The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-24
SENATOR TILLMAN
IN BUFFALO.
HE Talk on the Dispensary Was
Heard With Interest and Curios-
special to the News and Courier.

| Special to the News and Courier
BUFFALO, n. y, April 12--Re
Gently Senator Ben Tillman, of Soutl
Carolina, delivered an address on tho
dispensary law of his State before th,
Independent Club of Buffalo. The
occasion was one of rare brlliance, az
the club has in% its membership re-
presentatives from the cultivated busl
ness ard professional classes of the c,ty
The great dining room, IN Ellicot,
square, was filed with Handsomely
dressed guests. With wine glasses on
their tables and cigars in their mouths
the festive company were ready for
Mr.. Tillmau.
MIR. Tillman gave an historical
sketch Of the law. He described The
situation of politics in South Carolina
when the law was enacted, stating that
the question Of liquor or no huuor had
been voted upon by the people, with a
considerable showing in favor of the
latter. lie went on to say that when
the Legislature Of the State met 1t
was not possible for the lawmakers 10
ignore the issue. Something must be
done. He said that he got together
tho laws of States like Maine and Iowa
and Kansas, and carefully looked over
the matter of prohibition. After Civ.
ing the subject much careful thought,
he was thoroughly con nvinced that pro.
hlbltion would not work in South Caro-
llna-thc people were not ready for it.
With the dIspensary law in Sweden
before him he sketchcd bare skeleton
OF the dispcEsary law, which proved TO
be the thing that struck the Legisla-
ture with favor. 1t was, indeed, in
tcresting to hear Mr.. Tilman act this
law forth as a thing of his own crea-
ton while Governor of the State. n,
we commonly associate the execution
OF the laws with the Governor, rather
than their making. Still this was not
done as an autocrat might have done
it.
Mr.. Tillman had nothing but good
words for the law. Its results are
fully justifying Its passage. Drunken
ness has been reduced in South Caro-
lima from 40 to so per cent. The open
saloon is not to be seen. The State
controls It's liquor stores, pays men
salaries for taking care of them, thus
removing the temptation Of such men
to defraud the State. The business is
put upon an entirely new basis in
South Carolina. Treating and night
drinking have about disappeared, az
The dispensary stores are not the scene
OF drinking, closing at sunset.
He did not regard the law as rcmov.
ing all other drinking places from the
State. There are good many secret
places Whero liquor is sold in South
Carolina.
Mr., Tillman went on to say that he
attributed much of the success of the
dispensary law to the fact that South
Carolina has it's population mainly ir
rural sections rather than in large
cities. 1t is the great city that Is hare
to handle in the liquor business.
1t was claimed that prohibition woulC
have failed in South Carolina Just a,
in some other parts Of the country
Men will have liquor, he stated, and i
they cannot get IT lawfully they vii
get it some other way.
Mr.. Tillman claims that so long a
men have appetites they will seek l.
crafty them. "Men are not angels.
If the dispensary law holds on in Sout
: Carolina a new generation PRACTICAL
. free from a vitiated appetite may max