The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-08-02
TIi'IIMA AN AND THE PREACHERS.
Tho Senator Keiterates His Charge
OF al Nnholy Alliance.

bi. Johh -. WILSON,, editor OF the
Southern Christian Advocate, wrote
10 senator Tillman and asked him II
he was correctly quoted as saving at
Bcnncttsvillo that "the preachers and
the bar-koepers are in an unholy al
lance led by llOyt TO destroy tho dis
pensary.' The Senator'S reply Is as
follows as published in the Southern
Christian Advocate
ltov. j. .. Wilson, Columbia, SC,
| Dear Sir: have your letter OF July
-, asking IL my speech at Bennetts-
vile was correctly reported.
l do not recOllect the exact words
used at Bennettsville, but they arc in
elect true as quoted and inusmuch ~
the District Conference OF the Metho-
dist church, under tho leadershtp OF
| bishop Dnnchn, has taken the matter
up, and the Bishop is reported to have
mailed my utterance "as a lie" whilo
the report OF the committee on temper
ance denounced any insinuation that
tho cllOrt OF the Christian minister, and
other citizen to rid the State Of this
gigantic evil Is Il sought or voluntary
combination with the saloon clement
rs base slandor, that ia itself an wt-
tempt to strengthen The power Of this
most damnahle iniquity,' | will take
the occasion offered by your inquiry to
signature Of what ! said and meant at
| Bennettsville.
| or course the reporter gave only the
| barcst outlines.
| have no quarrel with the ministers
| 0f any church or denomination and
have no purpose to give lfense to any
OF them. | have always borne tcsti.
moDy to the high character and purity
| OF purpose characterizing the ministry,
| but | believe they are wrong In lighting
| the dispensary law rs they do, and |
| claim tEe right to say SO, acknowl ledg-
! ing at the samo time their right to
tical action on this and every other
subject
mentioned the attitude OF the min
listers incidentally a. an Illustration OF
tho anomalous political situation. The
ministers attack the dispeneary because
| 1T does not 20 far enough, and the high
license people ana the blind tigers
whom | designated ns the " old bar
keepers" attack the disEcn3ary because
it goes too far. They are thus found
lighting side by side in the campaign.
There is only one candidate in the
field for governor opposed to the dis
pensary, and that is Col. Hoyt, and all
these elements are allied in his sup
port, and the proof is thai Charleston
in the last gubernatorial election voted
for Mr.. Featherstonc and prohibition,
whom 1t is notorious that the whiskcy
element OF that city is predominant
and that the dispensary law is not en-
forced mainly by reason OF tho lsx
mora 8 OF the grand jurors who have
failod to discharge their duty under
their Oaths.
Colonel Hoyt, last winter in his paper,
a ~, NJ
| tween the high license people and the
prohibitionists in the General Assem-
bly, in order to repeal the dispensary
law. Colonel HOyt seeks the COVER
nor's Ollice and Of course wants votes.
L am opposed to his election solely on
these grounds and called attention to
the elements supporting him. There
may be no open alliance and techni-
cally may have been in error in rs
serting 1t, but | think 1t permissible to
declare all tho supporters Of any one
candidate allies" and II the Mctho-
dist ministers who accused mo Of "slan-
der " will show that they do not intend
| TO work to the same end Hs the bar
Keepers for the overthrow OF tho dis
pensary, will then consider the pro-
| priety OF an apology. Until such proof
is given me | shall stand by my guns.
II II Methodist Bishop chooses to- call
| me liar and the church temperance
committee fecls constrained to de.
nnunce my opinion OF existing condi-
Lions as ISLANDER the people Of South
Carolina will judge between us Ii
they can stand IT, | can.
long ago learned Evil il wrought
from want Of thought rs well as want
Of heart"
When good mon find themselves In
| bad company they usually pause 60
consider how they got there, and
whether they are not in fault TO some
extent
There is no c0ncoalmOnL about 1t and
the editor OF The State, who is the
spokesman Of the license element, has
announced his position clearly and
openly. The denial by the preachers
that the combination is onrht" cuts
no figure. II exists, and that is all !
asserted, and to my mind 1t Is "unhOly"
and must make every good man feel
uncomfortable.
| II tho disDensary is overthrow
every practical man knows that saloons
Will be established in less than five
years. would deplore such Il result
as II great loss to society and | know
many preachers are Of the Same opin-
ion. | yet shall hope to see all good
men OF nil classes united to make the
believe prohibition is u Trojan horse
by which tho saloons want TO again
enter our State. The whiskey men
believe the same thing.
am against the saloons and all OF
their friends, whether they be GOO
men who are blind fanatics or schcm.
ing politicians.
Yours truly,
B. IL. TILI.MAN.
Trenton, S. c., July 23, 1900.
'Editorially The Advocate says: "It
needs not many words to charac teriZe
this matter. Senator Tillman's letter
docs not modify his charge. Indeed he
explains II and actually argues to sus-
tain his baseless statement and 80
adds to the insult. Whereupon It is
our duty to say that his statement Is
an incxcusablc outragc-tf.e greater
because made by man whose position
demands particular regard for truth
: and at least ordinary respect ior re.
putablc people. His high opinion oI
religious people cuts no figure whom