Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1906. The Slander Watchman was founded in 1850 and the Trye Southron in 1866. The Watchman arid Southron now bas the com? bined circulation and influence of both of the old papers, and is manifestly the best advertising medium in Sumter. The contest in the legislature over the dispensary bills has developed the feet that Charleston and Columbia ?ra against the dispensary 'system, but not against the liquor devh of which we have heard so much. If the Mor? gan bill becomes a law Charleston and Columbia will capture a very profitable j liquor business and prohibition for other counties will be more popular than ever in those two cities. The ignorance or venality of the dispensary board in paying $35, 000 for labels that could" have been >ught for $?,700 .surpasses anything '"yet brought to light in connection with .the corrupt management of the dis? pensary system. We cannot under? stand how t^e>t firm, that did the print? ing had the nerve to charge such an ex? orbitant price, unless they had the "whole thing fixed before putting in a "bid, and this hypothesis is tenable only .opon the presumption that the dispen? sary directors were dishonest with malice aforethought, **.**. The saddest and at the same time tho most surprising feature of the dis? pensary* label affair- is that Director Towell was once a newspaper man and should have known something a. out the cost of printing. * * J5 Anna Gould is playing in the sort j hi hard luck that usually follows thc j rich American girl who buys a title.* w;th a degererate scion of nobility a. ! \ f.d^. She paid a big prict, ?^con- |c o-aTteou'*- -Tftoorjtf jfePi* it, when it married Count de CasteHarte, and ?? Jd that she wili have to ray dear in hard cash to rid-herself o? her r bad bargain.- ( '. ? ? * .. Hub lSvans profanely, advertises his entire, independence ot^^-dispensary system. There is nothing like being well fixed, lt c The jug-ixa?e that has been built 11 . Ss r. ?ip in Greenville, Anderson and Spar- c ta^burg and other Brice law counties, f :ere prohibition-so called-reigns f supreme is ?.-"bis thing -for the express j j companies - and whiskey dealers in j j neighboring States. If the' dispenasry is abolished in South Carolina the jug trade will be worth a million dollars ? to Augusta, Savannah and At? lanta, .* * * The establishment of experimental .^iairy farms- in this State under the di .ruction of 'the /Agricultural Depart? ment, as proposed hy Mr. Lever, will be i j 'worthy a great deal to the State and 11 " will help to settle the question of cot? ton acreage quicker than anything ^ftse. Stock raising and dairying in South Carolina can be made more profitable thanocotton growing. Senator -Tillman is already getting into fighting trim and those who have -anticipated a quiet and lady-like Cam iC. '. ' '. Ipaign,.such as the women suffragists ^ream of, are doom to disappointment* -Senator Tillman will make it lively for all who feel like getting into red hot political scrap next summer. * * * Senator Tillman confesses to a very reprehensible ignorance ' of Sumter county affairs when he declares that be had -never heard of Mr. E. W. -Dabbs until he made a speech in thc -House of Representatives referring to him. Mr. Dabbs has been more., or less .protr.ineut in Sumter county poli ttics for a term of shears, but as he has inot been a chronic office-seeker, nor a ^seeker ci favors at the hands of Sena? tor Tillman, there is some excuse for /the senior Senator's obliviousness cf 3ar, Dabbs" existence. ? * * The postoffic? department has given out the : t^tcrr.ent that there' is to b: retrenchment along the lines of th<> rural free delivery service..This is to be done-"by cutting off such routes a. .do not seem to be "appreciated," the standard of appreciation being that the route must handle 2,000 pieces ct mail each month. It is not supposed 1 that this measure is partisan in char? acter, yee it can be readily se?n that it viii operate most largely against the South, this setion being decidedly . ore thinly settled than the population >rth. The people who have learned* " appreciate the advantages and the ? ..xury o* the rural mail service, by which thc mail daily brought to V eir doors in go^d weather and bad. ?would, of course, regret to have the s rvice discontinued. They would not, however, fully realize their loss until they had been without the service for -a, time. Those who do not wish to be deprived of the mail service should see to it that their routes receive the required amount of patronage. The easiest and cheapest and most practi? cable