Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-01
Chamber suits from $l2.5O and upwards at Jacobs.
SAM JONES ANGRY.
He Gave TIIman Dose of His Own Medicine and Roasted the South Carolina
 Legislators

Columbia, s. O., Feb 29-Today the Rev. Sam P. Jones, the noted evangelist, arrived in the city and this afternoon he delivered an address to an audience of 1500 people. The members of the general assembly had been given special invita- tions to attend, and they occupied re- served seats in front. He rasped the legislators severely in regard to the dis pensary law, dealing some hard blows. After speaking for somea time he turned to the legislators present and asked: "Is ttere any honor in being a mem- Der 4of the legislature?" Continuing, he said: No, that is a small potato, and stringy one at that" Gaughter) The devil, he said, he would get some of them, but he thanked God that he would not get much. Gaughter) Then the great evangelist turned to the strain of politics, and the congrega- tion knew that something interesting was coming. MT. Jones said that he was not talking as a reformer, conserva- tive, republican, democrat or demijohn- crat or as a representative of any other party.
 Most of you fellows would feel awk- ward in my fix-Tm gentleman Sup how it feels" Great laughter)
 He thought all political parties formed a dirty cesspool of corruption and vice, for the politicians ceased to be men and formed themselves into a bowling mob of interruptions office seekers.
 He had never been a member of a leg islature, but If he was he would stand to the last ditch to protect the women and children from the curse of drink. If the preachers would leave "the sweet by and by alone for a while and get to work on the nasty now" there would be no such thing as the dispensary system, the agency for the distribution of stuff to make drunkards of the sons of the state. He advised the legislators to seek the counsel of their wives and sisters in casting their votes for any measure that concerned them, until they are bet ter men than you are. you old fools. (Great laughter)
 "The preacher has a text and speaks in the pulpit on it. but woman can wipe up the floor with any preacher on pre- text" Gaughter)
 The people need improvement and if they do not get it very shortly they will turn into razor-backshogs on the slight est provocation. Loud laughter)
 In an interview on the dispensary sys- tenn, the evangelist says that he has watched the systems operation. He be- lieved whisky a good thing in its place, and he believed it's place was in hell. He would never countenance it's sale this side of hell. The only difference between open saloons and the dispensary system was the method of dishing out the damn able stuff. The law was already begin ming to go to seed in South Carolina. The state seemed to be dealing in liquor for the money there was in 1t. If that was true, then a bul1-necked, white-aproned saloonkeeper Is gentleman beside the state of South Carolina. He enjoyed see ing Tillman in a straw pile with his pitchfork. but when that notable got into a dispensary with it and began to scatter bottles filled with damnable liquid he was 'agin him and his fork both" The profit and beverage features of the sys- tenn would damn it in the eyes of God fearing men. Any man that stood around behind dispensary counter and dished out the stuff deserved contempt and would "be a frying in hell before his feet got cold
 The evangelist is touring the state in the interest of the cause of temperance. and the dispensary is catching it. The legislators did not seem to like the plain talk He goes to Atlanta for four weeks stay soon '