Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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rSE 8UMT2E WATCHMAN, Established April, IS50. Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SODT3RON, Establiahed Jone. 1 3* 6 SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER ll. 1899 New Series-Toi. XIX. So. il . P^alisi d E?ary Wednesday? -BY - .... " ... JW. CS-. Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. - $1.50 per annum-io advance. DVKSTISZKSST: Ose Square first insertion.............$1 00 _Br3ry subsequent insertion. 50 Coctracts for three months, or loeger wil be made itt red a ced rates. AU communications which subserve private interests will be charged foras advertfements. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be > charged for. ^ III LABELS ON Anotner Scandal in the Dis pensary. . Mr Hasel den. of the committee on contraband goods, said bis committee was ready to report and the board saii tbat it virais ready to receive the report which contained ten type written page After reciting the authority under which the inveatiga . tico was prosecuted the committee say that when they began work Con stabulary Clerk Harris famished them with a statement showing al! contra band gooda reported to him as seized and shipped in by the constables dur ing Mr: Boat hit's administration. This statement covers the receipt" of goods from, March 10,1899, to Sep $ tember 12,1899 "If Commissioner Bouhit is-charg ed with all contraband goods seized daring his administration, as report ed te Constabulary Clerk Harris as having been sent in to the dispensary this will amount to $4,332 72, and ' after giving him the proper credits there is a deficiency of $1,155 82 worth *of contraband goods unac counted for. ^JBut the receiving books at the contraband room, kept by H E Watts,.shows that daring the same period of time covered by Clerk Har v ris's statement; Commissioner Bouhit is to be charged with only the sum -of $4,069 77- a difference of $362 95 between Harris's statement and Watts's book at the State dispensary After charging Commissioner Bouhit with toe som of $4,069 77 of contra . band goods, according to Watts's books at the State dispensary, and after giving bim' th proper credits, there is a deficit of $741 57. "But the committee find that the proper deficit is 1,155 92, for the reason that there are contraband goods found elsewhere in the build ing, for which no records have been kept of their receipt at the contra band room or elsewhere. We have sworn testimony of the receipt of contraband goods at the dispensary, which were stored away in the com missioner's office and elsewhere on the premises; bot as the constables were warned that *the State commis doner would examine contents of packages of contraband liquor ship - pad to him, and compare them with the contents as reported on the label attached to the package/ and as we have sworn statements from the chiefs nd others of the constabulary force that this order was given to the men, your committee is irresistibly led to the conclusion that Commissioner Boahit received the $362 95 worth of contraband goods, and be should be charged with this item '^Watts's books at the contraband room show that he had released the sum of $320 20 worth of contraband goods io be returned, yet when your * committee requested a statement from the commissioner as to the amount of contraband goods actually returned it shows on y the sum of $168 90 worth returned-a difference of $150 30 between Watts's books and Commissioner Boatbit's books. So that we find that this difference of $151 30 should be charged back to . the commissioner. "Adding the $362 95 to the $151 30 makes 414 25, plas the sum of $1,155.82, which vertifies the Harris statement. "Your committee was unable to fine any statement on the books show ing the amount of contraband goods actually turned over to Commissioner Bouthit when he succeeded Commis sioner Vance, consequently Mr Bouthit is not charged with any goods turned over to him by Mr Vance . We notice from tbe records that the followisg contraband g^oods have been reported as seized and turned in : Two hundred and forty-eight glasses, four waiters, twelve ice tubs, fourteen crates, four refrigerates, twenty five bottles, three glass boxes, j ^bsnket and beer glasses, two stills, /sixty galions capacity each ; two copper stills, one lot of still fixtures, five mules and one horse, two wagons and harness, one basket, one fauset, at $12. ll ll I. ??Ill ll ? - - - We bave not been able to thorough ly look into the disposition of such articles as above enumerated, on account of pressure of many other matters, but we direct your attention j to an unauthorized private sale made ! by commissioner Douthit to Con j stable Lafar of a horse "We call your special attention to I the loose way of doing business in i regard io THE DISPOSITION OF EMPTIES "We have from the testimony oj Snprmtendent Bayant, that at least two hundred and fifty kegs, fifty jugs and demijohns we'e sold by him dar ing Mr. Douhit's administration, and I be states in his affidavit that this I does no,t include eales made by other ! officials at the dispensary building ; ! that Bryant received for sales made ! by him at least the sum of fifty dol lars, and turned the proceeds over to Bookeeper