method of increasing the num lier of pieces of mail handled on a particular route is for the patrons of that route to subscribe for daily pa? pers. If twenty patrons 'bf a route subscribed to one daily paper each, the ?amber of pieces of mail handled on --^bwm-- _LJLT_'". that-route will be increased by 540 to r.oo a month. It 's a good thing ro subscribe for and read a daily papei in all circumstances, for any daily pa? per is worth itself more than the sub seriptkn price, but rn the present cir? cumstances the patrons of rural mail ! routes can, by subscribing for daily j papers, accmoplish two good ends at j one'and the same time. / 'DISPENSARY GRAFT OF I THE WORST DESCRIPTION Investigating Committee Proves That Thousands Were'Wasted on Labels Bids From Two Reputable Firms Show That tile Dispensary Directors Paid Five Times too Much for Whiskey Labels-James Henry Rice Cor? nered. Columbia, February 2.-That the dispensary paid $36,677, to a Cincin? nati house for 21,000,000 labels which could ?have been furnished for less than $8,000 was brought out by the dispensary investigating commit? tee at its meeting here this afternoon. The labels were bought, the/ invoice showed, from the Nevison Weiskoff Company, of Cincinnati, the bill be? ing approved by Messrs. Boykin and Towili, of the State board. Mr. W. H. Cogswell, president and general manager of the Walker, Evans & Cogswell Company, printers, litho? graphers and stationers, of Charleston, testified that he had secured prices from the>Brandon Printing Company, of Nashville, on these labels furnished by thc ^"rtcinnati house, and that the Brandon Company had offered to fur? nish che labels, f. o. b. Nashville, for .v." J.v3. The samples on which Mr. jNogswelt secured prices wera; given to lim by Senator Christensen? of the iorcrr.ittefc, and Senator Christensen estined that he had seethed them rom the State dispensary here, and he, vas ?-wtisfied.they were the i&J^ ls fur lished bj*" the. Cincinnati house. Mr.. Cogswell's offer to the committee was o furnish tiradabe ls for $9,135, adding >2,000 to the price of the Nashville louse. Mr. Ambrasse; EL Gonzales president of ! he State Printing Company, had se :ured bids, aa these same labels from he Maryland Color Printing; Company >f Baltimore, and this concern had of- >y ered to ftirmsh the 21,OO?,Q;&0 labels I br $7,700,. which price included ld. >er cent cofrnmission to the State Com- [; >any. j. These prices submitted- by Messrs. : Cogswell aad Gonzales- -arere secured |, >y the committee after the investiga- U ion was begun and for t&e purpose of: he investigation. Neither the Slate \ Company nor Walker, Evans & Cogs veil had. submitted a hid to the State >oard. Mr! J&Em J. Seibe.ts> of Columbia, , >residen& of the Columbia Glass vVorks,. however, testified that en: the nvitaii.cn of Mr. Bodkin he had sub nitted bids to the State board*, and the trices given by him were about one lourt?i Lhe price paid for the. labels in :he Cincinnati hojsise. After sifting the matter of labels, :he committee put Mr. James Henry Rice,, Jr., on the witness stand and asked him if the State hoard of direc? tors had taken stock in the paper which he formely edited in George- ? town, the Carolina Field. Mr. Mr. I Rice asserted positively that no mern- [ ber of the State board had taken stock in his paper. A letter signed by Mr. Rice was pro? duced, directed to J. S. Farnum, and dated April 30, 1905, in which Mr. Rice stated: "I may tell you that our friends of the board promised to do the right thing by you and by me, and especially the two that we thought pos? sibly against us. They have subscrib? ed rather liberally, and if you will take one thousand dollars of the stock the thing is ?done." Mr. Rice maintained, however, that ".io member of the State board of di? rectors had at any time had any stock in his paper, He could not recall the circumstances under which the letter was written, and said possibly if he had time to look over his correspond? ence he might he able to give the com? mittee the connectait. Th? commit? tee continues to meet in the Supreme, Court room each afternoon at 0:30 o'clock, and the session con? tinued this afternoon for nearly four hours. Chairman Evans and Mr. Tow ill, of the State board, were both pres? ent during the proceedings this after? noon. There were a number of people at the session who gave close atten? tion to the testimony. -As soon as the committee this after? noon met, tho matter of labels was taken up, and Mr. W. H. Cogswell, of rharieston, was the fisst witness. Mr. Cogswell said that at the time Mr. Christensen gave him the samples of labels he thought, perhaps, the prices which he was to secure, .were to be used for the purpose of the investi? gation, but also thought that later he might get the order. The Nashville house, he said, to which h<- sent the samples for bids, knew nothing of the matter, being connected with the in? vestigation, and their bid was.