University of South Carolina Libraries
TLhe people A MERCHANT'S NEWSPAPER. I A. COUNTRYMAN'S NEWSPAPER. A NEWSPAPER FOR SELLER AND BUYER. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY. W. A SCHROCK. Publisher. ? SUBSCR1PTI0X, $1.50 PER ANNUM. Uamdcn, 8. C., JmicOtli, 1007 THIS INITIATIVE AND ItE FUltGNDUftl. We have iu previous issues called afctenliou to the question of inaugurating the system of "The Iuitiative and Referendum" in clinchiug the laws enacted by ?ur State Legislature. There as no room for doubt in onr mind that that is the proper method of making a majority of laws effective. The law-making body of the State, the General As sembly, are alright in their way, but their way is not alway Alright as they are often largely influenced in their actions by n supposed preponderance of pub lic opinion, every fellow natural ly wishing to be on the popular side so as to retain his job. The averago legislator gets an idea in his head that the crowd that makes the biggest fuss rep resents popular sentiment, and goes cheerfully along saying ??me too" although his judg ment (always provided that he lias any) teaches him that these loud-mouthed fellows are either wrong in their honest convic tions, or, that they are playing a gamc for their own benefit, or endeavoring to gratify an un reasonable prejudice. The above being an indis putable fact, we are compelled to come squarely to the issue. We do not hesitate to assert that nine out of ten laws which now udorn (?) our statute books would not be on them if the people had been given an opportunity through the system of ^Initi ative and Referendum" to pass ftipon them. As it has been some time since we touched upon this subject, ?nd as we know that a majority of our readers ate not familiar with it, we will again explain that the system of "The Initia tive and Referendum" consists in the referring of all laws pass ed upon and enacted by the leg islature to the people for final .adjudication before it becomes the law of the land. This is it, aud it is all of it. si:i:ing spooks. From tho present butlook, there are quite a number of peo ple iu this town and 111 the coun ty who are seeing spooks. To their blinded eyes, behind every bush there lurks a foe in the shape of a follow with a bottle of whiskey ever ready to pounce upon the unsuspecting victim nnd till him up with jig water. They are frightfully nervous over the idoa that tlicso evil spirits will lure either their boy or someone elses' boy into the path leadiug to hell and de struction by inculcating a taste for liquor. They are also deep ly concerned over the fact that thero is a little matter of #100 000 per annum spent for whiskey in this county. In fact they, or some of them are badly affected with a worse case of brain storm than Harry Thaw ever found time to cultivate. So severe is the attack of this creepy dis ease that the sufferer absolutely ignoros the following several facts ? not spooks; No parent's boy is debauched through the operations of the present method of regulating and controlling the salo of intoxicants. Take tho boy who has been properly taught and controlled iu his home nnd you will in nine canes outof ten find a sober boy. Take one who has not beon properly con trolled and taught in his home, and in an equal number of cases, you will find a boy who is giving his parents many a heart-ache. Take that class of boys, and the inauguration of the bogus sys tem of prohibition which a num ber of our citizens desire to foist upon the county to its serious detriment, will have an exactly ppposito effect to tlifc end de sired. If tliey have acquired a taste for whiskey, they will ob tain it under any law or under no law. You will mould out of that class a race of sneaks who will bring upon you a far greater degree of discredit than that you uow suffer. _ That little matter of $100,000 i too. Have these really consci entious .people who are endeav oring to have the dispensary voted out of the county, with the assistance of the prejudiced and self-interesledly luchned paused a moment to tlnnlc what classes spend the greater por tion of that amount iuto the coffers of the institutiou? It is the classes who pay no other tax, uud W'lio will have no trou ble iu buying what liquor they waut, prohibition, or no prohi bition. The only difference will bo that they will get a grade of whiskey that is incomparably worse than they now iudulge in, with the result that our jail will be filled with offenders of all degrees whom it will be next to impossible to convict except \vh?ii the crime is of a heinous nature, and not always- then un less the crime comes home to the entire community. The only result that is possi ble under the projected bo<.