dispensar; .t the end of each quarter. Each member o-f said committ hall receive LfaS same per diem ac alesge as mombers of the G-eneral assembly, to be paid out of the dis esary funds by warrant cf IDispen .ry commissioner on the State Tress irer: Provided, That no per diem be dowed to the members of said comn mittee for more than twenty-four dayi luring any fiseal year. The said comn nittee shall have the power to make, rescrbe and promulgate, and thi ~ommsioner shall enforce, such rulet .nd regulations governing the conduct f the cffiers, employes and method f business of the State dispensary as, a their judgment may seem wise ant ?roper, not inconsistent with law. Fel1 Uinder Car Wheels A dispatch from Wilmington ti he News and Courier says A. P. Mil er, a young man, was killed by at 5.tlantic Coast Line train Thursiat ight. Miller lived near the Nintt street "Y," and at 8 o'clock Thursda) sight boarded a north-bound excursitr .rain with the intention of jumping if as the train neared his home. At e jumped he fell under the wheeles. s head and both legs were severed. nd portions of the body scatterer ong the track for many yards. Tht oung man was a clerk in the audi -or's offce of the Coast Llne. Fiend Wanted. A negro fiend on Monday attacked G-:acennia Magia, an Italian farmer, n his home near Woodbury, and riminaly asssulted Magia's wife af ter compellung her to give hihn all her iaving's amounting to $107. MIagia vas beaten into insensibility by the egro and Is dying at a hosoital. His wife is in a critical condition at their A man never knows what his wife ondures untill she goes eway for a day ad leaves one of the children to ac co-.-n him to his down town la A BRIDAL TRIP In an Airship that Proved Fatal to Bride and Groom. FELL INTO THE SEA. How the Bridal Baloon Collapsed in Mid Air and the Count Nazzari Last His Bride of a Night in the Angry Waters of the Ad. istic. Sad Honeymoon. The most pitiful tragedy that ever -esulted from the perilous art of aerial navigation has jist thrown the leading noble families Lf Milan, Italy, into deep mourning. A fair young bride of only a day 'ost her life in this great tragedy t f bhe upper air. Count Nizziri, the youthful head ;f an ancient and wealthy family of titan, was like that other young nillionaire, M. Santos Dumont, oassionately devoted to aeronautics. Hs was perpetually experimentirg vith new devices for solving the great problem of aerial navigation. It .vas his constant occupation, and he spent almost his entire income upor t. He has been the owner of twenty fve balloons and airships. H x ma9c .seents in then continually. He had d great many accidents, but alwa) mame back alive after getting intC she most perilous situations. He es :aped being smashed to pieces once by grabbing at a window sill as his ,.alloon fell to the ground, aad on an jather occasion by ciutchitg at the branches of a tall tree. He got ouw )f so many troubles so luckily that his friends said he had a charmed life Ccunt Nazziri b'came engaged to a ovely girl, who took the greatest in erest in his favorite amusement T.ey were both reckless, daring, or1 .inal and full of high spirits. They ecided that they would have a roneymoon quite diff-rent from an) that had ever been heard of. They would spend their honeymoon in the ir. Instead of sneaking off mysteri -usly to some unknown piaoe, ar wedded ccuples are wont to dn, they would rise tr.umphantly into the air efore their assembled friends and dowiy fade away into the blue Heavens. Count Nazzari prepared his latest ;irship for the journey-a giant cigar hapea vessel with two fan-sbaped at 'achments for Steering. She %as -amed the Regina Helena, o? Q iean H.:iena, in honor of the prusent oeautiful Q :een of Italy. She was fitted with every luxury that a bride who was willicg to take anaerial voy ge cculd expect. A little boud'.ir was coastrrcted for the bride, finish d with g:een and gold cushions and curtains, and supplied with many accessodes of the t jilet. The airship ws provisioned for two weeks, with lcz:ns of cold chickens, pigeons, hams, sausages and bottlee of old Chianti, while an a~c ihol stove en aled them to do light cooking. The airship was moored in an open pace outside thae charc:., where the wedding was celebrated in the most brilliant fAshion before a great gath iring of the nobility smd fashionable society or Milan. When it was over he proud bridegroom, wit~h his radi Snt, black eyed bride upon his arm, marchcd down the aisle to