The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-12-28
SOUTH CAROLINA POLITICS

SOUTH CAROLINA POLITICS
hEYwARD AND BELLlNGER WILL TACKLE
LATiMER AND TILLMAN.
So Says Larry CAN'T, Who Was an Expounder ol
Tillmanism in the Days Of Reform
in South Carolina.
T. Larry CAN'T prints the following IN
his newspaper, The Southern Field pub
lished at Athens, Ga:
Last week we had talk with proml'
nent gentleman from South Carolina,
who once figured conspicuously in the
political arena of that State, but is now
quiet looker-on in Vienna. But he
is close observer, and well posted,
and has very clear views about the Stu
alton in the Palmetto State. He says
that Tillman, or rather the reform fac
tion, is at this time dead, past resurrec'
ton, and every discerning man realizes
the fact. When Ben Tillman first started
his fight for reform in politics, a boy, then
only six years old is now voter, and
with this new generation passion and pre-
judice engendered have passed, in great
measure, and with this feeling the once
magnetic Tillman has lost much OF his
strength. When that party was IN It's
zenith, the whole country was depressed
and farmers on the verge of bankruptcy.
But everything is now changed. There is
no place in the South for the calamity
bowler, for farmers are now prosperous
and well satisfied with their condition.
The conservative faction played shrewd
game. They adopted the Napoleonic
method of whipping their enemy in sec
tions. They used every plan to divide
them and when they had gained county
turned their attention to another. Inc
Tillman forces are now routed all along
the line, and are badly demoralized.
They are without organs or leaders, and
Senator Tillman has his hands full to
look. after his own political interests,
without trying to save a wrecked ship.
He made few futile attempts to save the
dispensary, his pet scheme, but after
county upon county in which he had spek'
en-. gave crushing majorities against it, he
gave up the fight and went on lecturing
tour.
This gentleman said that Senator Till.
man was very bitter in his denunclatlon
of the dispensary management; but ne
has some room for censure, for while he
had entire control of the business
for about eighteen months, doing all
the buying and selling, he did not turn
one dollar into the State treasury, ana
Governor Evans, his successor, fouud the
5insti.ution over $4,000 in debt.
,s The present management, in face OF the
abuse heaped upon them, is making the
sdispensary . paying institution. But the
vote against the dispensary should not oe
taken as a reputation of the same, for
not more than half of the vote OF the
counties has been cast. There is doubt
less q strong current of dissatisfaction
against the management, but the people
are not ready as yet to give their consent
to the oft-repeated failure OF prohibition.
The next legislature, and which convenes
in January, will doubtless take some
steps toward remodeling the law, and it
/. is likely that county control will be adop'
ted and the wholesale department in Col
umbia abolished.
aWill Senator Tillman have opposl-
sion for re. election?" we asked.
aMost assuredly," wasthe reply. "The
conservatives have Seen beating the
bushes for the last two years to find some
candidate to tackle him, but have not
found one as yet. George tombstone,
of Newberry, is perhaps the ablest de-
n8ter~ In our Oee2sSs Sos SS~e3~s =
know, kicked over his political bucket at
the Anderson meeting when he was
candidate for United States Senator. pc
had been one of the bitterest and most
rampant anti -Tillman men in South Car
olna, and an unreconstructed and IRE
concilable conservative. But he all at
once turned political somersault' and
began to laud Ben Tillman up to the skies,
comparing him with all the great men OF
the country from George Washington
down. This did not win over single
Tillman vote, but cost Johnstone the con-
f1dence of his conservative friends. Had
Mr. Johnstone continued his opposition
to Tillman and Tillmanism I believe he
would have been the man to put against
Rem. But he is now back number, and
T think that George realizes the fact.
He is undeniably one of the brainiest men
and strongest speakers in our State"
,,1u, A., ~p;l1 onnose Senator Till.