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(Tbe OoLittbman an* ^outbron. PabUshev Wednesday sud Saturday. ?BY? OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY SUMTEH. 8. a Tor nur. 11.(9 per annum-?In advance. Advertisements: One Square first Insertion.11.00 ?very subsequent Insertion.60 Contracts for tbree months, or Innerer will be made at reduced ratos. AU communications which sub Setts privat? Interests will be charge*? for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of rsspeot wld be charted for. The Sumter Watchman was found sat In 1110 and the True Southron In lilt. The Watchman and Southron now has the combined circulation and Influence cf both of the old papers, snd is manifestly the best advertising ssedlum In Sumter. ? ' The Jspanese war scare hi growing space snd the advocates 'if a bigger and still Mgger navy are making the most of it if th.- mis. blei genhsn keep on the United Stales will inevi? tably gg gSJSjSsd Into a needless war and a big navy will really be a ne SsssJty. The man lenponslble fsf the retention of too Philippine* weaken* ed the position of the Unit. .1 St.n.sj and by tbst set made a foreign war one of the pndmbihtleM of th.- future Tbl* country is doomed to pay dearly in the not distant future for the Im perlsllsm snd world power foolish* ness of Itoosevelt and bis followers, see The fight to re-establish the Coun? ty dispensary Is on. The p. tu ion for the election Is now being circulated and If we guage public sentiment aright there will be no great difficulty in obtaining the signatures of the nec? essary one-third of the qualified elec? tors of Sumter County. There is no disputing the fact that. In some re? spects, conditions have been Improved by the abolition of the dispensary; I it It Is equally gl patent a Iget ? at in other respects the closing of ?? ? ounty dispensary wuh followed a train of evils that tOSUStST SSJ? t ?? the K<e>d Hlind t Ige TM US YS ultlplied within the town and roughout the county and this form lawlessness has been attend, d by a growing disrespect for and contempt r law. drunkenness has decreased bist little. If at all. and the burden of trying to enforce the law has begg dfted from the sb adders of the li? quor drinkers to those of the tax? payers. The blind tigers have proflt ? I. the express companies have reup I a harvest and the mail order whis a >y bouses in other States ggfct - grown rich as the direct result of tne Closing of the dispensary. The '* yeet and Indirect evils of intemperance we still have with us. for there has not been .\ day sine, the dispensary was closed that an ... . ismnal or ha? bitual drunkard could not obtain liquor for a h, and the blind tiger evil. Instead of less pernic ious and offensive with ?.*>? lapse of time, grows steadily wors.v Th. . xp. n> m ?? of tba oast four years holds out not a xl" ? r of hope of Improvement in i> future. To I mtlnuc the existing I of so-callev? prohibition is is i intee that th'r? will be any decrease In drunker.teas among those already slaves of the hahl . ggf docs It promise the removal of tempt 111<>n from the gggg and pgsjgSJ men who will recruit the urmy of drunkards and vagabonds of the futuie. We are frank to confess that we do not know that conditions will improve if the dispensary is re-established, but We do feel sure that they cannot be mueb worse than they now are ami tba revenue derived from the dispen? sary will furnish nmm v to aid in suppressing lawlessness aid In mak? ing public tmprox ?infills Viewed dispassionately the situation seems rather a hopeless one. If we are to contlnae the effoit to control the II qi.or evil gf law ami to make men temperate by legislation Intemper? ance Is both a wcul.nesa and a vice snd therefore u question of morals rsther than <>m <>r \ ws ami until it Is trested ss such We sr. HttSS hope of freeing this country of the curse of drunkenness. I'nbss Ihe go\ernment. both Stun- and National, shall de? lare the manufseture ami sale of hquor S crime ami absolutely forbid It. this effort to control ?.r suppress the use of liquor In one place while it is freely sold In snot bey with Ihe >anc tion of the law will prove a fane ami a failure as II has in Sumter Count) during the p isi four years. It f ? go\emm?-nt is to ?.?nimm- l?? re??ig nise HgjgfSf as a legitimate article of commerce th*- only way out of tin maxe ??f dilti? gfllsa into will? h we gfS ?? b\ legalization of an SVtl by the Natloi.al C,.,\. r um? nl Is for the total governments to Inks SOSSSSSioS ??f th? trsnV. sell pure lupmr ami us.