The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-11-11
THE DISP NSARY.
Thy Second Part Of Senator I illman'a
Speech at Gafney,
Says Law MUsT BE ENFORCED.

I And suggests Some Changes in It
Which Her Thinks Arc Els.
sential to Its Proper
Enforoement.
Last week we published Senator
Tillman's defense of the Dispensary
Law as set forth in his speech at
s Gafney, and this week we publish
the concluding part of the same speech,
In which he suggested certain changes
IN the law, which we know will be
read with interest by our readers
On this point Senator Tillman said:
have a deep interest in the dis
pensary law; first because 1t gave nae,
as Governor, more trouble than
any thing I have had anything to do
with. The whole responsibility was
5 on me to enforce the law as it
was on the statute books, and 1
pledged myself that 1 would close
every bar in South Carolina and would
go the limit to see the law enforced
and the penalty imposed, and 1 did.
There have been men who were so
little and contemplate, SO lost to all
sense Of decency, without a scintilla
OF evidence, that they have charged
me with lining my pockets, and l
know my fellow citizens have never
gwen any credit to 1t. for they have
elected me to the Senate twice since
tnese slanders were started. But the
situation in the State now is certain
~ one that is most unsatisfactory
Ihe law, as it was written, tried
10 enforce. had the law written, as
tar as l could convert the L. legislature
10 my ideas, as 1 deemed bsst, and
the first session after it went into ef-
Iect IN 1893, we amended it. AS soon
as LETT the Governors Office hardly
three or six months had elapsed be-
lore they charged 1t. They took the
system out Of the control Of the State
board, composed Of the Governor, At
forney General and Comptroller Gen
eEal, and they put the power of d.
repting, controlling and purchasing
wlNskey in charge oi the State board,
appointed by the Governor. That
they have changed twice, and now the
State hoard is elected by the General
Assembly. l would not have come
here but to give you my opinion, and
L want to labor with my friends to
take this law and key it up, and have
the machiue run as temperance
rather than as a money making ma
chine. 1t was never intended to be a
machiue for mOney-making or for
profit. They say, and il Is being
whispered everywhere, that certain
members of the board had nothing
when they were appointed, but that
now they have plenty Another man
had a mortgage on everything he had
when he was appointed, but the other
day he died and left his family lot
of money. They do not spare even
the dead in their vile SANDERS. Wis
is this situatiort Because the Legis.
lature has put it in their power. Il
man is elected on salary Of $400 as !,
member OF the board OF control, an6
1t is said makes S25 900 or $50, 600 per
year. Mibd you, claiming for myself
that was honest in every particular;
that bought whiSkey as best cou!d
and never touch any Of the Stats IS
money, give these men who are In
charge the credit Of being Just as
honest as l was, and those men who
charged me- with being dishonest arc
charging the men now with being dis
honest, and that because these men
can get rebates, that they have got
ten them, LIZ the question is as to
whether 1T is now possible, | say OF
course it is.
AS long as the present system Of
purchasing whiskey by the month is
continued and as long as there are a
6OZpn mon uni, ,1r nyoru ,,n,th tp col
these goods, as long as there is lot
OF whiskey pi.e1 up which dCesd not
come up to the proof, which cannot
be sold, you will hear stories that this
man or that man is making great
sums OF money out Of it.. They
charged me with having stolen BE-
cause | could have stolen The rea
son they charged me is because they
could have stolen II they chad had
the chance.
When the dispeusary law was first
enacted we had 10 buy on credit to
600, and we had to buy On credit to
do business. Fifty Thousand dollars
would not have bought enough whis
key to have given each OF the men o.
South Carolina a drink apiece. | am
ready to quit the defence OF the dis.
penrary law when you can say truth
fully, it is political machine. It|
was not a political machine in my
hands.
The governing board used to be the
Governor, the Comptroller Generaland
the Attorney General, but they said,
we must not allow that TO go on be-
cause that puts too much power in the |
hands OF the Governor. 1 tried t. en-
force this law and l Stcrnly represSed |
any effort to mix in politics. ! never |
had any constable with me on my cam |!
paign when | ran for the Senate. One |
or two did start out, but | cusscd |
Them out, ran them back and told |
them to attend to their duties us con.
stables. No man should be allowed to
have the appintment Of commiSsiO. er
unless he has Il clean record and only
such men have had 1t SO far as know.
The salary OF the State liquor commits
sioner has been Increased from 81 500 |
to $4,000 or $4,000, and he is required |
to give bond Of S75, 600 think it is |
to insure the faithful discharge OF his |
duties, but the commissioner is rot al |
lowed to have anything to do with the |
whiskey until it is bought and he
merely keeps the books and attends to |
the business details. My idea, and ] |
have spoken privately to the Governor
once or twice, was to make contract |
by the wear with men who have hon,