the great -.rs door, while the organ played the glorious Wedding March from "I aengrin." There was a short al fresco break ast in the place where the airship was moored. Toasts were freely drunk. The women friends of the bride em braced her and wept over her. At 2 o'clock the departure for the skies took place. Count Nazzari car red with him besides his bride one rriend-Slgnor Usuelle, a fearless, ex perienced and enthusiastic aeronaut, Count Nazzari needed some one hr oud rely on to handle the airship qalle lhe was giving the necessary at nton to the bride. Asthe balloon rose from the earth it was surrounded by the merry, 61 :!.able crowd of I'a'I-n we"iding guestb 'ceerng, laughing and weeping. They Jac.ag it was~ the lovelat wedding bey had ever dreamed of. They stooc hre f:Jicinated, with feet rooted ti ti'e ground and faces upturned, as the gret airstip rose bignier nal~ higher -nto the air and sped away to the eoutheast, until it was only a speck in ne ciark bue Lzahin i.,. At last it disappeared altogether. The gueste said It was .iust like going to heaver ora hney muon. Within tho snuggV y 8tad car all was bappinese f er a few hours. If she shuddered a hittie as she peeped over t the carth immeasurably beneath ter sL!e was ressursd by the warm pressure of her husband's arms. Grave .rouble soon menaced the party. About sunset a storm sprung up with the suddennss characteristic of the Ital an climate. Tae balloon was drv ir. apidly over Adriatic Sea. All night ong' she as driven over the w~ter. ~he steering apparatus proved utter .y useless against this terrific hurri in the morning the balloon was sghted over the Adriatic Sea in the vicinity of Ancona. Finding that he wind was at last blowing him iear land Count Nazzari made a des perate effort to descend. In his haste re opened the gas valve too wide and ;his, aciting tcgether with a sudden quall upset the equilibrium of the Igar-shaped vessel so completely that he car was turned upside down. The ride fell Into the stormy saa, but the wo men held on to the balloon by ro pes. Within a few moments this fel1 nto the water. The husband plung ed into the ocean in search of hia ride but his companion remained on the wreck age of the balloon, believing wisely that he could be more useful in keeping a lookout from that position. Torpedo boats and fishing boats came out from Ancona to the rescue of the party. After a long search they round the floating wreckage with Sig nor Usuelli on it. H& thought that both the others were drowned but a search was made and Count Nizzari, a very powerful man, was found still buetiog the angry wavts In the hope af findig his lost bride. He was pull ad on board a torpedo boat in a state af delirim. A watch was kept on the waters in this vicinity for some hours, aut nothing could be seen of the young arde. There was no doubt that she1 was drowned and her body washed far < When a man starts after something e usually finds 17, coming to meet aim. If he waits for it he usually1 lea s It fading away.1 UM5Th PLAIN FACT &BOUT TBE WHISKEY QUESTION PLAINLY STATED. . Prohibitionists Whom the High License or Farroom f dvocates can't Fool. Editor Columbia Record: To hear some people talk and to read the comments of the different editors about over the sate upon the dispensary, one would naturally can elude that South Carolina had bean, prior to the enactment of the dispen sary law, inhabited by pure, sweet angelic people and not by mortal, mean wicked men. That these anti dispensary fellows were the soul of honor and the embodiment of every virtue; that in them was no guile or graft and, like George Washinaton, had never to'd a lie. That vice, ras cality and crime were unknown in the land until a big devil came up some where out of the woods, with the dis pensa7y in his pocket, and turned it toose among these lambs. But all this editorialing and preach ing and speech making about the vir. :ue and Godliness of South Carolina. before Ben Tillman and the dispen ;ary appeared upon the scene, fools nobody. No, indeed, South Carolina nas never been an unspoiled Elen, and I fear it will be the last place the millennium will strike. Reverse your think bex for a few moments and take a retrospective view and you will be reminded that South Carolina ha: been dead drunk and full of rascah for two centuries. Every one knows, jr stnuld know, that a very high per cent of her people, of all classes, were drunkards, murderers, llars, grafter and robbers from the very