- tie profits derived from the business t<? lighten the burden of crime ami poverty that the MtSSSpernte USS of liquor entails upon the community l Ml |?|HPH\S\ltY ISSl'K. Ws f**ar thni we expressed U II thought poorly yesterday in com? menting tipon a few ol tin . utsandlng facti ??f the blind Ibfer situation in Banntet county ami the influence that Minting condltlona under eatutory (bat unenforoed) prohibition of t?* llejuor trattc, will have upon ?entlment whan the qua**. Mtabllihlni the count uadaf eoaalderatlc htm COUM not ha\ eoax loalor that 'the *t ar Kumcnt Ht'cms to he th need the money." We have not advocated the ri latabllihraenl af the dlepeniaryi or the legalised sale of liquor under any oth? i conditions, in order that profits nay he derived I loin the traf-I tic. The neareel approach we made to the conclusion that Mr. Jenkins ilraws from our comments, were tv\" conditional statements, to wit: j "We are frank to confess that Wi dd not know that conditions will im- ^ prove if the dispensary is re-estab lished. hut we do f???? I sure that they | innot he much worse than they now ure and the revenue d. rived from the ilisp* nsary will furnish money to aid in suppressing lawlessness and in making puhlie improvements," and "If the government is to continue to n oogatee llgner as a legitimate ar* Hell of commerce the only way out of the ma/.- ot difficulties into which we are cast by legalization of an evil b\ the National (tovt rnun nt is for the local governments to take possession of the tratllc. sell pure liquor and use the profits derived from the business to lighten the hurden of crime and poverty that the Intemperate use of liquor entails upon the community." This is far from saying that we need the niom y and therefore should take up the hqu. r traffic for the profit that Is in it and for the profits solely. The intemperate use of liquor is an admitted evil; the use of liquor in any manner is hazardous to the user and therefore not to he encouraged] therefore the sale id" liquor as a bev? erage, either by an individual, with the consent of the government, or by the government itself through its agents, is not to be countenanced or em ouraKed by those clttseni who have consideration for the moral and physical welfare of the Community as a whole. If it were possible to abol? ish the liquor tartllc and eradicate the evils of inteniperace in any given community by Um mere enactment of a law prohibiting the sale and use of liquor, the problem would be a sim? ple nnc and there would he no room for argument. Hut unfortunately th problem is not so simple and theory comes bluntly into conflict with the stone wall of facts. We have pro-, hihited the sale of liquor In Sumter ? 'uiintv, but it is still sold in large quantities, and from the most reliable information obtainable we have bean forced to the conclusion that the il? legal sale Is growing in volume, and legal sale Is growing in volume and to this there Is ground for an honest difference of opinion. Mr. Jenkins evidently entertains the belief that conditions have been bettered by th*' abolition of the dispensary in this CoUllty and he has a well founded hope that a continuation of local prohibition Will result in continued and prog*vssive improvement. If his belief ih Justified by the facts We would be glad to know it. but as mat? tet? stand his belief is a mere matter of opinion, wltn which we do not agree. His offer to donate Jl.nOO to charity, if we can ptOVI the nega? tive of his proposition, Li a safe chal? lenge to make in the ein?umstamNM, for we have neither the time to under? take the inhaostlve Investigation he pfapoaaaj nor thl authority to com? pel t||| expreM company and the railroads tu produce their records for Inspection Wi win meat M Jan? 