The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 03, 1913, Image 4
(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