start. The first boat that landed here brough1 she germs of all these villainies wits them from Europe. And it seems t .ne to be disingenious and unwortbj to write and talk and try to mak people believe the dispensary creates the germs, and hatched out the firsi brood of these villains ever seen here abouts. No, sires, some of us know better. Under the old barroom system thi state was as much in the whiskey business as she is today. Yes, she legalized the trafic and farmed ou' the in!quity of selling whiskey to he: citizens, and put the money in he: reasury and used it for all purposes Chaplain, who offered prayers tc heaven esci morning for divine wis dom to guide and direct cur genera assembly, were paid with this same tearsoaked money. And yet we hea people insisting that the state was never in the rum business before ant that the blowing of a palmettto tree in a glass bottle put her in this nefari ous basiness, disgraced her fair anc spotless name and made. liars ant rogues of her citizens. May the foo: killer spare these idiots and hypo rites. South Carolina was not only in this hell-born traifl: as a state but man) of her honored and respected citizens standing high in the community ant church, were silent money partner in Illic1t distilleries and barroom-helle Under the dispensary regime many 0: this same class have made the ru'a districts drunk and disarderly b3 furnishing dirty, lazy, worthless nig ges whiskey to sell, thereby j aopard zing the lives and property of thE community. Bapid-fire talking-tube of every caliber and press-batteries o: all s'zes have been trained upon thi dispensary, and for what reasor How many of them ever took a sho1 as Mr. Barroom? Certainly he was nad man. Yes; he was a bold, wick 4d man, who murdered more honoj and killed more men and underminet their character and destroyed the pro spects of more boys, and heart broki more women, In one year than ths dispensary has since it was establish ed. Mr. High License is the samt ld Mr. Barroom dressed in a new sul of coistltutionals, and would certain ty grove jnst as bad. Did you ever think how funny it sounds to hear people damning the ispensary and cussing the labes and X's on the bottles and swearing at tub E 2ans' beaver hat, who never it all their pious and righteous lives ver raised their 'voices against the whiskey demon? Funny, isn't 1t0 You must please excuse me if I get mixed as to whether they are fight ng whiskey as an evil or the dispen ,.ry for the same other reason. Were drunks and crime of the bar rom brand any better than those of the dispensary ]abel? Were heart oroken widows and poor orphan chil dren of barroom manufacture less elpless and pitible than those of the dispensary stamp? Some people think o. Now let us be honest and con sistent and go to fighting whiskey as the great enemy of pure manhood and omanhood, and stop this hypocriti nal scolding and railing at the dispen sary simply to gratify some selfish prejudice. Whiskey has been one of he great crime breeders and man de stroyers from the beginning and ite :anufacture and sale should not be tolerated under any arrangement whatsoever, and would not be 11 we mere just one quarter as God serving and neighbor loving as we pretend to e. If those who control the trend o1 .vents had fought half as hard to ban sh whiskey from the state as one hall i them have fought to destroy the tispesary and the other half to pre serve that institution, there would not a enough whiskey in South Carolina ,oday to make a mint julep. Admit the dispensary management .o be corrupt and then ask yourself Ic there any other management or busi ess or system or anything in South Carolina or anywhere else in these United States today clean of graft, In justice and rascality, and not more or less corrupt? If, as many honest, fair and unpr* j udiced minds believe, the ispensary is the best solution of the rhiskey problem, It will be exceed ingly unwise to destroy It because some of the graft has developed in :he system. I think it very wonder ul that it has not been very much worse In view of the way the enemies f the dispensary have acted towards iat institution. Cleanse the manage ment as far as possible and let the ,ystem stand or enact a prohibition .aw. In. spite of everything that has asen said or can be said, high license ,Imply means a return to the open, ittractive, luring and lniquittius bar room system. The devil has been smiling with sat sfaction since the day prohibition lost bnd the