The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-08-20
TILLMAN AND ST. JOHN.
THE DIsPENSARY AND PRoHIBI
TION.
The Champion of the Dispensary
Meets the Apostle OF Prohibition
i'm Debate

The Champion of the Dispensar!
Meets the Apostle OF Prohibition
i'm Debate.
The jury appointed to decide the
merits of the debate which Senator
Ben Tillman and Prof. Samuel Dickie
National Chairman of the Prohibition
party, held on Thursday night at Pro
hibition Park, S. L., endored the opin
ion OF the audience, which favored the
Southern Senator throughout There
were seven Prohibitionists on the jury
and fourteen anti nti-Prohibitionists, and
they decided eleven to eight in Sena
tor Tillman's favor, two not voting.
He carried the audience with him
last night as thoroughly as he did on
the preceding evening. He was in the
midst of the Prohibition stronghold,
contending against their theories, but
the audience applauded him as though
he were struggling in their behalf.
Most of the audience were Prohibition
lists, but their delight when Tillman
made point against his opponent was
enthusiastic. He is a speaker of con-
siderable magnitude, free from most
Of the platform tricks, and natural in
manner.
The methods of ex-Gov. st. John, of
Kansas. who was his opponent, belong
to the old school. So the audience lis
tened to Tillman with delight, and
applauded him in sucn way that
their favor must have been intended
not so much for what he had said as
the way in which he said it. But he
made great impression on his hear
ers, and their delight was unbounded
when they learned that the jury was
with them in giving him the honors of
the debate on Thursday.
The question last night was, SIS Pro-
hibition the Best Method of Temper
ance Reform 2" The debate was slow
in starting, and after the audience
had sung IL hymn, Come Thou AL
mighty King" Mr.. III. III. Carr, who
was introduced as the founder Of the
women's Republican clubs of New
York, sang Rowing Home with Mol
ly." Then the superintendent of the
building announced that no Interrupt
tions would be allowed from the audi
cnce. On Thursday the Interruptions
took up too much time and interferred
with the speakers. So it was ANNOUNCE
cd that the audience would have no
share in the debate.
DIR Leonard, who is the secretary
Of the Methodist Episcopal Mission,
was made chairman, and he was told
that the speakers did not go over their
time. The suppression Of the audience
deprived the debate of some of its
livcliness, but there was nothing to
prevent them from applauding, and
they did whenever Senator Tillman
gave them Il chance.
EX Gov ST. John opened the discus
sion. He said:
II don't know when have enjoyed
more speaking on prohibition than be-
fore you good people here, and under
nj, II, I
Senator Tillman and | represented ex-
tremes of political opinion, and l am
proud to have the honor of meeting
here one OF this country's mo st djstin-
guished citizens, who is known to every
body that makes any attcmp to keep
up with the political questions of the
day The question that parted us
thirty years ago is settled now, and
settled forever. We are not here to-
night as politicians in any sense of the
word, but as citizens of our common
country'to discuss comparatively new
question that has forced itself to the
front during the past twenty-five years.
| claim for Senator Tillman that he is
rs sincere and conscientious in what
he is doing as what / claim for myself.
We are both doing what we can in an
humble way for our fellow men. / am
glad that the other side of this debate
is upheld by such courageous man as
Senator Tillman. We know that he
has courage, as well as great deal of
gray matter in addition, and | would
rather be whipped by him than van
quish a little Western scrub like my
self.
81 stand here tonight for prohibition
first, last and and the time, because
my experience Of the last twenty-five
years has taught me that it is not only
the best way to promote temperance
reform, but because my conscience tells
me that in the sight Of God and man
it is right. know that all the States
of the Union are with me, and l know
that prohibition is the rule of the BIZ
BILE. 1t says always, Thou shalt not,
and there is not word in it in favor
of licensing any wrong, nor will my
friend find there a word about dispen-
saries. The law is prohibitory all
through the Statutes OF the States, and
the United States Supreme Court has
said that the rights and liberties of
nobody are interferred with when the
permission to sell liquor is denied.
The Constitution says that the fun
damental object of government is to
promote the welfare of the people.
Last night Senator Tillman read the
statement of Gov. Larrabee, of Iowa,
In WnlCn ne denounced Jne saloon ana
the liquor traffic as the breeder OF pau
perism, crime and degradation. The
Legislature of Iowa endorsed that, and
so do ], and | claim that anything
which breed crime, pauperism and
degradation should be prohibited, not
licensed or dickered with. | found to-
day that the Statutes of South Carolina
are in perfect harmony with my opin-
ion. The whole criminal code is pro-
hibitory, and u man can't kick his dog
without violating the law, and he can
not get license to do it, nor deal with
it according to the dispensary system.
South Carolina laws strictly prohibit
the adulteration of food, and Z ut
allow the terrapin to be taken ILL.,. r
certain size. You cannot get Ii
cense to take them.
mo living picture nor impure liter
ature are allowed, and you can't get
a license fos Il living picture, or treat
one of them, in accordance with the
dispensary law. Every one of these
laws is prohibitory. You cannot dis
seminate infectious disease, and you
wouldn't be allowed to give man
seven years itch, even II you had u
license.
"The dispcnsary system would allow
J you to give q man as much seven
years itch as he wanted after he was
old