The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-26
HE WANTS THE JUDGES.
TILLM1N PREPARING TO SECURE
THESE PLACES FOR HIS HEN.
South CaroIina's Governor VIII Dispiace
all Members of the Bench Who Oppose
His schemes-The Legislature.

COLUMBIA. S. c., Nov. 25.-The South
Carolina Legislature. which meets Tuesday'
will have a number of matters OF more
or less Importance to dispose OF, ana inc
result Of their action will be awaited with
interest by verybody-especiaIly some
hungry Reform politicians. who have been
shiyering outside the breastworks ever
since the Tillman faction secured control
| OF the government Six judges are TO De
| elected and, as these positions pay soo"
salaries. IT is but natural for those VINO
have worked and talked in season ana out
of il for the Reform movement should
want to get some of these places.
There are eight jU0icial districts In TINS
state and there will be vacancies In SIX
of them The two hold-oVer JUDGES are
Judges Frazier and Merton.
The LEGISLATURE is cvergte lmirgly Till
mantle. and there is no doubt that 1t Is
their determination TO put men OF their
political faith on the bench.
Of the six judges, Gary snd Aldri N
are i'm sympathy with the dominant ere
ment. ana will doubtless succeed theih
selves. Judges Witherspoon, Wallace ana
Izlar are not classed as Reformers, ana
unless all signs fail, their heads VIII De
unceremoniously cut off. The candidates
for their places are without NUMBER ana
no prophecy as to who will succeed theui
would be In the least reliable. but OF an
the Judges the head OF Judge Hudson IS
wanted the most by the Reformers, ana
they will get IT without doubt. Judge
Hudson Is one of the abiest, If not the
ablest. OF the judges I'm the State, but ne
has incurred the dspleasure of the TIL
NANTES by his decision In the Dispensary
cases, which he has not hesitated TO pro-
nource unCcr stitutional whenever the
question was brought before him. 1t IS
probable that some man outside OF Judge
HudsOn's district Will be chosen, as the
Tillmanites themselves admit that there
is no Reform lawyer I'm the district who
is competent TO fill the place. Colonel X.
W. Watts. Of Laurens, is prominently
spoken Of for this place. There is no law
against electing q man outside Of the
circuit. but IL has always been customary
TO choose a lawyer residing within 1t. one
Associate Justice Of the Supreme Court
win also be elected to succeed Justice
MCGOWAN, whose term expires. The JUS
tice has announced himself as a candidate,
but it has been long understood that the
place was 10 be given TO Mr. Ira 3. Jones,
Speaker of the House. Lately, Lieutenant
necuon with the place, and should the
Tilmantes not caucus and centre upon
| one Or the other. Justice MCGOWAN s
chances are good for reelection, as he
has many strong friends among the Re
formers.
These elections will have a most import
ant bearing on future law-making in the
State The Tillman faction seem determin-
ed to place men on the bench who will
uphold the government I'm all its radical
and reactonary measures. The leaders
seem to think that every measure judi
cially decided against them has been the
result Of partisan bias" or corruption"
and they propose fixing things so that the
'partisanship" should be all on their side.
The most important piece of legislation
to be talked. however. will be the Dis
pensary act. The law is cOnfessedly weak
and fatal in a number of respects, and Il
will be the aim of Governor Tillman TO
have these Temeded. Before the law took
effect there was a large and profitable
| business in wine-maHing in the State
which, under the operation Of the Dis
pensary law has been destroyed. The wine
people have been kicking most vigorously
and, it is thought, with some effect It
is reported that Governor Tillmau Will ia
his message recommend that native wines
be allowed to be sold outside of the Dis
pensary. It is also said that he will sug-
gest that the law be changed so as TO
allow the sale Of bear by saloons.
IL cannot be predicted how these recon-
mendations will be received. but it is more
than likely that they will provoke a live
ly fight. Strict prohibltlonists think they
see In them the opening wedge for the
indiscriminate sale of all sorts Of intoM-
cants. Some DiSpensary people claim that
they will not accomplish what the PfOhi-
btionsts think they will. but that large
part of the revenue derived by the state
would be cut of. If Governor Tillman.
however. makes a steady fight 20 have
his recommendations carried out, 1t IS
more than likely that they will be. for
up to this time what he wanted generally
went.