Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-05-29

knows it, so. there be no Rssdcessity OF my telling
you so no more. You are an oppressed people,
gentlemen. Something tells me ar called npon
one set of folks who tells us we have no right to
drink whiskey, no odds how dry we ar, nur how
much we wants it. Now say, gentlemen, our
fathers fit for liberty, and Tim Eastman ar not
aguine to give up his right to drink the critter,
just whenever he pleases, even if NIL natur tries
to keep him from it. (Great applause, during
which Tim takes drink Of bald-face.)
Now gentlemen, spose some of you have corn to
spar, and you knows you can sell the Whiskey you
can boil out'en it for more than you can sell the
corn ant it as plain as all creation tnat yOu have
clar Constitootiona1 right to stew the Whiskry
out en- the Corn, and sell or drink the licker and
give the balance to the Hogs? Yes gentlemen,
sartenly You have that ar right, and if 60 to the
Legislator III maintain it through thick and thin,
and all the morld over! Applause, and Tim takes
another drink That, gentlemen (smacks hislips)
are what Tim Eastman calls liberty, and he don't
intend to call it anything else, or do anything
else! Tim takes another drink
And more nor this, gentlemen, when the men
you elect goes to Columby, they don't make no
laws that they oughfer make. You what has got
land pay too much taxes on it; and you what
rents land pays too much rent for it; and you
what has corn ground pays too much toll for it; /;
and you what's got children pays too much to
have 'em born. Immense applause, during which
Tim takes drink of "bald-face.")
Now, gentlemen, if you elect me to the Legisla
ter, I'll pass law that you shall make four gal
Ions of whiskey to the bushel, besides the fust
shots and low wines. III pass another that you
shall pay no rent, no TOLL no taxes, and your chill
dren shall all be born for nothin' and less nor
that''-(but Tim is interrupted by uproarious ap.
plause, amid which he, badly drunk, by the assis-
tance Of his friends descends from the stump
The writer does not pretend that this sketch is
literally true. He has, however, actually witness
sed the exhibition Of things related to it in spirit,
and from which some of the acts are partly copied.
But let US 60 back to the practical
have said that the portion Of our citizens best
qualified for the duties of Legislators, will not re-
sort to the whiskeybarre to secure their election.
This has brought to bear upon the State an evil
of grave Importance. The practice Of resorting
in elections to whiskey and money, and other things
bought with money, will in the end, if it has not
already done it, drive all your best talents into
retirement and the State will thus fall into the
hands of men whose qualifications and political
worth are below mediocrity. The man Of true
worth and public virtue will not soil his escutcheon
by such demoralizing and degrading scramble.
Although he may be willing to give the State the
benefit of his services he will not do it by viola
ting the purity Of the elective franchise, and that
too at the price of his selfrespect and the loss Of
his own fair fame.
For this evil there is prompt aid easy reme-
dy. The responsibility rests upon the Christian,
moral, order-loving and abiding portion Of the
community; and they cannot evade it. That REM
edy is simply this, as indicated in my last: let
meetings be called, though it be ten days only be-
fore the day of election, and let tickets be nomin
atcd with the names of men Of the first respecta-
blity in the district and then, let all who have
the good of their country at heart sustain these
nominations, and the reform will be accomplished
II is a libel upon our people, 10 say that the good
men and true men are not in tie majority.
If we want the courage to do this, we lack the
courage of freemen. If Christianity refuse to
concur in this policy, surely it must incur the
charge of being untrue to its great mission. I
do not believe it will refuse. Let ii but take the
lead, as it should, in this great reform, and the
God-commssioned work will. infalby triumph.
JUVENAL