>us system of prohibition (as we see il) will be au increase of crime, illiteracy and worse roads, cou pled with u marked iucrease of taxation. ATTENTION, VOTERS. Tlie very particular attention of our anti- dispensary readers is called to tlie estimated profits of the county dispensary by Senator Hough. We have had no con versation with him on the sub ject, as his estimate appears to us to be conservative. Under the State dispensary system, 10 per cent of the gross profits on sales went to the State institution, and the Lord knows what extra charges were made to our board ou the actual cost of stuff purchased. Under the prcseut system, all the profits remain with us, while the ex pense account will be materi ally decreased, and the quality of goods bought immeasurably superior. The latter feature will commend itself to the mod erate as well as to the immoder ate drinker. It is a fact that, we suppose will go without ques tion, a majority of the voters of this county belong to the one class or the other, although a numberdrink undercover, which makes it difficult to locate them. It is a further fact that another class of our citizens having as certained that they could not drink without making brutes of themselves, have cut it out, and strange to say, a majority of this class will vote at the coming election to deprive their stronger headed brothers of enjoying a pleasant stimulant, which to the brighter minded is often abso lutely necessary. The several classes mentioned who arc now bent on casting a ballot against the county dispensary, utterly ignore the further fact that they are wantonly voting to cut out a source of revenue that materially aids the property owners, and forever (perhaps) debars thein from the acquirement of proper ty, their ballot forcing these property owners because of in creased taxation to cut the re muneration of their employes, thus entailing hardship not only on themselves, but on their families. ALL FOR WHAT? That the absolutely pure minded may put themselves on recoi d, That the sentimentalist may gratify a sentiment, That the ex booze fighter may say, if I can't drink, neither shall the other fellow, That the embryo Blind Tiger may have an open tield, and That the city, towns and coun ty go into a state of dry rot. Money or Hoys. Editor The People: I note with regret that you are sup porting the county dispensary, which is a heavy tax upon our people, the farming element especially. I want space in your paper to put myself square on record as opposed to the dis pensary, and I call upon the lovers of our grand old county to vote it out. We would rather pay our taxes with money than wiili our boys. J, L. Trapp. To the Taxpayers and Voters of Kershaw County. A Special Election is to be Held on June 20th to Deter mine Whether You will Vote Out the Dispen sary and Have Prohibition for Four Years. To Determine whether You will Take $48,000 Out of Your County Treasury, and Vote an Extra Tax Upon Yourselves to Run your County Government. To Decide whether you will take $16,000 out of your School Funds, $16,000 out of your County Govern ment Funds, and $16,000 from the City of Cam den and Town of Bethune. Can the Tax payers stand this Additional Tax ? To the Citizens of Kershaw County: Inasmuch as a Special'Election has beeu ordered to be held ou the 20th of June, 1907, in Ker shaw County, to decide whether the County Dispensaries in this county shall be voted out and instead have prohibition for four years; aud no other election un der the law beiug possible with* iu that period of time; and since at such election those who are not property holders have a voice as well as those who pay taxes, and consequently bear the bur den of the county expenses, it is most important that these tax payers should weigh the follow ing: facts and figures, showing the county's tax levy and gene ral financial condition under the present system, and what it would be if Kershaw county is deprived of the revenues accru ing from the Dispensary profits. The tax payers will have to meet this deficit in case the county is deprived of such revenues. It cannot be questioned that the dispensary controlled here under the State Dispensary law in this county, was controlled in a legal aud orderly manner, and added to the prosperity of the county, reduciug crime and ma terially assisting the peopie in bearing the burden of taxation aiding iu the education of our children. Under Dispensary Law. The following amount wan raised for ordinary County purposes for the year 11)04$: Levy for ordinary County purposes of mills raised a tax of $15,871.74 I >ispensary profits under ritate Dispensary law $10,000.00 Total amount collected.. $25 ,87 1.74 The following was the amount collected lor School pur pones during the year. 1000, which takes in the 3 null ' Constitutional tax. Toll Tax and Specials $10,874.88 From State Dispensary $ 2,152.00 Total amount collected.. #21, 620.88 The following was the levy for the City of Camden, dur ing the year, 11RMI, 8 mills, raising a tax of $ 0,000.00 The Dispensary profits under State Dispensary law $ 8,000.00 Total amount collected.. $17, 000. 