Ouzts We requested a statement from Commissioner Dou thit, showing all sales of kegs, jogs and demijohns since he has been in office, and while his statement is in definite because he refers to sales made io the plural number, and sets opposite the amount, but he closes bis statement with a showing of the sam of fifty four dollars and seventy ve cents worth of such articles sold, which, he Bays, includes ali sold dur ing his incumbency We find that empties sold as high as fifty cents each. Mk Bryant states that the receipts were turned over to Book keeper Oazta for the same to be re corded *. Without any comment as to the uulawfal selling after hours and the sales made from the State dispensary building in small quantities to a nura ber of parties^ of al! ages and color, who brought pitchers, buckets, pans, etc., we refer you to the sworn testi mony. "We desire also to direct your carefai attention to the evidence, showing that tbe building bas beeo fouod opeo at night; that, oo one occasion, three barrels of whiskey have beeo found at night oo the platform, aod allowed to remain there that night, the rest day (being Sunday) aod the fellowing Dight. "Aoother feature of oar investiga tion into matters pertaioiog to the contraband seizures, not considering the cootrabaod liquors which are damped, aod bottled, aod shipped to the various dispensers of the State, we god that the sales or cootrabaod goods are largely confined to two local dis pensers io the city of Colombia, aod we farther fiod that such goods hi.ve beeo sold cheaper to the consumers by local dispensers that tbey are invoiced to dispensers. , "We would oest inviie the coosidera tion of the board to a practice which, according to the sworo testimony cf the dispensary employes, has been carried oo during the administration of Commissioner Douthit, knowe as the changing of labels on whiskey skipped to the local dispensers It seems, from the testimony, that ooder instructions from Commissioner Douthit one firm's labels were ordered to be placed oo another's firm's whiskey, aod that high grade labels bave beeo placed oo lower brands of goods. "Io this oooneotioo So^eriotendeot Bryant says ; Yes. I pot op whiskey io bottles with one firm's whiskey with soother firm's label. Bat it was ooder instructions from Commissioner Dou thit.7 He farther testifies that Laoa bao's labels were placed oo the goods Of Wilsoo Distilling Company. "Gaott says : 'Yes, whiskey is bot tled with one firm's label aod with another firm's whiskey. I have oever koo wo bim to pot a label on whiskey where the label was cheaper tbao the whiskey. We pat X corn whiskey with labels of XXX.' "We conceive it to be oar daty to report the facts to the board as they really appear, hat io oar finding the conclusion cannot be escaped that this scheme of changing tbe labels oo whis key shipped oat coald have beeo devised for DO other parp se tbao to create a way for collecting more mooey for the goods sent oat to the local dispensers than tba same were ievoiced for to the commissioner ; and farther, to create the impression oo the members of the board that certain brands 'are becoming' more popular-they being 'bard to keep tn stock.' "We fiod that this practice of chang ing labels is not only wroog, for the reasons stated, bat it is absolutely indefensible from any standpoint, and contravenes tbe spirit aod letter of the law, and candor compels os to add it has unquestionably worked FRAUD ON THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. "We soggest immediate actioD in this matter, and if this praotioe is now belog carried OD that it be forthwith stopped. "We farther find that the practice of substitution of orders has been ic vogue under Mr. Doutbit's administra tion-orders have been substituted when received from the City of Charles- J ton and elsewhere in the State. "We find that, oo the order of the commissioner, without authority from the board, or without tbe commissioner ever having reported his action to tb board, sixty cioe cases of wines wer transferred from Dispenser Stochart t Dispenser Steiiing. of Charleston, o July ll. The price was reduced t ene dollar per case when the trangie was made. And exclusive of this, b order of the commissioner, a furthe unauthorized reduction was made to th extent of 287 15 io eales of B;oo! Hill aaa more wines. These matter rasuhed io a clear loss to the State o the sum of $402 65. ''We find that the oommissione changed the price list, issuing a net one on August 1, without aoy author tty from the boara, and without eve: ever reporting his action to the boan for its approval or disapproval. "Wheo the committee, ccasistiog o Messrs. Boyfcin aDd Haseiden, wer checking tbs bills as paid for by th commissioner, they thought the price paid for printing were two high, a conducted by the commissioner, ant Mr. Haselden, at the June meet'mg o the board, offered the following r solu tien, which was carried : " *That hereafter all printing fo commissioner and board of control b< given out under contract under seale* bids to the lowest bidder.7 "Upon investigation we find that thi commissioner has cot only utterly dis regarded the foregoing resolution, bu that the printing given cut by hin after the passage of the resolution above referred to, resulted in a loss tc the State of 12 