The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-15
PLAIN TALK.
Senator TiIlman Wants State
Board of Control to Resign.
SPEAKS AT TIRZ III.
The Senior Senator Calls Upon the Gov
ernOr to Exercise His Power. and
Remove the State Board. Sem
ator Brice Agreed With
Senator TiIIman.

senator lilIf1an.
The Rock Hill correspondent of
Inc State says Tirzah, the scene Of
many and glorious tilts In this politi-
cal arena, was again the battle-ground
Thursday, and fully $500 people we're
gathered to witness tho combat. A
giant picnic, the kind that has made
Ti]zah famous, had been arranged and
Gold Hill band, made the occasion a
success. In response to a numerously
signed invitation to talk dispensary
and reply to charges made at q recent
prohibition meeting In Yorkville, Sen.
ator Tlllman was present. Senator
Brice was on hand to represent the
anti- diSpensary side Of the question.
Senator Tillman was in fine form and
spoke for two hours. Senator Br!cs
made a vigor,% usspeech. Inquiry among
representative men in the audience
failed to show that sentiment againts
the ~dlspensary had been changed, the
general opinion being that the county
would vote the institution out.
Senator Tlllman made much the
same speech that he has made else
where, the only new feature Of i'm.
portance being a demand that the
governor exercise his power and re.
move the members OF the State dis.
penSary board at once A ''hands up"
vote being called for, 1t was seen that
t&e crowd was with him on that pro.
position.
Senator Brice was, under the ar.
rangement, the first speaker. lie Wig.
orously denounced the whole diSpen-
iary system, maintaining that it was
undemocratic, that 1T makes every cit
zen whether he will or nor a partner
IN the liquor business, that it diRni.
des the sale Of liquor and makes it
popular, Respectable and reputable,
that 1t attempts to make the sale and
bringing Of liquor q permanent and
fixed institution by fastening 1t on to
one OF our mCst cherished institutions,
our public school system, that 1t MS
increased murder 70 per cent. and as
sault and battery 40 per cent, that 1t
Is q commCn cheat and swindle, q
snare, a deluslon, and fraud, and a
vast lake OF pitch that defiles and
blackens every n who touches It,. 1t
is a deadly vampire that hovers with
It's black and hellish wings over every
home In South Carolina. 1t Is a whit.
ed sepuichre, beautiful without but
full OF dead mems bones and all un
cleanneSS. Mr.. Brice stated that the
~dispensary system could never be
cleansed. He said: II shall never vote
as your senator TO purify any such
black law as the dispensary, and L will
light it to the last ditch. The only Law
L Will support is one to kill" lis
speech was we'll received. He spoke for
an hour. At It's conclu sion Chairman
Wilborn adjourned the meeting for
dinner.
Senator Tlllman spoke for two
hours, devoting much OF his time to
MIR. Brice, the Yorkville Enquirer and
others whom he alleged had impugn-
ed his character. His line OF argument
va that the sale OF liquor cannot be
stopped, that men will nave it in spite
OF %prohibitory law, that It's Illegal
ale would mean more harm than It's
sale lawfully, and that as long as 1t
could not be kept out 1T should be sold
In h least harmful way. He declar.
cd he was as much Of an advocate lf
the dispensary as ever, and that he
would always stand for the system as
protected and hedged about when he
approved 1T as governor and undertook
to enforce 1t. He said as originally
designed 1t decreased drunkenness and
gave no opportunity for stealing. The
legislature mad later so changed the
law and put such men In charge as to
give tnieVeS every chance. The legis.
la6ufc was directly responsible. Ii the
~dlSpensary law had been carried out
in good faith by q governor-and |
wont say legislature, for God have
mercy on any laws the legislature en-
acts II supported by that large Gle.
ment believing 1t wrong to sell liquor
at all, coupled with honest administra-
tlon by the executive onicers, by this
time the whole State might have gone
into prohibition. lie said he had only
IL months in which to administer the
dispensary law and look out for
thieves. God knows | did not know
South Carolina had such q brood OF
them, but who put them thcru?r
lie spoke Of the effect Of the Brice
law IN cutting out 80, 600 votes by set
tling the matter by qualified voters
ana declared it fair That every man
have a chance to vote. He wanted to
see a race next year between a prohi.
bitlonist, a clean dlspensary man aud
possibly q blind tiger man for COVER.
nor. -Four blind tiger men had already
nominated O. candidate but three out
OF the four had been In tho United
States courts. The fight is to be on
liquor or no liquor and he deprecated
hurrying the vote before next year
when the whole people could OK press
their opinions.
Speaking Of the election about to
come or In York county Senator TIL
man said he hoped the dispense
would b9 voted out. The people wouli
then get q taste Of the evils OF pro.
hibitlon which would drive them
sooner or later to ask for old methoGs
of handling the liquor question. S.na.
tor T1llman averred that no man had
a right TO criticise his motives. IT.,
would answer to his God for his Chris
tianity. He had been assailcd for
stating that be could find two allu,
sions In the Bible speaking favorabl,
or liquor to one against it. lie drew
out three typewriter pages OF such
verses and asked that The Enquirer
print them after examining their cor.
rectness. He criticised Senator Bricc