The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-08-01
TILLMAN STICKS
TO HIS STATEMENT
He Writes a Letter at Re.
quest Of Editor Of Chris.
tian Advocate.


meeting at Bennettsville at which
Senator Tillman's charge Of IAN
unholy alliance Of preachers and
bsrkeepsrs led by Col Hoyt." was
made.
Dr. j. D. Wilson Of the Southern
Christian Advocate wrote to Senator
Tillman asking IL be were correctly
reported and requesting q reply.
The reply is contained in this weeks
issuo Of the Advocate. Ii reads as
follows:
Trenton. s. @, July %, 1900.
Rev j. D. Wilson, Columbis, 3. G
Dear Sir: / have your letter Of
July 22d, asking IL my speech Of
BepnettsviIle was correctly re-
ported | do not recollsct the
exact words l ueed at Bennetts
vile, but they are in effect true az
quoted; and inasmuch as the dis
trict conference of the Methodist
church, under the leadership of
Bishop Duncan. has taken the matter
up. and the bishop is reported to
have nailed" my utterance "ss q
lie." while the repor. of the commit.
tee on temperance denounced any
insinustion that the efforts of the
Christian ministers and other citi
zens to rid the State of this gigantic
evil 10 sought or voluntary oombi.
nation with the saloon element 40 q
base SANDER that is itself On attempt
to strengthen the power of this most
dsmnable ipiquity," will take the
occasion offered by your inquiry to
make On announcement over my own
sigusture Of what l said and meant
at Bennettsville OF course the report
gave only the bsrest outlines.
have no quarrel with the minis.
ters Of any church or denomination
and have no purpose to give offence
TO any Of them. have always
borne testimony TO the high charsc-
ter and purity of purpose character.
izing the ministry. but l believe
they arc wrong in fighting the dis
psnsary law 90 they do, aud / claim
the right to say so. acknowledging
OF the same time their right 10
freedom of speech and freedom of
political action on this and every
other subject. ] mentioned the at.i.
tude OF the ministers Incidentally a.
sn illustration of the anomalous
political situation. The ministers
attack the dispenssry because il does
not 20 far enough. and the high
license people and the blind tigers,
whom l designated % the "old bar.
keepers" attack the dispensary
because il goes too far. They are
thus found fighting side by eide in
the campaign There is only one
candidate in the field for governor
opposed To the dispenssry. Col Hoyt,
and oil Of those elements arc allied
in his support, and the proof is that
Charleston, in the last gubernato rial
election. voted for Mr. Featherstone
and prohibition when ii is notorious
that the whiskey element in that city
10 predominant and that the dispen
ssry law 10 not enforced, mainly by
reason Of the lax morals of the grand
Jurors who have failed to dischsge
their duty under their oaths. Col
Hoyt last winter 10 his paper. toe
Mountaineer, urged coalition betwe een
the high license people and the pro
hibitionists in the general assembly
n order to repeal the dispensary law
Col Hoyt seeks the governors office,
and Of course wants votes. l am
opposed to his election solely on
these grounds, and called attention
to tue elements supporting him
There may be no open "alliance :"
and technically | may have been in
error In asserting it, but I think il
permissible to declare all the SUD.
por,ers Of any one candidate "allies"
and it the Methodist ministers who
have accused me of Islander" will
show that they do not intend to work
to the same end az the barkeopers
Tor the overthrow Of the dispensary,
will then consider the propriety of
an apology. Until such proof is
given | shall stand by my guns. If
the Methodist bishop chooses n call
me Q liar, and the church temperance
committee feels constrained to de.
nounce my opinion of existing condi
tions as SANDER" the people of
South Carolina will Judge between
US. ID they can stand it | csu. |
long ago learned
evil is wrought frcm want of
thought.
As well as want OF heart"
When good men find themselves in
bad company, they usually pause to
consider how they got there and
whether they are not in fault to some