'ms more than half way. however. if hi will undertake the investiga? tion he suggest s. Snd, when he has gallo led and CoPlted the statistic s, if he establishes the correctness of his assertion ihat not one-half as much liquor is gold in this com? munity, (meaning Sumter County) as under the dispensary regime, we will putdish thl fact and oppose the re ? stablishment of the dispensary with all the energy thai we poaaesa n he fails to establish the Correctness of his assertion WS will not claim the $|,aea, but h t him retain it AS com? pensation for the time and expense thi investigation involved. Another point that Mr Jenkins at tempts to make is beside the ques? tion, inasmuch as gambling and pros* utution an not parallel cases with tie- liquor traffic These vices arc under the ban af the law everywhere, ull governments, local, Mate ami Nu ttonal view them an crimes ami ha\c enacted laws forbidding them under penalt) The individual who operates a gamtrflag house is a i rlmlnal in the eye? of the law and the white slaver who fosters prostitution for the profit there is m the business i prosecuted and punished I In the other hand tie- National government ami many state government! recog? nise iiquar a a legitimate article ol commerce ami the manufacturers nf ami dealers in liquor are protected and fostered by tin- National govern* mint lU the extent of levying a pro teetlve i.uiii on foreign liquor, Herein lieg iii?' (llfllcttlty of municipality, County Of Still.- \ a local law against the and herein lies th- or the ad v? the police naty <t town in liquor traffic In, or ite and control the .-ale. of uodlty, the use of which en is more evil than benefit t<? the1 us?rs and which brings upon the Community a whole train of evils. So long as the National government fos? ters the liquor trade it will be impos? sible for a State or town to prohibit it?the utmost that can be done is to regulate the trathe as may teem most expedient. Inder prohibition, blind tigers flourish more than when the dispensary was In operation, and with, our present light it seems better to maintain a dispensary than endure the Mind tigers and the lawlessness that' blind tlgerlam creates, The choice between the dispensary and the con? ditions we now endure is not a ques tlon of morals, but a mere choice of evils?of the two we believe the dis? pensary to be the lesser. The dis? pensary may c reate drunkards and the county reap the profit, but the blind tiger create! drunkards and de? velops also a criminal and lawless element, who grow rich through their criminality and are provided with money to hire shrewd lawyers to help them defy the law. [f we prefer the dtspenssry, it la not a matter of prin? ciple but Of expediency only. THE DISPENSARY ISSUE. The (Question of Abating nil 1 jvil Viewed Theoretically Rather Thau Practically. Bdltor Dally item: Please let me reply to your edi? torial on the re-estsblishment of the county dispensary. YOU say that blind tigers have mul? tiplied in this community, ami that contempt and disrespect for law and order are growing. 1 feel that you are wrong, but granting you that much as a fact, do you feel that our City or county government can gain respect or inc rease law and order by engaging in a traffic which in Itself is directly baffling to law and order'.' The gist of your argument seems to be that wc need the money. Is it not better for us to need it than to get It in the wrong way? As a man you feel that the whiskey business is highly profitable, but unspeakably de? grading, because it traffics in Weak? ness and vies for profit. For that reason you would doubtless cast your vote, and the strength and influence Of your paper against the re-estab? lishment of saloons in our midst. You cannot fail to see how much worse it la for our very government Itself to engage In the whiskey traf? fic. Are we jealous of the profits the blind tigers and express companies are making out of this WhlikejEtraf? fic? Bo much the worse for tb?m. Von say that Intemperance is a we akness and a vice, so more a ques? tion Of morals than of law. So is gambling and sexual prostitution. Lest the people who profit in those forms of human weakness make what they can out of it. must we also cir? culate a petition to see what we can do towards getting our share of these profit! for our government? Do wc need the motu-y that bad? If this town and county is unable to maintain law and order under present conditions, we are much to be pitied. We had OUr last saloons when' the writer was a dosen years of age. I believe thai drunkeneas and rowdyism ami crime in this community has been gradually diminishing since that time, and that it has been more marked in dec rease since our last dispensary da> s. You arc in n position of great In? fluence In this community, and i feel that your mind is still open, though you have given expression to your thoughts, such as might make a casual thinker feel that you placed money, or its equivalent, as a factor to be us? ed In we ighing the difference between a large question of tight or wrong. I feel that you are wrong In this matter, but inasmuch as you have placed this question on dollars and cents basis, so to speak, I wish to put it right square up to you <>n that basis My training has been more commercial than literary, so here is m> proposition: Whiskey med In excess bads to ihe worst expressions of passion, or crime that ordinarily lies dormant in the human breast. It is one- of Society'^ Worsl enemies. Any dimlnlshuieni ed' it.