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

COut6IESO 1OpoA' "a Wv NNN1' {, -
meeting at Bennettsville st which
Senator Tiliman's charge of IAN
unholy alliance of preachers aud
barkeepers led by Go! Hoyt,' was
made.
DrJ. o. Wilson of the Southern
Christian Advocate wrote to Senator
Tillman asking if be were correctly
reported and requesting reply.
The reply is contained in this weeks
issue of the Advocate 1t reads as
follows
Trenton, S. G., July %, 1900.
Rev J O. Wilson, Columbia, s. c
Dear Sir: I have your letter of
J ely 22d, asking if my speech at
Bennesss7iIle was correctly re
ported l do not recol'ect the
exact words i used at 3ennetts
vile, but they are in ehec! true as
quoted /; and inasmuch as the dis
tr;cs conference Of the Methodist
church, under the leadership Of
Bishop Duncan. has taken the matter
up, and the bishop is reported to
have mailed my utserance Gas
l;e," while the report of the commit.
tee on temperance denounced any
iasinus.ion that the efforts Of the
Christian ministers aud other citi
zans to rid the State Of this gigantic
evil is sought or voluntary combl-
nation with the saloon element as
base sIauder that is itself an attempt
to strengthen the power of this most
damnable ioiqaity,' | will take the
occasion offered by your inquiry to
make an announcement over my own
signature of what I said and meant
a. Bennettsville Of course the report
gave only the barest outlines.
| have no quarrel with the minis
tess of any church or denomination
and have no purpose to give offence
to any of them l have always
borne testimony 20 the high charac-
ter and purity of purpose character
izlng the ministry, but l believe
they are wrong in fighting the dis
pensary law as they do, and I claim
the right to say so, acknowledging
s. the same time their right to
f7eedom of speech and freedom OF
political action on this and every
other subject. | mentioned the atti-
sude of the ministers incidentally as
an illustration of the anomalous
political situation. The ministers
attack the dispensary because it does
nos 60 far enough, and the high
license people and the bind tigers,
whom designated as the "old bar.
keepers" attack the dispensary
because it goes too far They are
thus found fighting side by side in
the campaign There is only one
candidate in the field for governor
opposed to the dispensary. Col Hoyt,
and all of those elements are allied
in his support, and the proof is that
Charleston, in the last gubernatorlal
election. voted for Mr. Featherstone
aad prohibition when it is notorious
that the whiskey element in that city
is predominant and that the dispen
sary law is no. enforced, mainly by
reason of the lax morals OF the grand
Jurors VINO have failed to dischage
their duty under their oaths Col
Hoyt last winter in his paper. tae
Mo2ntaineer, urged coalition between
the high license people end the pro
hibiticnists IN the general assembly
in order to repeal the dispensary law
Col Hoyt seeks the governors Office,
and of course wants votes. | am
opposed TO his election solely on
these grounds, and called attention
to the elements supporting him
There nay be no open alliance .
and technically ,aay have been ia
error il asserting it, bat think it
permissible to declare all ihe sup
po.,ers Of any one candidate "ailies'
and if the Methodist ministers wac
have accused me Of Islander" will
sho8 that ,aey do not intend to work
to tbe same end &s the berSeepeTs
for the overthrow OF the dispensary,
! will then consider the propriety OF
an apology. Uat3! such proof is
given shall stand oy my guns Il
the Methodist bishop chooses to call
me liar, and tue church temperance
committee feels constrained to de-
nounce my op.n;cn of exiating condi
tons as SANDER" )" the people OF
South Carolina VIII Judge between
u.s. If they can stand it | can /
long ago learned
"Evil is wrought from want OF
thought,
As weli as war. OF heart /"
When good men tiud themselves in
bad company, they usually pause TO
oope;6or hn,, tno-, rN. tEorp SuT!