The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-12
T1LLMAN WINS THE DAY.
Prohibitionists Vote for the South Caro-.
lima Liquor Law Gov. TilIman's
Speech Wins the Delegates,
Who Voted His Way
Three to One,

l. speech Wins n Delegates,
Who Voted His Way
Three to One.
PORT RICHMOND. S. l., June Al
came here to contend that prohibition
does not prohibit, cannot prohibit, and
never will prohibit; and to tell you
that we in South Carolina have found
a plan that utterly destroys the
saloons"
Gov. B. r. Tillman uttered this sen
tence upon the platform in the audito,
rum at National Prohibition Park to-
night in the presence of 1000 men and
women, 500 of whom were delegates to
the international Temperance Con-
gress, and included many of the lead
ing Prohibition party leaders and tenn
perance workers of this country. The
declaration was greeted with cries of
mo! MOI" applause and Kisses.
Never before had there been such a
scene in the Prohibition Park audito-
rum Gov. Tillman, striking In his
appearance and in his u~tterances, faced
the great audience of liquor abolition,
lists with a half-pint bottle of South
/ Carolina Dispensary whiskey in his.
hand. and for an hour cOmbated the
theories dearest to the hearts of the
prohibitionists. The electric lights had
gone out just before he was introduced,
and q cor of kerosene lamps and Ian
erns but dimly revealed the audience.
Gov. Tillman's declarations were
constantly greeted with a storm of dis
senting voices and applause. When
he closed his speech he asked all who
wanted prohibition or nothing to raise
their hands, and then he asked those
to vote who would favor a State dis
pensary law if they could not have pro
hibition. It was 3 to 1 for a d~ispensary
law, and with q parting "Oh, / have
got you'll" the Governor left the plat
form.
Akthe outset Gov. TiIlman told his
audience that he had come a long way
in the interest of right and truth. It
had been said that he had backbone
and he intended to show his hearers
that he had, for he intended to say
what he believed, but it would not suit
them. He said:
81 venture to say that I am the only
politician here to night. If any of you
are politicians, you do not look like it
and must be politicians out of a job. /
am Governor of a State and candidate
for United States Senate, and I tell
you I am going to be elected. But to-
night I Am going to ~ContrOvert some
of your dearest theories and argu.
ments."
He then explained the provisions of
the South Carolina ~dispensary law.
The law went into operation July 1,
1898, and was declared unconstitutional
on April 1, 1894, by the State Supreme
Court. The State bought whiskey,
put it into sealed packages, sold it to
county commissioners, and they IN
turn sold it to the sixty. six retail dis
p~ensaries. These were open only In
the day time, and sold whiskey in
quantities Of not less than half a pint.
Some one in the audience asked IT
whiskey vas sold on Sundays, and
Gov. TlIlman replied that there were
no side doors to the dispensaries.
In nine months. he said, the State
had expended $475, 900 and had sold
1867. 600 worth of whiskey, and had
S99, 600 worth on hand. The dispen-
saries had received $597, coo, and had
whiskey valued at $104, 900 on hand.
This gave a profit of over 800, 600 to
the State and $84, 600 to the counties
and towns. Under the license system
the counties had received $81, 600 and
the towns and cities $134, 600 from 813
saloons. Thus, with sixty six dispen-
saries the income was greater thai with
813 saloons.
In a period Of six months before the
d~ispensary law went into effect there
were SIT arrests for drunkenness and
disorder, and in the corresponding
period last year 267 arrests. Most Of
the drunkenness, the Governor said,
was from ''blind tiger" whiskey that
the people got out Of holes in the ground
and their boot legs.
The liquor revenue of the United
States" the Governor continued, 'is
$13O, 900, 600 a year. Are you willing
to have that tax removed9"
Cries of Eyes! YesI" greeted the
Governors question, and he said:
You did not think when you said
that, he replied. You do not want
the tax removed, for it will put whis
key down to 25 cents q quart. You
cannot get a thousand votes In the
United States to remove it,"
Shouts of ''YesI You a get them
in this hall r. came back to the Cover
nor. The shouts, applause, and Kisses
grew SO loud that some ne declared IL
q shame that Prohibitionists could not
give anyone opposed to them a respect
full hearing.
] Gov. TilIman laughingly said it did