-; use is to oui area! benefit here-. If this oinniuni ly now uses as much as half the ipiuntlt) <d" whiskey as when we had the dispensary, und you can prove It, l will give a thousand dollars lo you fof any charity in oui midst you nut) name, We can verify this by exam InitiK the- records of Ihe last year's business of our county dispensary, as compared with the present express ami freight receipts. I will allow you live per cent for what comes In through Invisible channels, ami throw in the growth in population foi lour years free. Ii I have made a foolish offer, Mi ISditor, l know that quite a few >o sides ihe writer would like to be shown, and I will close by saying that I feel your editorial on this subject not t<> have been a part of your true nature as 1 have always judged it. Yours respectfully, T. B. JENKINS. Sumter, s. C, April 30ih, 1913. MONEY FOR FIREMEN. Tees Turned Over by Insurance Com? missioner. Columbia, April 30.?The insurance commissioner during the last three months has collected from the lire insurance companies, and turned into the state treasury, the one per cent, on fire premiums collected in 41 towns in this State. The total which will be paid to the lire departments for this year is $12,-1 090.82. This is an increase of about $1,000 over last year when $ll,?o2.57 was distributed among the lire de? partments. The State treasurer will make re? mittance of these amounts to the treasurers of the various towns cnti-1 tied to the same The following are tiie names of the towns and the | amounts due to each: Abbeville, $131.75; Aiken, $295.08; Anderson, $583,34; Bamberg, $ 1 ::<?.26; Helton, $60.58; Beaufort, $66.54; Bennettsvllle, $208.62; Blshopville, $122.33; Blackville, $71.78; Cam den., $272.54; Charleston, $2,254.27; Ches? ter, $303.03; Columbia $1,749.69; Clinton, $111.56; Darlington, $300.10; Boaley, 178.59; Florence $399.38; Qaffney, $165.88 Georgetown, $342.22; Greenville, $606.48; Green? wood, $236.24; Hartsville, $ii?;.ol'; Honea Path, $50.83; Kingstree, $61.31; Lancaster, $206.86; Laurens, $199.35; Manning, $231.1*; Marion, $132.76; New berry, $2r,4.; North Augusta, $245.19; Orangeburg, $263.49; Rock Hill. $384.62; St. Matthews, $78.78; Sumter, $581.::::; Seneca, $77.::s; Spartanburg, $748.47; Tlmmonsvllle, $100.91; Union, *i7<>.:iJ; Walterboro, | $59.::7; Wlnnsboro, $H4.n;; fork Ville, $113.49; Total. $12,690.82. There is also in the hands of the State treasurer the amounts ?lue to the several county treasurers in the State. This will be apportioned in a few days. The total Collections Of the Insur? ance department from the insurance c ompanies for the three months end? ing March 31, 1913, amounted to $100,302:93. For the same period in 1912, $92,313.60 was collected, show? ing an increase in 1913 over 1912 of $7,989.::::. Is your financial condition such that you can afford to lose your crop by hail? O. B. Haynaworth, agent for Carolina Hail Insurance Company win secure protection for you at a very small cost. Insure now. Today is the best time.?Advt - The sidewalks on North Main street between Canal and Calhoun street are being built up and much improv? ed by a layer of clay over which is spread a layer of cinders. i ??? Are you a farmer? Don't you think you should exercise the same business judgment on your farm that the mer? chant does in the city? The mer? chant protects his investment by in? suring, is your crop Insured? Bet? ter see G. K. Haynsworth, agent for Carolina Hall Insurance Company, and secure this protection at once.?Advt. Tiie extension of the road system in this counts' is a good thing. Let's make it permanent by caring for tin roads already built. ? Kensington (Md.) Press. TUB CAROLINA HAIL INSURANCE ?Company has paid 1,600 losses amounting to $135,000.00 since 1906, and every one of these losses settled satisfactorily to be