The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-09-09
SENATOR TILLMAN AND
THE .DISPENSARY.

About week ago Senator B R.
Tillman was in the city of Spartan
burg and in an interview on the sub
ject Of the Brice bill, which bill, as
most people know, was to give the
people Of the State the right in each
place where the dspensary was al
ready in operation and in places
where it was sought to establish
dispensary toSote for or against it's
esta blishment. The bill as it was
originally framed was defeated by the
many amendments hitched on to it,
before its final passage that the orig.
inal object of the bill was practically
defeated.
This bill as it was originally intro
duced by Senator Brice Of York was
made an issue in the primary election
in quite a number Of counties in this
State. THE TINES published two
weeks ago what Senator Brice said
was the object of the bill as original
ly introduced by him. 1t was about
this bill as we say in the beginning
that Senator Tillman was interview
ed. In reply to the question, "What
do you think Of the movement" he
replied, "I'll tell you what think of
it. think it is like an underhanded
attempt at assassination. l believe,
no, | will say it straight, no honest
man could support such measure
as far as l can figure it out; am the
father Of the dispensary law, l be-
lieve, and have had u little acquain-
taEce with it and it's origin" 1t has
ever been the practice of Senator Till
man to characterize the legislature
and all who oppose any measure he
advocates as "driftwood" and "fools /"
Now In connection with what Senator
Tillman says about his being the fa-
ther of the dispensary and his con-
nection and acquaintance with the
pispensary we here publish what the
Yorkville Enquirer says about Sena-
tor Tillman in connection with the
dispensary and the Brice bill, which
in our opinion gives good reason for
Senator Tillman's opposition and his
views on the Brice bill:
DR.. J. l.. Stokes arraignment of j.
r. Tillman as one of the causes Of
the prevailing disregard for law and
order will strike many as only a sur
vival of an old prejudice; but in our
opinion the charge is well founded.
The career Of B. r. Tillman from the
day he entered politics to the presen t
day is that of the most unscrupulous
demagogue who has ever figured in
South Carolina politics. He has stood
for all that was opposed to the best
and highest aspirations Of the people
of the State. How he made charges
he could not prove against people who
were then in power is well remember
ed by everybody. That was slander,
the crime Of the basest of towards
He charged all holders of free passes
with having been bamboozled and de-
bauched by the railroads, showing
that he thought if he thought any
thing, that no honest man could ac-
cept a free pass. When he got into
office he accepted the first pass that
was issued by the Southern railroad
1t is an established principle of law
that the confession of an accused de-
fendant is evidence against himself !;
but not against his co-defendants,
and in accepting his free pass Senator
Tillman practically acknowledged
himself to be guilty of all the things
OF which he had accused the people
he had been fighting. A majority Of
the people who expressed themselves
on the liquor question ia the election
held for the purpose declared for pro-
hibition. Instead of trying to estab-
lish prohibition the State embark ed
into the liquor business itself. Till
man has time and again claimed
credit and assumed responsibility for
this violation of the expressed in
structions of the people. Upon the
establishment of the dispensary Gov
ernor Tillman had say-so in the
purchase of hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars worth Of whiskey. In the
course OF time it became a matter Of
common knowledge that the sellers
Of this whiskey had allowed rebates
on all of it. Tillman was asked the
question, IF you did not get these
rebates for the State, why didn't ou,
and as there is no entry Of them on
the books what became Of them?"
At the time the question was asked