per centum. sj: . -sj: sj: sj: "J D Haselden, T C Robinson, "Commissioners " By a vote of three to two the boarc removed Commissioner Douthit "foi cause," and the suspension of book keeper was confirmed. There was prolonged fight before the resolutioc suspending Mr Douthit was finally adopted, and a far reaching overhaul ing and upheaval of the whole die pensary system is in sight. Columbia, Oct 5 -When the board first met yesterday morning there was no indication that the in vestigating committee's report wouid be taken up again for some time ; and it was not. About noon Coi. George Johnstone of Newberry ar rived at the board room and asked for an audience In courteous terms he i.sked the board for a revision o the deposed commissioner's case and a full hearing in order that the vic tim might vindicate himselQagainst the charges made against him. Then came a wait. In the afternoon Coi. Johnstone presented the law on the subject and again pushed bis request for a hearing. Tue board later discussed its course of action at great length, and at nicies with warmth Chairman Haselden of the investigating com mittee presented some resolutions that will be found below that did not provide for any further hearing, but did provide for referring ali the evi dence to the attorney general for such action as he may see fit and arranging for the discharge of the duties of the office of commissioner. No action was taken, however, and the whole thing was left open until this morning, when at 9 o'clock it is proposed to dispose of the matter one way or the other No matter if Mr Douthit is allowed to have a full hearing for the vindication of his character it is almost certain that his removal is permanent. So far as the others affected by the committee's report are concerned there has as yet been no considera tion of their cases. Mr. Haselden offered the follow ing : Whereas under the dispensary law it ifl provided that the commissioner shall be subject to removal for cause by tbe State board of control, and Whereas the committee duly ap pointed to investigate the receipts and disbursements of the contraband room has in its report formally charged the commissioner,, J. B. Douthit, with gross irregularities and official misconduct which, in the opinion of the board of control based upon his own admissions-is sufficient cause for his removal, a d for which cause the said board yee terday removed him by vote of the board ; and, whereas formal demand has been made by his attorneys, Me6srB George Johnstone and George E Prince, for a rehearing, be it Resolved, That the board, realizing its responsibilities, and cognizant of its official duty in the premises, de clines to reconsider its action, and that as far as it is concerned the iucidei.it must be closed. Resolved further, That from this date and pending the election of a commissioner all checks issued and signed by the clerk, B C. Webb, and countersigned by the chairman and no other person or persons Resolved further, That all papers relating to the 6aid investigation Oe turned over lo the attorney general for such action as he deems proper to protect the interest of the State Resolved further, That a copy of these resolutions be served on Com missioner Douthit at onco by the clerk. DO THIT REFUSES TO GET OUT. Attorneys Say He Mast be "Legally Removed" First. Colombia, Oct. 6 -Tbe State sensa tion factory is still running oo fall time. Yesterday the expeoted happen e , aod the Douthit case ie on a fair road to the courts. One or or two cf the members of the State board, judging from Mr. Haseldeu's statement during the proceedings, seemed unable to understand the parody OD Col. John stone's likening the Douthit case to that of the famous prisoner of Devil's Island, and took it for aa attempt on the parc of the newspapers to create public smympatby for Mr. Douthit and make it appear a case of persecution ! Well, Btraoger things have happened. Yesterday, the board, upoo assem bling, early proceeded to the consid ra tion of the Haseiden resolutions pending the previous eveniug. It was oot long before they had been adopted aod Mr. Williams' resolution to allow Mr Douthit a hearing had been tabled. Then the board bought liquor till dinner time, and io the afternoon, upon reaching the room, was presented with a paper from Mr. Douthit attorneys notifying the board that Mr. Douthit would hold oo to the office until he had bceo legally removed, thus intimating that the case would be at once carried to the courts io one form or another. The attoroeys of Mr. Douthit say they are determined to pursue this course in order that Mr. Douthit may have the opportunity to meet the witnesses against him and have his side of the matter reach tbe public. It is not the office that he wants, they say, but a vindication of bis management. Attempt to be Made to Break Plant's Will. New York, Oct. 5--The Times to morrow will say : ''The statement is made OD the authority of friends of Mrs H. B. Plaot, widow of the foun der of tbe Plant System of railroads and steamboats, that legal proceedings will be instituted soon to bet aside the pro* visions of Mr. Plant's will and obtain for the widow aod her soo a portion of the dead millionaire's estate. The will provided only for the payment of a stated income to Mrs. Plant end her son, the