The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-08-16
Dispensary is Best Solution Of
Liquor Question, Says
SENATOR TILLMAN.
If There Is Graft The Men Now Rowling
Against the System Made the FRAUD
Possible. Turn Out Rascsls if
Located and See that There
is No Recurrence.

The following is the speech OF Sena.
tor Tillnau delivered by invitation
at Edgefeld last Saturday as reported
Tor The State By Mr.. William Banks:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Fellow
Cit:zsns: Il is six years since have
had the pleasure OF addressing a pub,
lie meeting in this my home county.
On that occasion the Issue was the
same enc which we have today.
The people have passed On this cues
tiou FIVE or six times and settled IL o5
overwhelming majorities. That year
the aggregate vote for the two canol-
dates who were running as diSpensafy
candidates was 2S, 600 more than the
prohibition candidate got, bu5 there
are some people IL South Carolina WIG
have never been willing to submit to
the rule OF the najority. They think
they know more, that they are better
than the masses Of the people, that
they have the rigGo to dictate to them
what they shall DO. So here we have
again this same old bone OF contention
brought forward for politicians TO gnaw
on. But why enter upon q discussion
Of this subject.
propcss In response to your ipvit-
alton to discuss the principles under.
lying it, and the wisdom OF unwiSoon
Of the policy which is proposed; but
before I do that I want to have a word
personally with ycu.
Fifteen years ago by he Sufrages
Of my fellow citizens was taken from
my farm ten miles below E3gefeld
and sent to Columbia to discharge the
duties OF chief executive. After four
years absence, with only an occasion
al visit here, I was elected to tie 10
tied States senate and for nearly II
years I have been filing as best l
could the responsible duties OF that
position. These two great offices, the
greatest in your gift, that you have
conferred upon me, have been sources
Of great qualification to me but my
countrymsn they have also caused ne
to be an exile from home, they have
carried me from among you, you whom
I love better than any people on
earth. 7 an q stranger in my own
land, and but for few old men whose
heads are gray OF bald I know scarce
" 20 men in this audience. You al
know me; some feel aggrieved If
don't step forward and call you bJ
name and shake your hard, but I have
netso many people in SO many State;
that faces pass before me like a panor
ANA, AID cannot longer recogniz;
men. Il Is not because feel any
higher than you, for ! am still plain
Ben. Tinman. I have always regard
ed myself your servant and not youl
master.
THE PRICE OF SILENCE
am here today to discuss this Ques'
tion. Some hsYe said it was imp1ope,
and out OF place fer a United States
senator to NEEDLE with local affairs.
These men have felt aggrie7ed because
7 will not consent to shut my mouth
and close my eyes to the condition in
which am as much interested as yoc
are, and they have demanded Of ms
the price OF silence. amt built tha;
way. Thank God I amt built that
way. daughter and applause.) Wher
Iget too cowardly to stand up in you!
midst or anywhere else and speak the
truth as see it and understand il
then will have become too coWardlJ
and worthless to represent you any
where.
7 know shall make enemies.
know many Of my best frie1ds are to-
day lined up in aDtagon!sm to uh5
LIQUOR system which I devised. Be
cause they nave changed an to sur
render my conviction? again say
amt built that way. The office OF Uu
ted States senator is high and nobis
cne, but the ofice is rot worth The
price which some msn demand OF NE
Therefore am here il answer tt
your Invitation to tell ycu what
think, not 10 dicaate-I know you are
not built that way, you 60 yQur owr
thinking, and not as say. What Is
the issue? How shall We sell Liquor
or whether we shall sell it at all? That
is the whole proposition stated IN a
brief sentence.
There are three systems that have
obtained in the State, not in the Stat:
as a whole, but in parts OF the State;
one is the license system, tie CID bar.
room system, the second is the dis
pensary system under which we are
now working, and the thi! d is prohi
bition. The ingenuity OF man never
devised any more than those thres
systems for the liquor control. Which
enc OF those is tie best? You have
heard eloquent AID strong Arguments,
facts and figures as they were pre-.
senred in favor OF prohibition.
I confess to you as between prohi-
bitiop and the barroomS, saloons ol
any system Of license, I am q prohibi-
zionist. But will prohibition prohibit:
say no. These other gentlemen say
yes. Let's give the facts.
AssAILs PROHIBITION,
We had prohibition in E5gefeld
about 1884 OF 1895. When the dry
council was elected ycu could not buy
whiSkey lawfully il the town OF Eige-
field as beverage; tie only way you
could buy it was to get certificate
from a physician and 20 to some drug
store with the doctors prescription, il
you needed some aqua forUis-whas
other Latin phrase do they employ?
A voice: Spiritucus furnen:i.
Tillnan: Some OF you fellows who
used it recoliect, but l have forgotten
the formula. (Lsugh:e=). I know this,
that prohibition in tee uown OF Edge
field was a Kissing and by-woro, and
that there was just IS much drunk
enness then as there ever had bean
under the saloon system; and certain
physicians who lived in This town then