The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-08-24
TILLMAN toN THE DIspENsARY

, lie DenounCes tho management O.
the State Board of fControI-Charges
tho Preachers with Helping tn,
Devil and Simonton.
Senator Tillman addressed an audi
ence OF l,5OO people at Wagener's on
the 18th inst. in the interest of the new
county scheme of Edisto He showed
the advantages OF small counties, and
said that If he lived in the proposed
territory he would vote for the new
county, but he wanted the people to
think over the matter and act for their
own best interest. He made a long an /
lorciole speech in the interest Of the
alspensary. He charged the present
board OF control with incompetency
ana said that the election OF the board
should be taken away from the Legis-
lature, as 1t was almost impossible to
secure good men so long as there wa.s
so much 'log rolling" among the mem-
bers for their friends.
one man would say, you vote for mo
ana will vote for your man hence
the inevitable result is the selection of
men unfit for the position. He said
that while some OF the members of the
present board were his personal
friends, and ali Of them lis political
iriends, he did not propose to let that
hinder him from telling the plain truth
IN reference 20 their management Of
the dispensary.
He said that they should all resign
and give way to men who could and
would run the dispensary as the great
business concerns are run-on business
principles that the people need not
expect the best results where there was
80 much chickering's and disagreement.
he was in favor of electing the board
ny the people, and thought that the
Governor should have the power to re-
move dispenser immediately-that
wnere so great an interest was at stake
arbitrary power had to be exercised by
someone or the interest of the people
would suffer; whore the responsibility
was divided you would have no one to
hold to an accountability. He claimed
that the enforcement OF the law should
be given to the Governor, as he has
charge of the constabulary.
lie paid his respects to Judge Simon
ton in very forcible language. He said
that tho very best lawyers In the
United States Senate told him that ST.
monton's decision was contrary to law,
and Tor that reason they voted unani- |
Senate. He claims that the bill will |
pass when Congress meets.
lie was charged with slandering the |
preachers, but all that he had said |
about them was that q great many Of |
them in their zeal for prohibition were
helping the devil, saloon keepers and |
Slmonton to choke the dispensary to |
death. He said that none OF the preach
ers could show anywhere in the Bible |
where whiskey drinking was con-
demned.
The Rev. Hiram Baggot took issue
with him and spicy colloquy was the
result.
Mr.. Baggot. "The good BookG said
that no 'druukard could enter the king
DOM"
Senator Tillman: st is the abuse,
not the use, Of whiskey that the Bible
condemns, and can show youlhundreds |
OF passages in the Bible whore the use
OF whiskey and wine is sustained by
Divine authority"
The Senator claims that the preach
ers and prohibitionists arc contending
for an ideal which is impossible of full
filmCnt.
III you cannot get your ideal, do not
help the saloon keepers ito defeat the
said the Senator herccly.
He took hand primary on the dis
pensary, and over three-fourths Of the
people voted to sustain the dispensary,
Senator Tillman has certainly lost
no ground with the country people.
They gave him an enthusiastic recep-
tion.
Some one asked him how about tho |
tarilf and direct taxes?
He said that we were compelled to
have protection to raise revenue, and
that he was opposed to direct taxes, as
direct taxes would have to be levied on
population. and the rich man would
pay no moro taxes than the poor man.
How do yOu stand on the Senatorial
race?" asked some one in the audience.
81 decline to answer" said the Sena-
tor. 81 advised you all last year to
elect Evans and you would not do it,
and | can't sec how you can expect me
to take sides against any of the candi-
dates, as they are all Reformers, and
you must decide for yourselves without
any Interference from me-" He closed
amid great applause.