The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-08-08
ilhnan 5 Speech.
sThings Red Hot in the
rlountain City.
EIs aeddIing Preachers, and Holds Hand Pri
pte Estimated at Sixteen to One in Favor of

ed but they wanted to save the TWENTY-FIVE or
thirty thousand majority. Well, at that time
had Just been elected governor In '92, 22,0O0
majority. but in spite OF that fact. they said,
and you can hear 1t said now, that IT was q
great political machine to further my own
ambitions. In the name OF common sense
what more machinery did want than your
votes. l had the biggest machinery orgauiz-
wheming majority OF your votes. and when
they say advanced the dispensary 70 create
machine. why, how contemptibleit pounds
to man who loves the truth. t 49,
When the Issue passed, prohibition failed,
mainly and truly through my efforts who had
been elected there and the reform era With
and without regard to who favored prohibi-
condition, prohibition having failed and be.
lievlng from my observation IL was an impos-
sibility. However In view of the object les.
son given from Safe that had IL that whis.
dey ran riot. resolved as q public man put
in office that 1t would not be good for South
Carolina to have such law. 1t would prove
lesson which did not want TO see, there
better. l Investigated the dispensary at
Athens. Ga. found that after the town was
run by prohibition that drunkenness was on
the increase. The prohibitionists reported
this to the legislature and asked TO have
dispensary for Clark county and man to sell
II. I reported 1t to this State and got the
Senate to substitute the dispensary as enact
That is the straight. plain history OF how I
enacted the dispensary.
had a conference with Methodist minis
ter In the conference w who had charge Of Aa the
tions In the bill mainly at my suggestions,
some amendments. etc. When he talked to
me he said this fight in South Carolina was
against the saloons. believe 1t Is an iniquity
and will 60 as far as any man to expell them
from the State and destroy that class OF liquor
selling. ..E...
hfanwnQn m
his attention and your assertion to the alb
surdity OF his remark. Here is my version OF
the story. Old Prohibition, who had been the
Fanaticsm. Hel wanted to marry that old
maid. he thought he had her. He actually
had the preacher ready when found good
oGSfng Sa bn
have her. But will marry you to this girl
here. After persuading he agreed TO marry
the asS
Now, the old man repudistes the marriage
and says that he had nothing TO do with IL,
and says his off spring, the dispensary, is
get a divorce 30 he can 60 to his first love,
fanatlcism. Is this a bastard? No, you
know 1t is not. It is the result ofa legal
marriage. am the Godfather OF this baby
and propose to make this old man stand up
to his contract.
come now to another Of the attacks
against me. A man who goes into the pulpit
CHEERS for Gardner.)
Tillman-I would have thought as few as
you are you would have the decepcy TO keep
the more you blow that bellows the hotter
the fire grows. In this sermon or political
speech which this reverend gentleman put
forth from bis pulpit he takes positions on
will read to you and discuss as briefly as
can, and explain them to you.
1 will say that II he had not tax en- the liber-
| h tvyu tn
name in an insulting and outrageous man
ner, I would allow him to preach what he
pleases and pass 1t without word. Here ls
"Nothing can alter the fact that in selling
LIQUOR as q beverage TO It's citizens for pro-
it, the State is doing an immoral act, and no
sort Of logical auibblng and no sort OF dem
OF the people can cover up that faot."
He has no authority to ask me that II 1t Is
| immoral TO sell whiskey as beverage
m oral for the State to have whiskey sold un-
der license through these agents who pay for
the privilege. There is not the scintila OF dif.
ference between the conditions the gronna OF
this fight is that 1t is sinful and immora use
Sf whIskey Is derived from passage IN the
| Bible upon which never heard any sermon
preached but prohibition sermon, In my
life.
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighborr
drink" and right there they STOP; tney aon,t
20 on and give you the whole Of 1t. They take
the libertS with this text as they do with
others. Nobody likes to dispute with min:
as I say they stop right there, but what Is the
balance oil the text. THAT puttest thy bottie
TO him, and makest him drunk, and also
That YOU may cheat him or bambooZle him
when you make him drunk. am going TO
give you another text. Here Is what SOLO.
mon says. Here is what the Wisest man that
ever lived said, (read itl So If the people can
quote scripture / can quote them too. There
is another text happened TO stumble over,
fell on 1t, and added 1t 10 my others. Ihere
is one thing these men are doing, II notnlnG
else, they are making me study my Bible:
will show you where the prohibitlonlsts cou
Pile their text and leave of the tall. tne e.
sential sense. They preach immortality, 70
take IL there is nothing in the Bible which
forbids the use OF whiskey. We, believing
you had the right 10 II you had the money 20
pay for 1t and not abuse IT, nut % oGhf[0i T a ~
want my fellow citizens forced In order TO get
whiskey, because they lowed II, 10 lie ana
play the hyprocrlte, to get SICK every ume
they came to town 10 get doctors certificate,
SO / substituted the dispensary system. l
stood by the law ip Columbia for year and
half at almost the risk Of my life. The pro-
Sa5h Wod On say hey did ' not
majority. will point to the fact that IN w
they went disPensary with an overwhelming
majority.
The Houseand the Senate 10 lS9S were IN
of II except a few friends OF prohibition. and
now they come to us in this year OF 1900 and
swear they were cheated. They expect you
10 right them, TO take the scorpion ana oruise
his head and give them a nice loaf Of bread
: Well gentlemen, you recolleot in '9i under
, the supyeme court we had prohibition fol
three 10 onths. You know you got more whis
key then, You know from observation thai
GryInt an,'ess Ia decreased In G reenwille un
der de Il The dSpensary, and you know the people
learned to cont,o, their aPpsathtss ahsS Gs