dispensary became the law of great state, but don't let him win nother victory by fooling you to irade ff the dispensary for high 11. :ense. The dispensary Is a part of she government and If It be true that Spart of the government is corrupt Ld cannot be cleansed,thenl the whole nust become putrid and rotten. This vould be an awful and horrible fact. do no ble.ave it, and think the r11s pensary can be kept as clean as any other department of the g vernmeut. The dispensary is today every bit as clean as the power that controls it-< that power is the government or state. If the dispensary, and not the government of state, is to blame, then you have a clear case of the tail wag ging the dog. If the state allows the dispensary, her own dear son, to stay out at night and go to the ball, what makes you think she will love high license, who is only her step-son, any better and , keep a closer watch on his going and coming. Men of South Carolina, if you love the little boys and girls, and bave any thought or care for their fu ture, never vote for a law carpenter who says that with my little saw and hatchet I will build a barroom. Do what you please with the dispensary kick it down, tear it down, burn it down, but in God's name never, never by your vote be 19 build up a barroom -and that is what you will do if you vote to send high license or local op tion men to the legislature. FRANCIs ELxIN WIT. iAxs. CONVICTS KILL GUARD. Mutiny and Murder at the Charles ton County Stockade. The Charleston Evening Post says Herman G. Steilo, a chain gang guard at the Seven mile stockade, was killed Thursday afternoon at abcut 2:30 o'clock by three convcts, Alorzo G~odwin. Hammond Wilson and George Kenny, who made their es oape, and are now in the woods, on Charlestcn neck, with Deputy Sheriff Poulnot at the head of a posse on their heels. The murder occurred at the stock ade camp. Stello's throat was cut open. He was asked by the three men who played sick Thursday and were left behind at camp shut up in a house with two trusties, to bring them a bucket of water. The trusties they looked up in the kitchen. When Stello approched the men, they rushed upon him, overpowered him and cut his throat. - The convicts overpowered the trus ties or c)wed them, made their escape rasily. The imprisoned trusties cut their way from the kitchen and ran to the store of Mr. H )ttinger at Seven Mile House. He immediately tele phoned the news of the murder and escape to Sheriff Martin. The sheriff at once ordered a posse to go to the scene of the tragedy. Deputy Sheriff Poulnot, with special deputies, Messrs. George D uglas, S. L Knox and Driscoll, and Rural P.licemn Burton and Kelly,. hastened up the roa- by the trolley line. It is .thought that the escaped convicts are armed. They. are still in the woods. Every effort. will be made to catch them. Blood - hounds will be put on their tracks. I Mr. Stello was a man of over 50 years of age and married. He lived at No. 30 Inspection street. Stello was the only guard at the stockade, the others having gone out with the gang which is workirg on the drains. TEB COST OF LIVING, Esecciany in A Food Suppneli steadlly Increases. Figures prepared- by the Depart ment of Labor show beyond doubt that retail prices of fo~d are on the ascendency and that year by year the American hcusekeeper finds himself called upon to draw more largely on his bank account t0 keep up his estab l ishment. Statistics that are In every particu lar reliable have been secured by the deprtment from retail merchants In Charleston, Norfolk and other cities from which the department figuree ou that the retail pr1Aces of food i.n 1~ were at the highest point during the sixteen year perIod covered by the investigation. The average prices of the twenty-three of the thirty arti cles Included in this compilation of prices were higher in 1905 than In 1904. and the price of every article In cluded, except coffe and prunes, was higher In 1905 than in 1896, the year of lowest prices during the last six een years. The advance in bacon since 1896 has been 43 5 per cent; Irish potatoes, 43.1 per cent; eggs 41 8 per cent; dry or pickled pork 31.0-per cent; fresh pork 30 per cent; flour 29.8 per cent; corn meal 28 6 per cent. The advance in food when each of the thirby arti cles are given a weight according to its consumption in the family of the workingman, has been 0 6 per cent since 1904; 17 7 per cent since 1896 and 12 4 per cent compared with the Sverage for the 