^without doubt, bona fide, and made for the purpose of securing the order. Mr. Cogswell said if he could get an order every day at the price of $9,185 for the twenty-one miliio- label r whicl the board paid the Cincinnati hou $35,667, it would not be long befo he would be able to buv out Colur bia, because he could secfre the lab? f. o. b. Nashville for 57,185. Mr. Cog well read the committee the corre pondence between himself and. tl Brandon Printing Company, of Nas] ville, and it was put in evidence. Mr. Ambrose Gonzles then took ti stand. Thc samples of labels had be? i^ft at the State office by Mr. Christe: san, he said. Mr. Gonzales said 1 didn't think that the committee ha the power to purchase labels at th; time, and it was his impression th* figures, which he was to secure, wei to be used for the purpose of compar son. He immediately submitted th samples to the Maryland Color Prim ing Company of Baltimore, and M Bouis, the manager of the company was in Columbia shortly afterward; and submitted the bids in person. Th bid for the 21,0-0.0,0.00 labels for Cc ilumbia was $7,700-. Mr. Gonzales ha not said anything to Mr. Bouis abou ?a commission on the business, but M: (Bois told him just before he left hi office, he said, that this bid include :a ten per cent, commission for th ? State Company. Mr. Gonzales said h had never cared to- db' the dispensar; work, and he didn't know whether o not he would have wanted to furnisi the labels at a price of $30,000 o more for the reason that he didn't car? about doing any dispensary work. Th? Maryland Color Printing Company, h< said, was one of the largest concern; o?* its kind in the country. While Mr Gonzales didn't care about doing th< dispensary work, he could furnisi bond in the sum of five thousand dol? lars on ten thousand' dollars for th< faithful performance of the work o3 printing the labels at.the price, $7,700 Mr. Gonzales was very clear and con? cise in. his statement, and submitted the correspondence between himsell and the Baltimore house. The testimony of Senator Christensen of the committee, was then taken, showing that the samples on which Mr. Cogswell and BC*. Gonzales had se? cured bids, were fccrm those? furnished by the Cincinnati: house: The exact number of labels furnished by the Nevison Weiskoff Company erf Cincin? nati, 21,267,000. Mr. John J. Sei*9e*ls, president of the Columbia Glass Works, and who is also vice president of the Palmetto Bank and Trust Company; of Colum? bia, made an interesting- witness in connection with the matter of the la? bels. Mr. Bodkin hard' telephoned ?lim, he said, and asked him and Mr. Taylor to come to Mr. Boykin's office. He never had anything tc do with such business, but. when Mr.. Boykin told bim he wanted bids on the labels, :he secured them the name of Witteman, yf New York, one of- the largest label printing ho.eses in the country, and. got specifications from, them, the labels submitted, to Mr. Seibels and the prices at which he offered., were put in evi? dence. Some of the comparisons mada..- by the committee- of the price at which Mr. SeiiV.es offered to furnish the- la? bels artd the price paid by the: State board are as fallows: Standard" malt labels Mr. S>ibles* bid 50 cents per thousand for plain labels and $1 for embossed; price paid by thet eommit tev* $2.60 per thousand. Columbia Clcb Rye labels. Mr. Siebcls' bid 50 cents per thousand for plain labels and $1 for embossed; price paid by the dispensary- to the Cincinnati ^lous-e, $3.50 per thousand. It was estimated, as stated, that Mr. Seibtes" bids were about one-fourth the price paid by the State board. Mr. Seibles said after he had submitted his first bids he was in? formed that the samples were not handsome enough and he had later submitted other sample?. He could not state positively that the last sam? ples submitted by him had got in. in time to be considered by the board in making its purchases. ''I ara not sure." he said "that some of these labels were made in time to get it. I was informed afterwards that was the reason I did not get it." Mr. Seibels thought that after what had happened he ought to have been given some of the business. The testimony of Mr. Seibles conclud? ed the sifting of the label matter for this afternoon and Mr. James Henry Rice, Jr., was the next witness, and the matter of connection of his news? paper with the dispensary was taken up. Among the letters produced, in Addition to that referred to above, was one from Mr. N. M. Block, presi? dent of the Richland Distilling Co., dated Macon, la.. April 12. 