entire estate being held in trust for the benefit of the grandson. Mrs. Plaot,-who is still comparative ly young, was the second wife of H B Plaot, and her son was a siep-6on of the fioancier. It is asserted that Mr. Plant desired that his estate should row to large proportions, aod there fore he refrained from dividing it amoog the members of his family. His own son, Mortimer, receives mer ely an income. No member of the family was in the city yesterday, and at the office of the Plant System ootbiag was koowa of any contest of the will. It Does Not Foilow. It does not follow logically from the premises. Dewey did a thing involv ing some fearlessness-io this day of mines-areeping up Manila bay in the dark night time. Theo in three hours he knocked to flinders the ram shackle fleet of the Spanish admiral. a the meanwhile he quietly had his breatfast-coffee, toast, eggs, app 93, and possibly a Julep. (Mint io pots). Therefore Dewey is a fit aod proper person to be called to the presidency. Even as a good soldier, sailor and early morning fighter one other qualification would be necessary. He should be a' Democrat, if aoy two could agree as to what constitutes that article -Laurens Advertiser. "Estimates made by various ex perts," says the New York Herald, "show that the total amount of money spent io connection with the Dewey celebratioo was approximately $20, 000,000, distributed thus : For rail road tickets to New York, 5,000,000 ; for fares OD surface and elevated railroads, 250,000 ; for hotel, restau rants aod boarding houses aod seats for the naval and land parades, 8,000, 000; for d corations; 1,000;U00 ; for baggage express, 5,000 ; for provid ing acoommodatioo and transportation for city and State gussts and for cover ing special public decoration, 275,000; for merchandise, souvenirs, e' 5, 000,000." It is estimated by lailroad officials that there were more than one million visitors io the city. This from th Greenville News of yesterday is not ooly thc truth io principle but the actual faots in the case : ''Meanwhile our dispensary sys tem wiil go on breeding corruption as naturally, spontaneously and inevitably aa spoiled meat breeds maggots. It oan not do any otherwise. A State monopoly in the liquor trade with ail it3 innumerable turns and twists offers temptations to ail those connected with ii which only very strong men can resist, and we haven't so maoy very strong meo io our politics these days." ! Dewey's Supreme Honor. - . j A Jewelled Sword From The Hands cf The President. Washington, Oct 3 -The culmin ation of Admirai Dewey's triumphal home coming was reached today in the shadow of the dome of the Na tional Capitol. Here he received from the hands of President the magnificent jewelled sword voted him by Congress in commemoration of the victory of Manila Bay. This was the official provocation for the ceremony. Bat mere official sanc tion could not have thrown into the demonstration the fervor of en thusiasm that was meted out to the great admiral as he appeared before the vast audience tha.t was composed not only of all the highest officials in the land, bot of epectors from 6very quarter of the United States. The battle of Manila Bsy was not forgotton, but it might be said to have been relegated almost to second place in the desire to do honor to the man who bad proved himself as great after victory as before it, and who had shown in the long and try ing months that followed his triumph the qualities of a statesmen and a wise administrator, as well as those of the flag ship leader of a victorious fleet. Enhancing these qualities was that of manly modesty, dis played in the quiet dignity with which he met the occasion. The trait of Dewey's character was de monstrated from the moment he reached the stand eideby side with the President He paused at this point for a moment unwiiiing apparently to take the piace that had been pre pared for him on the right of the platform, lest he should appear to usurp the place due to the President. President McKinley grasped the situation in an instant and taking his great sea captain by the arm placed him by gentle force in the chair that had been intended for bim. Later in the day, as the carriages bearing the official party drove away from the Capitol between walls of cheering people, the President again displayed his tact by remaining covered and ignoring the demonstra tion himself, leaving its acknowledg ment to the admiral alone A TRIAL AS WELL AS A TRI UMPH. For Dewey it was a trying as well as a triumphal day It has been given to few officers in the naval his tory of the country to sit before a crowd of thousands, whiie the chief of the naval establishment dilated upon their exploits, and then to stand before the same crowd to receive at the hands of the president a sword prepared for him at the behest" of the representatives of the whole people The strain upon Admiral Dewey reached almost to the breaking point None but those nearest to him could see how he labored to repress his feelings during the address of Secre tary Long, but when he arose to receive the sword from the hands of the president no one could mistake the flash of the white-gloved hand as it rosa to dash away the tears before the admiral came to the rigid attitude of attention before his chief. DEWEY'S VOICE FAILED