00 All this is spent, including Hues and licenses collected from tune to time and this is hardly adequate. Under the county dispensary system, the sales from the dis pensaries in Kershaw county, up to dale, shows that the net profits for Kershaw county, dur ing the year 1UU7. will be #18,000. Under the County Dispensary law, Sec. 13, it is to be divided as follows A to be paid to the county Treasurer for ordinary county purposes; ^ to the county Treasurer for the couuty school fund; and ^ to the Treasurers of the City of Camden and the Town of Bethune for ordinary expenses. This will give the county of Kershaw for ordinary county purposes, #10,000 from the dispensary profits, instead of #10,000 from the State dis pensary law, which it received in 1000, plus the levy for ordinary county purposes of 4$ mills, malting #15,871:74, a total of #31,871.74 agaihst #25,871.74, collected during the year 1000 The School fund will get #10,000 from the county dispensary tins year, provided it is not voted out, against #2, 152 last year. In other words the schools of Kershaw county will receive this year un der the couuty dispensary, pro vided it is not voted out, #35, 374.28 or #14,000 over what it got last year. The City of Camden and town of Rcthune, will receive this year under the county dispen sary law, #10,000, from the dis pensary profits, plus #13,000 raised by u levy of 10 mills, which will be #20,000 against #17,000 for the year 1005. Under County Dlftpeiisnry Law. The following shows the additional revenue I hat tin* County will receive under the County Dispensary System. The following amount will he raised for ordinary County purposes for the year liH?7 : Levy for ordinary County purposes, mills $13,871.74 Dispensary profits under County Dispensary law, provided it is not voted out $18,000.00 Total amount ??1, 871.74 Tlie following wiU be the amount collected Tor school purposes during the year 1007, which, takes in the 51 mill Constitutional tax, Poll Tax and Specials $10,874 8H From County Dispensary pro vided it is not voted out $l(l,(KM).O0 Total amount $:I5,J17 1.88 Should the Dispensary continue to run, the special levy for school pur poses. could be done away with in al most all the districts throughout the County. The levy for the City of Cam den is 10 mills, misiug a tax of about $13,000.00 The Dispensary profit* for the City of Camden, pro vided that it is not voted out, will be _? $12,000.00 The Dispensary profits for the town of llethuue, pro vided it is not voted out, will be $ 4,000.0u Making a total of J2t>,0OO0<? It has already been demon strated that the same amount of liquor will be consumed under prohibition law, without profit to the county or to any reputa ble citizen of the county. The tax-payers will have to make up this loss of revenne, which would accrue (whether by a high license or the dispensary law.) Since high license under the law is im possible, why be deprived of the latter, allowing the dispensary proiits to be diverted from this county, to enrich the blind tiger element, who pay no share of the couuty burden. Under prohibition law, blind tigers will spring up like mushrooms in the night, all over the county, with out the machinery for getting rid of them. The drinking class of our citizens will be furnished with a grade of whiskey, del?i mcntal both to the health and morals of our county, especially to the help of our farmers, upon whose prosperity depends thai of all of our citizens. Every tram will bring in liquor from other States, which shipments are protected by inter Stale law, and the profits will go to other counties, leaving us an extra burden of additional taxation. Do you realize by voting the dispensary out of this couuty. in order to have prohibition, that you do not get prohibition? Sumter county, which bouuds us on one side has a dispensary at Sumter and one at Mayesville; Lee county which bouuds us on another side, has a dispensary at Bishopvilie; the City of Co lumbia which bounds us on auotner side, has several dis pensaries and Chesterfield, which bouuds us on the other side, has several dispensaries. By voting out the dispensary, you only re duce the burden of taxation of these other counties, and in crease the taxation of your own county, for the drinking citizens will go to these