The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-12-02
TALK WITH TILLMAN.
What the Old Leader Says About New
State Questions.
BRIBERY THE GREAT DANGER
That Threatens the Primary and
Urges Strong Action Against
Those Who Resort to
the Prsntina
the Practice.

Those Who Resort to
the Praotioe.
The protest In Greenville County
against the primary system and the
election OF Supervisor Walker against
Mr. Speegle has naturally attracted a
great deal OF interest. Itis, perhaps,
the hardest blow that the primary
system m has received since it has been
In vogue In this State. Senator Till
man, however, does not appear to at
tach very much Importance to the
Greenville incident, and in talk with
mr. Kohn OF the News and Couri-
er staff about that matter day or
two ago at his home he said that the
whole trouble arose from the partisan.
ship and blindness OF the county ex-
ecutive committee to their duty to
the people who had selected them.
BE is convinced that, If the commit
tee had ordered another primary and
the people settle the contention at q
regular Democratic primary, there
would have been no trouble, and that
the voters would have been satisfied,
but the difficulty was that the people
thought that they had been cheated,
or In other words had not been fairly
treated, and that the result was large
ly accomplished by a trick. This
may or may not have been so, but the
people all the same got the impression
| that there was trick about the mat
ter, and they would not consent to
any such business, and they took the
bit In their t. eth and showed their
disapproval Of the work of the COM
| mtttee and elected Walker.
BAD EFFECT OF aREENvILLE BOLT.
Teen he went on to talk about the
effect OF this election of Mr.. Walker
would have upon the primary system,
and said that in bis opinion it would
ef courage indepenGentism wherever
| there Is any sort Of an excuse for 1t.
1t would tend to relax the discipline
Of the party; aud in the Piedmont sec.
tlon, where the negroes are 50 scarce,
the only salvation for the primary Is
to have 1t SO honestly and so fairly
and openly conducted that no man
can complain. These people in the
piedmont section never suffered as did
those In the balance OF the State dur
Ing the Reconstruction era and the
days OF good stealing. They never
had negro domination nor carpet
bagism except as to the State Govern
rent, and therefore they are less
tolerant of abuse In the primary than
the people in the tide water section,
! who know that the Possibilities OF the
negro vote really are. The people IN
the tide water section are going to
hold steadfast to the primary SYSTEM
and keep 1t absolutely intact, because
they have greater reas on to do so, as
| they are very much like the burnt
| child. AS a matter of fact Senator
Iillman thought that In nearly all
OF the counties Of the Sta e the pri
m iry system was c0rducte | with alb.
solute integrity and honesty. Then
he went on to talk about the necessity
Ut keeping the primary system above
su picion, and preventing the use OF
money in connection with the direct
or indirect purchase OF votes. He
suggested that hs had seen that the
Law and Order League, of Aiken, had
organized, and that one OF the com.
mendable features of Its work is to
cleanse the Augean stables in connec.
tion with the primary system.
DANGER OF BRIBERY.
Senator Tillman remarked that he
had beeu told by Well.informed men
from the Horse Creek Valley section
that there we're at least six hundred
votes IN the Horse Creek Valley that
were absolutely for sale In the last
election in that territory. He knew
OF his own Knowledge very many of
the old time residents OF Vaucluse,
Langley, Gfaniteville and the older
mill communities, and be was salts.
he'd, In his own mind, that this de.
n oralizat1On and corruption does not
lie at the door Of these self-respectinp
citizens who have lived in that com
munity for verg many years The
hoatcrs' from the Horse Greek Val.
ley, who were most In evidence, must,
he thought, be new comcrs. who have
gone there to run the new mills or to
go into other work. He has never
thought that any considerable e proper
ton or home people were rurchasable.
Ii these stat en ents as to the number
OF votes that were otfered in Aiken
County are true, and II the reports
from other parts OF the State are So
III Is horrible condition OF affairs
aud the General Assembly, he thinks
ought to meet the condition by pass
ing a law imposing a heavy penalty
ooth upon the man who ffers brlbe
and upon the man who receives it
In addition to this penalty by law,
oublic opinion must be aroused so
that convictions can be obtained be.
cause without the Guilty vation OF pub
tic opinion upon this line absolutely
no good can come from such statute
He was very glad to s, @ that the Law
and Order League OF Aiken had un.
dertaken to purify the elections, and
to build up the moral tone OF the peo-
pie, and II this Is suCct ssfully done 1t
viii accomplish much good.
| BRIBERY SHOULD BE PUNISHED
Senator Tillman and this cores
pondeut had quite ltng discussion
as 10 the possibilities OF stepping this
practice, and Of Information. that had
been received OF where candidates had
been asked t9 pay for the time OF men
while they were at work in the inter
ests OF these candidates and very many
other Indirect ways Of getting at The
purse strings OF candidates. Senator
Tiliman said that in his opinion any
candidate who used money illcpiti-
mately In seCuri lg his election was