10 year perIod, 1890 to 1899. Attacked by aJPanther. The R mage, Texas, News says last Friday a panther attacked the little on of Mr. Bud May, a few miles north ~f town. The little tellow was a shor t distance from the house when the bast attacked him. His cries of terror attracted an older sister who bravely went to the aid of the little fellow, snatching him from the clutches of the enraged brute. As she ran to the house with the boy in ,ier arms, the animal made several ttemps to take him from her, jump ng over her shoulders In its frantik eforts. She succeeded in reaching the house and shutting the door in the face of the beast. It tried tc :orce -its way Into the house and failing, gave vent to the most awfui creams and cries. Tue child waF scratched, but not severely. Lives Lost in Fire. At Buffalo, N. Y., Capt.. Robinson, a veteran Lake Matter, was burned t leath, B. J. Johnson, sailor, was fa tally burned and a score of persons had a narrow escape in a fire in a ouilding occupied by the Buffilt Chandlery, supposed to have been aused by explosion. Thre fire spread to the St. Charles Hotel, the l ames rolled high and much damage was done. Loss is 2750,000. To Exploit Ouban Lands. The Cuban Investing Corporation of New York, which will conduct a general agricultural and manufactur ig business In Cuba, has been incor parated with a capital of S3,000,000. Lbe directors of record Include E. 0. Fosburgh, a. M. Kerr, L. W. Shelton, 0. H. Kayler, W. W. Day, Jr., Nor folk, Vsi.; R. J. Camp, Franklin, Va.; and C. T. Ladson, Atlanta, Ga. Blind Tigers and Sunday. D. 5. Hammond, Darlington corres pondent of the Hartsville Messenger, writing of the whiskey situation in Darlngton says: " Blind tigers and Sunday sellers are having morer visitors on Sunday than the churches. Darlingoni Is one of tihe counties that I has voted out tha dispensary, but It ( seems that prohibition fails to forbid it there. Rusting out Is not resting. I TWO NEiO.WV. )NE IN ANIERSON AND ONE IN UNION. A Beligicus Neeting ia Tach rounty Interfered With by Trebken Men. AEpEcialfrcm Ar derson tothe State 1 rnder date of August 15 says a negro uscc!ation held a religious meeting at Shiloh CLumch on Wednesday nine miles frcm that city. Wednesday afternoon a young negro cursed a ne ] gro ran and a regular fusilade of bul lets followEd. Seven negro men are shot and cue mule. It is probable that three or more of the negroes and mule will die. Sheriff Green sent two ' deputies -to the scene Wednisdal night to pre vsnt further trcuble. The row started three o'clockWed nesday afternocn and the fight t.ok place right in a road in front of the church. Fully 2,000 negroes were in attend .nce at the three day associ? tion meeting and the deputies ha.ve secured the names of at least 17 ne groes that took part in the fight. Al together at least 50 part'cipated. The deputy sheriffs returned to An derson Wednesday nik ht and got war rants and returned to the scene to ar- 1 rest all concerned in the disgraceful row. It seems that an old grudge has been bstween several negpoes for somt time and this grudge culminated ir the row Wednesday. Anderson county has sa.called prohibition and the rowdy negrees must have gotten druni on blind tiger whiskey, which can be had at many places in the county. Dactors were quickly summoned arc the wounded negroes are receiving a1 the medical aid possible. The row broke the meeting up The leading negroes of the association furnished the deputies the names of the partici pants, and it is be hoped that the will be arrested and male an ezamph if. Disturbing religious meetings ar serious affairs. ROW AT A CHURCH. A dispatch from Ualon says new s if a big row at a colored church near Kelton out in the couaty has reached tnat place, and one negro, Kelley Hol ley, has been committed to jail. for shooting another negro at the church. The row must have been started by blind tiger whiskey as Union is a pro hibition county. - It is said that 25 or 30 shots were. fired in the church grounds Sunda afternoon, and that the crowd beini panic stricken, many, ran into tb' church building, where one of the mer was shot as he went in the door. A "big meeting" had just been startec by Bev. 0, H. Lee and A A. Sims principal of the colored school here, and report has it that with othen they did fast runnirg when the firing began. It seems that James Keenan and Davis Holley had a fuss at an ice cream supper at Dave Smith's Satur day night when Keenan shot Mose