counties to buy their whiskey and do their trad ing, thereby diverting the trade from your own towns. Now, should you voto out llio county dispensary in this comity to havo prohibition, you take #10,000 dispensary protits from the $81,871.74, tho amount raised for ordiuary county purposes, and this difference will have to be raised by nn additional levy of 5 mills, which will make 10 mills for ordinary county pur poses instead of 4.V mills. By voting for prohibition, you will take #10,000, from your School Funds, which will have to be made up by an additional tax levy, and instead of a School Fund of #35,871.88, you will have only #18,000. Should the Dispensary be voted out, the city of Camden and the town of Bethuue will lose #10,-1 000, and inateud of having a fund of #29,000, you will have only 18, - 000 to run tho Citv Government and to pay the interest ou #.">4, 000 of Bond issue for the sewer ajre system, or instead of a levy for tho City of Camden of 10 mills, which it takes at present to raise the ?13,000, tho levy have to bo raised to 20 mills iu order to raise a sufficient amount to run the city government and pay the interest ou her new issue of bonds. Under Prohibition. Tho following amount will In* rniKftl for ordinary Comity pnrpo?p*: Levy for ordina ry County purpose* of 4'jj mill*, ruining n tax of f I ">,*71 .71 The other $10,0(H> you get from the Dispensary vriU have to be made up by extra levy. The following will be the -amount collected for Sclmol purpoftt'*, which Uknt in the 3 mill Constitutional 'l ax, Toll Tax and Special:* $10,871.88 The other $1(1,000 received from the dispensary will have to be make up by extra levy. Ti e following will be raised for the City of Camden, a levv*of 10 mills, raising a tax of $18,000.00 The other $10,000, heretofore raised from the Dispensary, will have to be raised by extra levy. Those facts show that under the clJ State Dispensary Law, the profits of the dispensary, re duced the burdeu of the tax payers over Under the county dispensary law, this county, will therefore, raise nearly $ of the entire funds required for county and city ex penses, leaving only ^ to be rais ed by the taxpayers, who are the property holders of the county. If the dispensary be voted out, then the tax-payers must furnish the entire amount required, out of theii; property, the levy would be largely iucreased. These are cold indisputable facts, and worthy of the most serious considerations of the property holders of this county. I cannot see where any material benefit or good, can be derived by placing the entire burden of the expenses of the county on the thrifty citizen, who by their industry and business energy have accumulated p ropert y. There is a large class of citizens, especially the negro, who while demanding an equal protection of the law, contribute not one cent towards the maintenance of that protection, and the dis pensary law, as it. uow is, goes very far in equalizing the burden of taxation, The experience ot other coun ties the State, which have voted out the dispensary, should be enough to guide you in cast ing your ballots ou the 20th of J une in this election. Newberry county which voted out the dis pensary, has gotteu up a petitiou to vote tiie dispensary back. Un ion county which voted out the dispensary, has gotten up a po tation to vole the dispensary back. Lhirliugton county which voted the dispensary out, has gotten up a petition to vote the dispen sary back. So you see that these counties have become thor oughly disgusted with the con ditions in their counties which have existed under the so-called prohibition law, aud are now trying to get themselves rid of it. I appeal to the citizens of our couuty, to give the County Dis i oensarics, in this couuty, a fair trial, and if at the end of a reasonable time, it is demon strated tnat the traffic in in toxicating liquors cannot be properly controlled by us, then, the writer will join with his fel low citizens in votiug it out. Yours \ery respectfully W. K. HOUGH, Senator of Kershaw County. GUIl)i:i? 1*Y HIS CONSCI KNCE. A man who is guided by his conscience is a pretty safe man to swear by. but it happens, if our information is credible that Jour friend, Mr. Birch more of The Messenger lias gone off slightly half-cocked in his edi torial under the above caption. As a matter of fact, Mr. M. B. Uabon has tendered his resig nation as a member of the dis pensary board, the said resig nation to become effective aju-r the 20th of June. It has been stated to us that last week, (we | forget the date) Mr. C. \V. Birchmore and Revs. Mitchell and Herbert had a conversation or un hour or more durat ion with our friend, Mr. Iiabon, at the conclusion of which