Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-08-29
Tillman and tho Preachers.

on new lines.
Senator Tfllman Ia the central figure
standing, metaphorically speaking, with
Bible In one hand aud whiskey bottle
bearing tho coat Of arms of South Caro-
lima and stamped Chemically pure" IL
tho other, he invites the populace tc
drink and quotes scripture to prove thai
to use liquor is not considered immora
in tho Biblo except in Habakkuk. which
ho declares to bo "obsolete;" around him
the same "wool hat boys" of 1900 and
1892 arc applauding his sharp thrusts
at tho minister's; others of his moro seri
GUS followers are moro silent; still 9th
ers have openly turned and are speaking
against him, while from hundred pul.
pits pours such stream Of denunciation
as has mover before been turned simulta
neously upon the most evil works of the
Satanic majesty. With scathing tongue
and bittor pom the preachers of almos,
every denomination, particularly the
Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians
have drawn tho limo Of excommunication
around tho person of the portly Senator.
The gubernatorial contest is tho issue
the question boing dispensary or prohi,
bition. Even tho twolye consecutive
days whom the average maximum tom.
poraturo was 100 degrees in the shade,
could not keep tho Senator off the stand
indeed, with the continued heat he be-
camo moro warm in tho use Of language
and it is question whether tho minis
tcrs kept pace with tho Senator's vocabu.
larry. Up.to.dato, however, they are
doing fairly we'll and the indications arc
that thoy will not DO outclassod.
Among other things Senator Tillman
declared in his speeches that "of all
things | hate it is tho hypocrite, and I
would not swap places to-day with any
of tho preachers for my own chances in
the next world"
Io has done more, he declares, for tho
morals of the people of South Carolina
than all tho preachers put together.
Tho preachers and the old bar-kecp-
ors have formed an unholy alliance to
break down tho dispensary. The preach
crs may bo honest, but they are weak in
tho upper story (tapping his head) They
do not know"
He accused some preachers of distort-
ing their toxts in order to show that
liquor was condemned in the Bible; he
then quotes PauPs advice to Timothy to
take wine. Solomon, ho declared. had
given tho same advice; while the in
stances of good men like Lot and Noah
having got drunk without rcproof or
punishment are cited to show that
drunkenness was not considered sin.
The miracle of water being turned into
vino by Jesus has been repeatedly re-
fcrred to as proof, furnished by the New
Testament, of the Senator's contentious.
Ministers of tho gospel were allitcra-
tive in their attacks on his cause, the
Senator said, and he might rctaliatc by
saying some people attributed I'D. d.
to stand for Damned Devils"
People had threatened to scratch his
name from tho ticket, ho said, and he in
vitcd them to do so, declared that al
though he had no opposition for rc-elec-
tion to the Senate, he would not accept
tho Office if he did not receive majority
of the votes cast IIe said he expected
to make 10000 new enemies by his can.
vass.
But Senator Tillman has not held the
monopoly of the talking. A hundred
sermons and as many letters to news
papers might be quoted from, but here
arc few samples:
Rnv " 4
the South Carolina Baptist, has been a
supporter and admirer of Senator Till
man, and has kept out of the fight until
this week, whom he attended meeting
and heard the Senator speak. Ho says
"lt was an outrage and we are ashamed
that South Carolina ha uch a man to
represent her so destitute of reverence
so blasphcmous. He is far worse man
than his most ardent enemies have ever
branded him. Satan quoted Scripture
to Or Lord but we do not believe his
Satanic majesty is capable of handling
Gods word moro pervcrscly or irrever-
entity than Senator Tillman. His adyo-
cacy of the liquor traffic and endorse
mcnt of tho drinking habit are unworthy
of any man and could only omanatc from
man who was lost to all noble purposes.
1t is pity the young men of our coun-
try are permitted to listen to such a man.
But we must not bc severe. We pity
this man. May God have mercy on his
soul. He is led captive at the will of tho
devil"
Dr. G. S. Gardner, of Grecnvillc, refer
ring to Tillman's statement that IIabak-
kuk is obsolete, says: "IIabakkuk did
not live to SEQ the time when United
States Senator would go about the
country preaching that the liquor traffic
is a benevolent and moral institution
He is either a religious ignoramous or a
religious impostor who tries to bolster
mp liquor trallc with tho Bible"
Rev f. G.. dickson, of Cherokee
county, who attempted to intorrogatc
Tillman on tho stand and was snubbcd
and "sawed oif," says:
"Will the people follow Mr.. Tillman or
tho preachers and the Bible? There
was u time whom they would follow
Tillman; has that time passedP The
Lord grant that it has. But | want to
see my people in Cherokee, if you think
Mr.. Iillman knows moro of tho Bible
and Of right, of how to live and how to
die, than do let him be your pastor;
let him come to pray for you when yon
come to die, let him preach your funcr-
ais when you are dead. do not want to
do it,"