Kelley, Joe and Wadua Holley. The trouble was renewed at Btthel church next day, when Keenan was badly thot by tne Holley boys and islih a1 angerous condition. Esenan alse shot both Mose and Kelly Holley 25 c: 3) shots being fired. K~enan Is abon 17 years old and the Holley brother., are grown men. PIRES INTO sTBET CAR. A Fool Who Se.ims to ba Fo~lowing .Deas' Aavice. The Columbia correspondent of The News and Courier says there was copi siderable excitement in that ciyy Fr! day afternocn. It sems that Mansot Hamilton, a negro porter at the Eld geville Club, was riding out to Ridge wood on a car with some excursionsta from Clinton. He occupied a seat i the sectilon for white passengers. The conductor went to Hamilton and told aimto get In the seats ~Intenid for the colored, It is said he declinec to do so and a row followed. The white passengers joined In and the re sut wis that. Hiailton was put off the car. Hamilton claims to have been kicked and badly treated. Tbt conductor and others claim that h(~ was simply put off the car. The car passes by Hamilton's home and on the return trip Ramilton wac standing in his door and shot Into the car. The shot went wild. A few small shot hit Mr. George Ware or the hand and a few hit Conductor Youngner. There was considerable excitement in the city and in some way the report spread that If Hm i ton were caught he would be lynched. e came to Columbia quietly, weni to the county jail and is there now The cificers will rigrously prosecute Hamilton for his conduct and'for shooting Into the car. Fortunately no one was at all seriously hurt. C Hamilton claims that his gun wentt off accidenoally. The passengers on he train claim that Hamilton delib : erately shot into the car. Hrvmilton ran and he was chased. Superinten dent Walla.e had a warrant sworr out against Hamilton and soon a posee i was hunting him. During the even ig Hamilton came to CoiumbIa ii I company with Mr. Brodrn Hyatt and surrendered. He is now In jil. He only asked to say that the dan went - accidentally and that he was badly reated on the trafin. Wife and CnIld Drown. Mrs. Geo. Watkmns and child were drowned Saturday afternoon, near Mountan Rest, 12 miles west of Wal lialla. Mr. Watkins and family at tempted to fcard a .swollen stream when their wagon was overturned by he current. Mr. Walker saved two f the children and tried in vain to save his wife, who clasped her infant n her arms. Mr. Watkins lives In ~ ie lower portion of Osonee county, md he and his family were going tc visit relatives at their former home md had almost reached their destina ,lon. They passed through Walhalla ~ mL 2 o'clock. I . Matineers Executed. Seventeen of the sailors of the erul a er Pmvat A zava who mutinled, Aug. , nd one agitator arrested In con- i iection with the mutiny, Who were 0 ondmned to death by a courtmar 0 lal, were execnted at R. ival. Rassia, a n Saturday. Twelve other sailors a vere sentenced to hard labor for p6. tods varying from six to ten years, 5 3 were draf ted to the disciplinary a3 latallios, 15 were condemned to va- * ious dsciplinary penalties and 34 m rere acquitted. Three civilians Im lcated in the mutiny were handed ver to the civil authorities for trial. * What a man would call "enthusi sm," as applied to himself he dubs 1 T ank Thee L rd. thank Tnee. Lord, because I live, With loving heart and patient mind; ecause 1 have the gift to give, Of sympathy to all my kind. thank Thee, tro. because my ears Along earth's barren waste have lain, .nd for the sweet and Duman tears, Thereon dissolved like summer rain. thank Thee for each sad mistake 'lhat seemed to wreck some cher ished dream; for would I mend the piteous break Twixt Then and Now, or hide the seam. know, 0 Lord, Thy gentle bands Hav, led me safe through sun and cold; 3ecause my soul now understands The peace within the Shepard's fold.. Therefore I thank Thee, Lord, be . cause Thou dids't not leave me to the blast; ut with the gentle love that draws Led me to Thy dear feet at last. TIRED 02 NAGR0 TROPS. aution War Department Begging that They be Rm c- vd. Senator B.illey and Bepresentati.,e ;rner and a. v ral other members of he Texas delegation .In COungres, lave joined in a protest which wv a . caived at the war department TL.U - lay against the presence of net; -o iroops in Texas. Tae protest was seat )y wire and was prompted by the re sent trouble in Brovnsville, where iue colored soldiers, Ailed up with I'q ior, wens on a rampage, killing c ne i!tiz-24 