The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-08-18

dispensary among the people arises
from the dissatisfaction with the
management and strong belief in cor
ruption which exists; but while the
people are fighting the dispensary
either to purify or to destroy it the
leaders are fighting me. You may
not be. In fact I know you are not
and probably there are many others
who have no such feeling or pur-
pose, but look ct the numerous evil
dences of the political purpose and
significance of the movement in the
minds of the leaders. One Of these
who attended the prohibition confer
ence in Columbia declared it to be
the intention to tilt the state up on
edge and spill out not only the dis
pensary but the entire existing politi-
cal status" The Darlington News
declared that the "dispensary was so
intimately interviewer with Senator
Tillman's political fortunes that the
destruction Of the one meant the de-
struction of the other"
The mass meeting held at Yorkville
on the 9TH of this month under the
leadership of the author of the Brice
bill discussed and abused me great
deal more than they discussed the
dispensary or prohibition and each
and every speaker who opened his
mouth in it paid his respects to me in
the harshest and most insulting man-
ner Since it will not be denied that
the anti-dispensary forces are an in
congruous and in many respects an
tagonistic aggregation, ministers of
the gospel, doctors of divinity, advo-
Gates of high license, the old barroom
system in it's essence, blind tigers VINO
want free liquor for the money they
can make out of it, and yet with all
this army in motley led by men with
all manner of opinions, and marshall
ing it's forces for my destruction, you,
nv dear doctor, tell me that I must
remain quiet, continue the same
"calm, judicial, sane attitude assumed
in the Higgins letter" and not let
the people know what is going on.
stated in that letter if the legisla-
ture did not apply the remedy for
the existing evils in the dispensary
management that I would help kill
the dispensary. More mature thought
and better understanding of the
purpose of the anti-dispensary leaders
led me to give notice. that if the Leg
is1ature did not apply the remedy l
would appeal to the people to elect
a legislature that would.
Is there anything wrong in that?
Anything immoral, or unstateman-
like? If l had remained steadfast in
that position would not all the in
fluences that are possible be brought
to bear to keep the legislature from
doing anything, especially doing
things I suggest? If the legislature
now in office could be thus influenced,
cajoled, coerced to resist reformation
unde.. the specious plea that it was
at my dictation, that had quietly
fallen in ranks to help kill the dis
pensary without first appealing from
the legislature to the people, do you
not see that I would have TIED my
own hands and surrendered at dis
cretion to my worst enemies?
had 10 deal with one "drlttwood
legislature" once and I appealed to
the people to reform it, which they
did most effecrually by retiring most
of those who had proven false to
their professions and pledges to pri-
yate life. The present legislature
was not elected on the dispensary
issue and is a very conservative body
| of men and with so much political
electricity in the atmosphere and so
much laundering against the dispen-
! sary it may we'll pause ere it takes
anv action. The disclosures at Spar
tanburg will undoubtedly cause it to
do something, but whether it will do