The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-08-15
POLITICAL MEETING.
The Managers and Actors in the Great
Circus Perform their Parts to the
EdificatiOn of their Hearers.

The State campaigners spoke at Aboeville
last Saturday morning TO an audlence Wnlcn
was estimated at from three hundred and
ffty TO seven hundred-the smaller figure
nearer corresponding TO our own estimate
If there were many OF our town people pres
ent they were lost in the crowd, and this ed
itor did not see them.
Quite delegation Of enthusiastic prohibi.
tionists came down from Due West, and our
own belief IL that some Of them went away
disguised and disappoin ted-dlsgusted at the
dispensary speeches and disappointed In the
Tillman held the crowd throughout the
length of his alleged speech. which was less
offensive to the preachers and more agreeable
to the people OF Abbeville than we had e&.
pected. He said Abbeville was the only Court
House town in which he had been well treated
at all times. This was chivalrous people
who we're noted for their good manners and
He made note OF the honorable exception
in the case OF preachers not going into an al.
lance with the liquor men. He believed that
large majority of the ordained ministers
were all that their parishiouers could expect
Of them. They preached the gospel OF our
Saviour, and ignored politics, but there were
a few who used their pulpits In which to de-
liver political harangues; In Proof OF inis ist
him while he read report OF the political
speech which Rev. w. r. Richardson had re-
Gently delivered In Columbia.
MIR; Tillman said our ancestors c u hsd pc oeea 2,
years, and he did not believe in this, the one
hundredth and twenty-flfth year Of separa
tion OF church and State, that the people
would again consent TO be dominated In pol
itics by the church.
In defense OF the dispensary he contended
that the Bible nowhere condemed the moder.
ate use Of liquor, and that there was no war
rant in the Bible for prohibitory laws.
In his speech along this line we think Mr
Tlllmans utterances were Injurious TO the
sobriety and good morals of the young. He
never once alluded to the danger to which the
liquor drinker is exposed. He said nothing
about the unnecessary waste Of our estates by
the whiskey habit, and he had no word o.
warning, from health standpoint. No word
In behalf OF the wife OF the man who throws
away his substance In ideness and riotout
living.
Mr.. Tillman is a sober man himself, and he
could have proven In his person and In biz
own conduct the advantage OF temperate
and sober life. All the preachers In AbbeVille
county will hardly be able to counteract the
pernicious effect of his speech.
| Mr.. Tillman, like msJ0rity OF Congressmer
who remain long in Washington, seem Il
have well developed case OF sefconceit, ol
swell head. The air OF Washington seems eh
| pecially adopted for Initiating Senators anC
! Representatives with immense Ideas OF theil
importance. The fact Ia. that scjourn IL
Washington is as capable OF producing th'
disease known as ell head" as printing
office is in far of Carolina. AS a rule, mar
who edits newspaper knows IT all, until ht
man can ordinarily make the average editor
ashamed of his slim allowance Of sefcon ceit
Throughout Senator Tillmans speech there
were interspersed as many big rs rs could OF
| found In any speech OF the same length
Among some Of his choice remarks were ON.
something like this: "f have been accused o
| nearly all the sins, but / have never beer
charged with being fool I" This, we believe
Is one Of his stock expressions, whether II
suits the occasion or not. And while we agree
with Mr.. Tillman that he is not fool, yet We
differ from him IN believing that he does
some foolish things.
| AS whole, Senator Tillmans conduct was
scarcely up to what might have been expected
| OF United States Senator. There was nc
paragraph in the speech that was elevating ol
| instructive. 1t was jumbled mass which
had for Its central figure the ever present big
The crowd was silently with him, but be
dispelled something OF the glamour thai
has so long surrounded his name. He went
away not a greater man than he was when be
came.
Governor McSweeney's speech was sur
prise and revelation. He In fact won laurels
for himself, and strengthened the cause OF the
dispensary.
Col. Hoyt made good speech, and present
ed his excellent temperance principles with
force and eloquence, but for all that he spoke
In a large measure, to an unsympathetic
prohibition. Col. Hoyt had been so much
boosted and praised before his coming, that
the people may have expected too much OF
him, and in some instances they were disap'
pointed.
Hon. F. B. Gary spoke with good effect and
his speech was regarded by many as most
excellent one.
Mr. A. Howard Patterson spoke and was dis
posed to stir up the ANIMALS.
Mr.. G. Walt. Whitman spoke with his u.s.
ual vigor.
The other speeches we did not hear.
There has been so much know nothing,
or lack OF expression. as to the probable out
come OF this campaign that 1t may be lndis
Greet II this ewspaper venture q prediction
But there is general demand for an opinion
and, hit or miss, here we go.
The race for Governor seems reduced TO u
contest between three, namely: McSweenev,
Gary and Hoyt. To us the indications are
that McSweeney will head the ticket on the
first ballot. The race for the second place IN
the first race lies between Gary and Hoyt.
This Of course Is merely our own opinion.
SO far as this county is concerned, NC
Sweeney gained votes by his speech last Sat
urday, and II he only did half as we'll in 9TH
er counties as be did here, he will cetainly be
one Of the leading candidates.