1903, and directed to 3V!/ J. S. Farnufh. In this letter Mr. Bio said he had been per? suaded to taki -tock to the amount of $500 in the paper edited by Mr. Rio, rr.::'. Mr. Se?!>?.-s had also agreed io ;ake thc same amounc and understood M;>I Evans. Tatum, Towill and Boykin wei\- also to take stock in this paper. Mr Rice mentioned something about it being rumored that Hearst was to start a paper in Columbia, and it was currently reported that he (Mr. Rico) was to be editor. Ho maintained throughout that none of the Stale board had taken any stock in his pa? per and he did not know whether they were to take stock in Hearst's paper <>r not. Mr. I. Trager was then put on the stand and given samples of Cream of Kentucky Whiskey. Mr. Trager found , and some best, none of it-bad, but he j did not know which thc samples were j and the practical effect of his- testi I mony we?s that so far as he could tell by tasting though he wasn't a very good judge of whiskey by tastings not having paid! much attention tc the-- de? tails of his business for the past sev? eral years, that there wasn't much dif? ference in the: samples and one of the samples, which: he described as being; better than the others, was the Augus? ta whiskey. It will be recalled that when he was on the stand on Wednes? day afternoon. Mr Trager said the dis? pensary was getting- better liquor from his house than that sold to Augusta. He tasted samples of Cream of Ken? tucky whiskey. Mr.. Trager is a Cin? cinnati distiller and his house sells the Cream of Kentucky brand. Mr. Tra? ger was followed by Senator Hardin, who stated that he had. seen the seals on: the bottles broken*. The committee adjourns to meet tomorrow afternoon.-News and Cou? rier.. THE PUBLIC Bt'ILDOGS. South Carolina Representatives Ex? pect: to Secure Them XotlmLthstand ing. Senator Latimers Anderson Bill. We-shington, January 31--Under the omnibus bill, which the House will shortly pass, appropriating something like $15,000,000 or $20,000,0.0.0 to the fund for erection of public, buildings in different parts of the United States, South. Carolina, will receive about $225,00/?! if the amount first named is appropriated, and a slightly larger amountif the total reaches up. to $20, 000,000.. Representative Johnston, is. author? ity for tke^statement that the: passing by the* Senate of the bill authorizing a public building to be erected at An? derson. -BC?I not change the.- plans of the members of the House, on this subject, in the least. V Since- the Senate passed: its bill' few dags ago voting to AntEersoa the sum of. $7&,000 for the erection of a public: building, there has> been some misapprehension regarding/ this mat? ter and; some people have thought that since, this was done none : ot the other towns in the State would, come in for anytii?zg- this year. . "Wer will certainly-get: our propor? tion of the amount named: im the om? nibus, bill," said Mr Johnston, today. "I d?3> not care what, the Senate has done- with regard to ; Anderson or any oth?r place. I say that, we will get our. share of the money appropriated for the purpose of erecting new build? ings in South Carolina. You can say that exact locations, will, iave to wait and be decided on later, because we are after the money first? and then the different towns in. the State can settle for themselves. the manner of dividing it.*? "If the citizens of. the South Caroli? na towns wouid. let the question of lo? cation alone- for awhile, there would seem to be. a better chance for favor? able legislation, regarding these places. The fight that Rock Hill and Chester will shortly make before the judiciary committee will not help the question much. Members of the committee say that the- people at home ought to leave these matters for their congress? men and not bring their fights here. Mix Johnston says that the matter of securing the necessary amounts for the South Carolina towns is now in good, shape, and it would be extremely distasteful for any of the places which are clamoring for new courts and new buildings to bring on a right now and j possibly delay the matter for a con? siderable length of time. South Carolina representatives here have expressed themselves as being glad that the Capers matter is appar? ently at an end: None of them want to handle Republican or distribute White