wounding the chief of p trice Ld otherwise creating such a cis mrbance that there Fad some talk of aving the Governor call ou tne ml lia.to queh the dlsord r. The telegram from Texans points ut that the presence of the col. red .oops Is a menace, and that trouble imilar to that which disturbed ?rownsville Is likely to happen at tny time owing to the prejudice against aem. Tnree oanpanies of the 25 i ofantry, which is colored, have been fr some time at Fort Bliss, Tezas, end the remaining companies -of the egiment have been recently ordered .od.,.rent points in that State. from Fort Niebrara, Nebraska and F .rt Washakte, Wyoming. All of them rave arrived there 'exeept one con pany, and it was the memoers of one f the companies of this regime it ehich caused the riot at Brownsville. Tae war d apartment replied to he protest by stating that nothing :ld be d:.ne in the matter at tie ,resent time, as the B:ownav.16 Lcident is being thoroog:1ly inveit ated. Tnas far, however, the instigators of the riot have not b.,an ietected. Three Antoista Kiled. Three antomobilists were killed and another fatally injured at Allaire rossing on the Pennsylvania railroad near Asbury Park, N. J., Saturday night, when an express train .crashed into the automobile of J. Geo-ge Laffargue, a piano manufacturer .f New York. Mr. Laffargue, his wife3 and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lurcz we.re astantly killed. Mr. Lurch, the *nly otner occupant of the car, wa ? -conclous when picked up and is in precirious condition. Mr. Laff .r gue handled the car himself ad as -ne. party approached the Crossing ,e car was going at a good speed. s it swept upon the tracks a train rashed into it and the ccsupants ,ere thrown Into the air. .The car qas hurled 30 feet and *wrecked eganst the Aliaire 'station. When ssistance arrived Mr. and Mrs. asf.rgue and Mrs. Lurch were deal, and Mr. L'irch barely alive. No iope of his recovery is held out. Killed the Wrong Man. B. E Wishart, of Osala, Fla., was rilled at San Antonio, Pisco County, iriday morning by a turpentine man :amd Burton. Wishart operated a tie camp at Ebren and with his two aughters went to' San Antcnio to. tave dental work done for one. While 1he ycuftg lady was in the dentist/s . Nair and Wistiart was waiting in the ifice, Burton, who. had a grievance against the dentist, whose name Is T chols, came to the door and asked Nichols was in. Wishart. replied hat he was and Burton, thinking It yas Nichols who Epoke, fired a -load rom a shotgun into Wishart's heart, :illing him Instantly. As -Burton ired be called cut:, "Nichols,'o tw ruined my wife." Wisleart came o Morida from Lam'oarton, N. 0., tght years ago and owned considera ile property on the west cast. KinedNearBadham. John Brown, a negro employed at he brick works cf the Darchester amber Company, was killed and his ody horribly mutilated by an east iund Southern train passing Badham Priday night about 9 o'clccLr It is aid he came l'iro Badhzam from Sum aerv:ll riding on blind end of bag -age car in an intoxicated condition, nd expressed hli'inntnson of return g Friday night to Summerville in he same manner. H-s mangled body ond at daylight Saturday morning, ,few feet beyond tne depot, shows hat he had antempted to carry out he itenton. Found a Meteorice. On Tuesday evening of last week, raile Mrs. A. L McLandon was sit ing on tne veranda of hier home, says he Live Oak (Texas) D mocrat, she aw a v-vidflash ana neard a noise lke a stone striking the fence dirtet v in front of her. She wras within a ew feet of it and jrushing out, picked p the-stone it proved to be a me eorite about the size of a small egg nd was boa when picked up. Tne hone looks like the comn -non variety f Iron stone. is of a brown color and heavy. I; is on ex'.ibition. hard to Kmii. At Hattleosburg, Miss., after ceiving one buliet straight through ee heart and another entirely brough the head, Onarles Willams negro has survived three days and rill prooably recover. The wounds rere ir fl ed b-, a 38 calibre revolver ed at snort range. Williams fell ver as thougn ciead. The u.nder Aker was telephoned for but the irgeon arrived in the meantime and 'aes the unzdertakst's wagont arrived 2e wouneo negro was able to sit up. ince then he3 has been eating hearni 'and the payicians venture the alulon that he will recover If no mplicatios arise. We have met men who labo-red un er the delusion tieat their zIotoriety as reputio'n Frmness s -inulunesaedness. asyn wn: pnriy kept.