he promised them to send in his resignation. This is alright. A man who is not open to conviction is a in t her poor specimen of human ity, so it Mr. R.ibon was con vinced after a consul tatiou with a Sunday School superintendent and two preachers, that his po sition on a question that affects chielly material and not moral interests, was wrong, ihen he is to be commended for deferring his judgment to that of sup posed ly spiritually inclined ad visors. Here Z-k* " shake again, Mamies, old fellow, we always liked you but we think more of you now than ever before, el way* provided that yon huve mil been vndnly influenced by thnne irho have considered the i/nexlion only from <i *en(intenf<il AND UTTKli L Y I M PU ACTICA L 8TA N I) POINT. A Ouiigci'ou* liciullock. that sometimes termixntc* f a t ft 1 1 .v . is the stoppage of liver mid bowel fnnc tions. To quickly end this condition without disagreeable sensations, Dr. King's \? \v Lire I'ills should a I way* be your remedy. Guaranteed absolute ly satisfactory in every on*e or inoney baok, at J*', f^ealie Ytu mpa drug store. 2o4'. A Splendid Assortment at KENNEDY'S. One ami two horse Plows, Disc and Smoothing Harrows, (iraiit Drills; Oats, Home Raised and Texas Rustproof; Wheat and St*cd ltye. Hay 1 'resses and Gasoline Engines; Barbed Wire and Fence Wire; Ranges, Stoves, Heaters, 11. 1$. Wick loss Oil Stoves; Pipe and Ktigine Fittings; JAPALAC. Harness ! Harness ! ! Harness ! ! ! Hunting Coats, Pants and Nets; Leather and Canvas Leggings. Grocery Department. Kingan's Hams, Breakfast Ilacoti, ?Se, ?Se. Wheat Ilrann, a new and very tine Chicken Food. A. D. KENNEBY A III LINK HALLWAY. NORTH-SOUTH-EAST- WEST Two Daily Pullman Vestibuleri I/iniited Trains Between NOKT1I AND SOUTH. First-Class Dining Cars. The HKST UATKS and UOIJTK to nil ICaslcrn Cities via KICIl MONDand WASHINGTON, or via NOIH'OI.K and steamers ? To AT \. A NT A . N ASl I V 1 1. LE, M KM V 1 II S, I A > I I S V I U - K , ST. LOUIS, CHICAGO, NKW Ol'l.KANS, and all points <?>u ( ) i and Southwest ? To SAVANNAH and .JACKSON V I LI,K and all points in 1'I.OKIDA and CntA. POSITIVELY THE SHORTEST USE BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH. For detailed information, rates, schedules, Pullman rcscrva lions, etc.., apply to ?oy agrnt of the Seaboard Air Line ltnilway, or \Y. Burroughs, Travelling Passenger Agent, Columbia, S. V. Chas. F. Stewart, Asst. Genl. Pass. Ag't. Savannah, Ga. THIS SPACE RESERVED FOR TI1E Tyner Remedy Co's. N E W A I> . WOOD SAWED l\Y MACHINERY. ANY LENGTH. Why worry over stovo wood being too long? Why warp and ruin a valuable stovo or range by being forced to leave the doors open because of wood be ing cut the wrong length? WK 1IAVK THE REMEDY. 'Phone 47, or call on YVliltakev & Unmet, ft SPLENDID PASTURE. This will notify the public that I have a splendid pasture for horses and cattle on my farm at Belmont, and will be glad to have you send your stock to me. I give this department my per sonal supervision, and pen tho stock every evening which in suits their safety from accident. Either see or write me. Respectfully, John Whitakcr, Jr. lUNDERTAKIIMG CALLS ATTENDED ANY IJOUU DAY Oil NICiHT. :: :: :: Est. 12. (>. McCreftfht. W. CERTAIN, Ladies' and (ients' Tailoring of All Descriptions. 'PHONE 294. Opposite DeKalb Hotel. Williams & Stecdman, Fire, Accident and Health INSVKANCK. Surely lionds. Ollice over store of J. C. Cureton & Co. Ttio Ono Day Cold euro. For coM.s and ?ofc iliroat tiso Kcrinott's Clt<>co? latcs l.axativc ^limine. Ka*ily taken u.t candf ??v| (iiiif'kty clirc. I Cures lllooil. Skin Disrnsc' <'?tn ct'r. < iron lost llloo'l I'uri lii'r free. If your blood is impure, t Inn, din eased, hot or full of humors, if you have blood poison, caneer, carbuncles, eating sores, scrofula, cc/riiin, itching, risinjo **"'? humps, wnblty, pimply skin, bone pains, rat irrh, rheumatism, or any bl.?od or skin disease, t ;? k ?? Botanic Wood Halm (It. II. 11.) Soon all sores heal, arhes nml pains stop mid [the blood is made pure nnd rich. I 'ruggists or by express $1 per lai'ge hot lb*. Sample free by writing lllood Ha! Ill i 'o? A t la II I H , < bi. It, It. It. is es ? i pecially advised for chronic, deep scaled eases, as it Mire* alter all else fails. At K. f.eslie Zemp's. HOLLIS f ER'S Rocky Mountain Tea Nuggets A Br<y Mo^iclfj fir Bii:y People. Brings OoMcn Health and Pcr>cw?<J Vi*or, A nrwvlfl? f'?r < onstlnntlofi, Tn<1ltr<"*t1i>n, T.lvrr nn<J KMnoy tvotililcs, I'lmplc*. l^/ximx, In>i>infc llloo-l. linn lireuth, Slu(rfcl?h llowcte. Hrndiu'lin i?n?t ItarUnrhu. Its UocUy Mountain Ten In tal> lot fo?-Tn. M rente :i i?>t Genuine tnmlo by ItoM,. TKIl DlttiO C'uVPAHT. MfMlleoO. Wis. GOLDEN NUGGETS FOR SALLOW PEOPLF