HIM. vWhen it became Dewey's turn to repiy his voice failed him and fae made the effort twice before his lips would respond. When he did euc ceed his tones were clear and steady, but so low that only those nearest him could hear. > There was a quiet but exquisite bit of comedy following the trying formalities that escaped ali but those directly on the stand. As the admi ral closed and took his seat he turned to the president and in a ttfne of j quizzical appeal inquired : "Now, really, don't you think I did pretty weil for an amateur ?" Secretary Long embraced an op portunity to ease the trying situation for the chief actor during the cere monies When the secretary began his address the sun was shining directly in Admiral Dewey's eyes and without his hat he was at its mercy. The secretary quietly ia serted in his address a low aside, j "Admiral, turn your chair a little, we don't want to have you blind " SCHLEY TUE NEXT IN HONOR One of the most remarkable fea tures of the eventful day was the ovation to Rear Admiral Schley on the return of the party from the Capitol to the White House. His carriage was several numbers behind that of the president and Admiral Dewey, and he received an ovation Makes the food more deli HOY* l BAKING POWOC tbat could scarcely be ranked below that accorded to the admiral himself. The tumult grew as the carnage proceeded dowe the avenue and the crowd surged around it til! the horses were brought to a foot pace. Finally a company cf High School cadets came to the rescue and formed about the carriage in a hollow square. Thus protected and flanked by a force of police the carriage reached the White House with a long gap be tween it and the next preceding. Naval Losses in the Philip pines. (From the Cleveland, Obio, Leader.) The navy has los: more prisoners in fighting the Filipinos than the army, and the followers of -Aguinaldo have no naval strength. The army has been engaged ia all sorts cf enterprises in places where the conditions were favorable to traps and ambushes. In some cases detachments have been compelled to retire in the face of heavy odds, but the enemy has taken only a few prisoners, and most of the half dcz2D or so by picking them up, one at a time, by accident. About twenty-five men of the navy have been captured, fifteen at one time and ten at the other, in each case with the boat they used. Since the destruction of the Spanish naval forces the young officers of the navy seem to have been guilty, in two or three instance, of underrating the enemy so much that they have come to grief. Hester's Cotton Statistics. New Orleans, Oct 6 -Secretary Hester's weekly New Orieans cotton exchange statement shows a decrease in the movement into sight compared with the seven days ending this date last year of 70,000, an increase over the sarre day year before last of 39,000 bales. For the 36 days of tbe season that have elapsed the aggregate is ahead of the 36 days of last year 83,000, ahead of the same days year before last 52,000. The total movement for tbe 36 days from Sept. 1 to date is 1,440,703, against 1,348,170 last year and" 1,388,926 year before fast. The movement since Sept. 1st shows receipts at all United United States ports 1,011,325 against 971,220 last year. Foreign exports for the week have been 229,569, against 218,676 last year, making the total tbos far for the season 639,903, against 463 713 last year, and increase of 176,190. The total takiogs of American mills, north and south and Canada, thus far for the season have been 297,221, against 246.533 last year These ic clude 141.624 by northern spinners, against 106,969. Stocks at the seaboard taod the 39 ieadiog southern interior centres bave iocreased during the week 88,815 bales against sn iocrease curing the corresponding period last season of 183,178, and are now 206 987 larger than at this date io 1895. Including stocks left over at ports and interior towns from the last crop and the number of baies brought into sight thus far for tbe new orop. the supply to dar is 2,059 601, against 1,625,736 for the same period last year. . UNJUSTIFIABLE. "There are newspapers and politi cians in South Carolina always eager ly looking for the text or pretext for a tirade against the dispensary So, friends of the institution should be careful. The suspension of Dan Outz ie a case in point. It has been heralded throughout the State as the outcome of the dispensary scandal. Scandal is a strong word. It implies dishonesty or corruption."-Colum bia Record, Sept. 29th. How does the above .fit in with more recent revelations 1 There seems to have been something close ly akin to a scandal, if not the thing itself And, as to dishonesty or corruption, there has unquestionably been a good deal of both. The entrance of William Rocke feller into the directorate of the New York Central road is taken 38 a text heralding the appearance of the bili lionaire corporation, the Vanderbilt Rockefeller alliance meaning the amalgamation of $1.000,000,000 of capital. The Vanderbilt roads at present include more than 26,000 miies. If the Southern Pacific sys tem is added tc the new combination, the roads will reach overy frontier of the country, and will comprise over 33,000 miles, or more than one fifth of the entire American mileage. URE irious and wholesome M CO., NEW YORK.