House pie if they can help it. They say that to dabble in such mat? ters almost always works to their in? jury, with little attendant good, and that they are glad they are not con suited in the distribution of patronage. Postoffice officials rarely ever con? sult Democratic members of Congress now, even in matters pertaining to their own districts. Mr. Lever stated a short time ago that the policy of the department was strict along this lim* that it was now against the rules for the department to show a Democrat? ic member of Congress any petitions which might have been received at the department concerning the filling of postoffices or other places. The South Carolina men are not, however, wor? rying themselves very much, over this question at the present time. As stated, they are glad the Capers row i< at an end. and that none of them have been (hawn into it with the ex? ception '?f Mr. Aiken.-Charleston Tost. Big Fertilizer Shipments. Between two and three hundred cars are hoing shipped from Charles? ton now daily filled with fertilizers, and the men at the mills are working overtime to meet thc demand upon them. To keep up with the efforts of the manufacturers to get the goods to their customers.th--- railroad people- are working together like beavers to exe? cute the orders piled upon them for moving the fertilizing products. "Empties" are hurried from all parts of the South to Charleston to meet the Although the r>ame of Bewley FI ard ware-Go, does not exist ia the Oofamercial life of Sumter, ks spirit is-?till here Mr. W, D. Bewley,, while not active ly engaged, is still interested in the new organization and would be glad for his old friends an# customers tof&vor the new firm with increased patronage. Otir Aims. ?t is our intention to give thse people of Sumter and adjoining counties the very best service possible. We expect to carry a better selected stock of Hardware than was carried by our predecessors. A* far as our storage facilities will admit, we will carry a larger stoek than the old firm We*anticipate-increasing ourr stock in all kindred lines, and asake ita Hardware-store second to none- in the ?State. "A Square Deal." We are going to give EVERYONE "a square deal77 in th s store. No-#ne connected with this firm will know ingly misrepresent any article or piece of goods, if twery?bing sold is not as represented it will be made good or your money back. We are li?re for business in the right way and on the,. Golden Rule principie only. We will sell you good- <<oods at a living profit, and staad back of them. ThSs is worth something. ge. On ibis-platform we solicit your patronage. This busi? ness has passed the experimental! stage and you can makn ont of it whatever you desire Twenty consecu? tive yea^s of experience in Hardware alone with two of the largest firman the South brings to the-new firm some prestige in buying, for searviee, for selection of gooes? enjoyed1 by but fe*v. Special Orders. There's hardly an item in the Hardware line not usual? ly kept in stock but that we-oan price you. This will be a distiagdshing feature of the sew firm an.dto which we wilbpay especial! attention^ We therefore invite \our inquiries,.andi will gladly give you any information.' whether you want to buy or not. Yours veiw-truly, ~-"iV 5jr-*rf V 5 *? J < tf W! ? m fi-* All S?Z3S and prices for ea sn or approved, paper. Wagons, ? Harness i\gent for Dise Harrows,. Disc I Agent for DEERING Ckivators, Stalk JOHNSTON HARVESTING j | HARVESTING MACHINERY Cutters' Pe2 Tootl1, MACHINERY and Repair Parts in J Hafrows, Binders, ancj Repair parts in abundance. J Mowers. Rakes, &c. abundance. 6, 8, and 9 South Harvin Street. The Most Practical Stalk Cutter Made. This cutter has nine steel knives, made with both edges beveled and is interchangeable ; when one side wears out, turn the other which equals a new set of knives. Cuts stalks six to eight inches long. Price right and terms easy. Sold by GEO. F. EPPERSON. WANTED-By experienced bank clerk ; A SUMMER TOUR position in bank, bookkeeper P'O- mnrpATTpTT -nTTDA^T? ferred. Address. "Bookkeeper/'! 1 ^KOUGH EUROjrE ea re Miler Hardware Co.. Charles- VISITING ton- c-_2-7-it* Holland. Germany, Bavaria. Italy, Switzerland, France, England MONEY TO LOAN. and Scotland. - j Departure june _c. from New On farming lands, long time, no j York, duration 2 Ja months, cost commission charged. Borrower pays ! S625. actual cost ci perfecting loan. j Originated and Chaperoned by Mis* For furthe- information address ? Eleanor T. Wragg, Charlaston. S. C. I For further iuformation apply to Joh* B. Palmer & Son. CHAS 0. DUE, Tourist Awnt.