assured, c B. Haynsworth, Sumter, S. C, is the agent for this excellent South Carolina, corporation and our farmers and planters should see to it that their crops are protected at once. Would You Like to Know Where you can get tlie best shave, hair .cut .or .other lonsorial work?. Its right opposite the Tost olltce. Drop in today and learn about our excellent sen ice. The Sumter Shaving Parlors, Dan P. Mosel y, Prop. TO sTl OY (iOOI) Ko M)S. \ < bailee for Roys and ?.ir|> to Win a (.old Medal. A "<dd medal to the school boy or girl between ih" ages of 10 and l B who writes the best composition, not to exceed 800 words, on the repair and maintenance of earth roads, is to be awarded by Logan Walter Page, Director, (>tti< ?? of Public Roads, Unit? ed states Department of Agriculture, Washington, 1?. C, All compositions must be submitted t<? Mr. Page before May 15, 1913, and the medal will be awarded as soon thereafter as the compositions can be graded. The Composition may be based on knowl? edge gained from books or other sources, but no quotations should be m ade. After many years' experience in (b aling with the public road situation of the country, it is Mr. Page's belief that ignorance on the subject of re? pair and maintenance of roads is as much the cause of their had condition as any other one factor. It is ex? pected that the competition will bring aaout a better understanding of the subject of repair and maintenance in tile rural district*. .Many children living In the rural districts have experienced the disad? vantages of roads made impassable through a lack of proper mainten? ance and it is expected that their in? terest in the competition will stimu? late greater interest among the par? ents. Bad roads have prevented many children from obtaining a pron? er education and have even prevented doctors from reaching the side of rural patients In time to save their lives. Any child between the ages men? tioned, attending a country school, may compete. only one side of the paper must be written on; each page should be numbered; the name, age, and address of the writer, and the name and location of the school which he or she is attending must be plain? ly written at the top of the lirst page. The announceme nt of the competition has been sent t?i the superintendents ed' schools in the rural districts. No further Information can be obtained from the Office of Public- Roads. This announcement should be plain to ev? eryone, and all children will thus start on a basis ?o* equality. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????? Every Life Begins a Zero I Whether It's value In the cud he a positive < r u negative 4 * quantity, large or small depend* on the individual. Some people < ? are zeros all their live*. We are just what we. muke ourselves, < l und the rale applies Jost as broadly as uii) general, ?octal or i ? economic law. Knowledge and ability are more often acquired < ? than Inherited. < * .ludging from the number of new aeeounts opened with us more 1 ? men ape beginning to appreciate the fact that "they are masters ^ ? of their own fate.*' These Inen are taking advantage of our sya- 4 I tcmatic plan for handling their finances ami are building for the < r future. I [ FIRST NATIONAL BANK ] ???????????????????????????????????????????????????< i Every Officer And Employee Of this bank wants to KNOW each de? positor. This way of KNOWING each other means more than merely handing your de? posit in at the Receiving Teller's Window, it means SAFE BANKING and good fellow? ship combined. Your account and acquaintance invited. The Bank of Sumter LAND LIME. We are prepared to furnish ibis product at prices that will enable every farmer to use it. We have a very low price this year and nothing will do your land more good, especially run down lands, or lew and sour land. It Is necessary for all leguminous crops such as Alfalfa, clover, vetch, peas, etc. Get our prices in car lots or In smaller quantities. Samples on request. BOOTH-HARBY LIVE STOCK COMPANY, SUMTER, S. C. Seeking For Health ? 1 ?id you ever '?hink of ihe fact thai sound teeth are just as much a part of good health as a go,?d digestion, in fact you can't have good digestion unless you have sound teeth and keep them properly attended to. Let Or Courtney attend to your teeth Ills when in Bumter. Treat ??.i. Sumter Dental Parlors, DR. C. H. COURTNEY, Prop. OVKK SHAW .v Mreol.t.I'M'K STORK. | j