The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-10-26

No communication OF q personal character
will be published except as an advertisement
Entered at the Postoslce at Manning as Sec.
ono Class matter.
TILLMAN sPANKS HIS BABY.
Senator Tillman, by invitation,
delivered a speech at Gafney
last Saturday, which we have no
doubt will result in "a. rattling
of the dry bones" sure enough.
The people Of Cherokee county,
under the ssBrice Bill as it
passed the legislature, applied
to have the question ssDispen-
.sary" or :'No Dispensary" sub
mitted to the voters Of that coun-
ty, and from all indications the
dispensary advocates have rea-
son to fear the result. They
invited, by a large petition, the
Senator to lend his presence and
voice, as politicians in this State
have a habit of doing when hard
pressed. ssHelp me Cassius or
i'll sink" is the appeal that went
to the distinguished Senator. If
the speech is correctly reported,
in our opinion it will not have
effect the dispensary advocates
hope for, and they will have
good cause to pray to be saved
from their friend.
Senator Tillman claimed the
law was being violated by its
management, the institution was
permitted to run loosely, and
that the State Board should be
legislated out, and the manage
ment returned to the State Off
GERS, even suggesting the addi-
tion of members of the Judiciary
on the board, as if that branch
Of the government is falling into
disrepute fast enough, In re-
ferring to the rumors Of dishon
esty among dispensary officials
he said: ssThere have been men
who were so little and contemp-
tible, so lost to all sense and de-
cency, without a scintilla of evi-
dence. that they have charged
me with lining my pockets. J"
This was a hard iab at his poll
tical off spring, Ex-Governor
John Gary Evans, whois alleged
to be the author Of that state
ment, and the books of the State
dispensary under Tillman's con-
troll do not show one ''scintilla of
evidence" what. become of the
thousands of dollars in rebates
the State was entitled to, nor
did the people ever know what
become of this enormous amount
Of money until after the death of
the king of the whiskey trust;
then Tillman explained that be-
causeMr.Hubbell had extended to
HIM a credit, without scratch
CT a pen or other evidence of
debt" be presented Mr.. Hubbell
with the rebates. It was not
until after the death Of this man,
Notwithstanding the charge was
frequently made in the newspa-
pers during Hubbeil's lifetime
such an explanation was made.
To say the least. Of it, the cir
cumstantial s:evidence" was suf-
fciently strong to arouse as
much suspicion against Senator
Tillman, as is the accumulation
Of jewels and property by mem
bers of the State Board of Con-
troll. The Senator, in further al
luding to the rumors of corrup
ton, men being elected on the
Board poor and retiring rich,
said: ':Mind you, claiming for
myself, that I was honest in
every particular; that T bought
whiskey as best as I could
and never touched any of
the States money. I give these
men who are in charge the credit
of being just as honest as I
was" We do not doubt it.
s.And those men who charge me
with being dishonest are charg-
ing the men now in, with being
dishonest, and that because these
men can get rebates, that they
have gotten them" Poor plead
ing for one of Senator Tillman's
ability When public officials are
accused of wrong doing, inno-
cence will cause them to make
a, complete showing. They de-
mand full investigation that
their stewardship may be en-
dorsed by the people, to say.
s'You accuse me of stealing be-
cause I had the chance, and if
you had it, you would steal your
self, " is a plea Of children, not
men. An honest public official
when charged with wrong does
not say, "prove it, % that is the
def Of a culprit when placed in
a criminal dock before a jury.
The people should not be cen
sured for suspecting graft in the
dispensary. when the Senator
himself says the plan Of buying
liquor will not do, is corrup-
ting, and that the dispensary
management is operating beer
dispensaries in violation Of
law. He should not be sur
prised that suspicious are