The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-08-18
newspapers to break down the d,s6an.

w va Vh0
sary system. any number OF lies
were told about any and eyerybody
concerned with the administration Of
the law n 1t was only after repeated
oeleats at the polls by overwhelming
ma)Vrities that any semblance of de-
cency IN attending to the ~dispensary
ahu ii omoialS connected with ib
ootaioed. The almory Of abuse and
SANDER was exhausted but the lying
continued to 60 on; by insinuation,
innuendo and falsehood the system
a been attacked; and Of course, as
founder and father Of the dispensary,
L nave been abused and lied on as no
other man In the States history ever
was.
DEEP LAID SCHEME TO DESTROY"
In 1902 all political oppositions
ceased and NO man was bold enough to
offer for Office In the State as an anti.
dispensary candidate. / do not wish
to revive f~ractionalism and / am sorry
to be compelled to have the appear.
ancs OF doing so, but the truth do.
mands Of me this statement that dur
ing the last six years and even before
the majority Of the South Carolina
legislature has been composed Of those
who were once anti. Tillmanites or
Conservatives. and If 1t be true that
bad men have been elected to control
and direct the affairs Of the dispensary
the Conservatives of the STATE are re.
sponSible for 1t. / believe that there
has been a deep laid scheme to de-.
stroy the system by mismanagement,
and Che charge that it is q political
machine may be well sustained by the
faot that these same Conservative Leg
islatures ammended the law to provide
that the county boards of control
should be appointed by the recon.
mendation OF the members of the gen.
aral assembly thus placing It's admin.
1Stration In the counties in the hands
OF politicians and their satellites. 1
am aware that many Of the strongest
supporters Of the dispensary now are
men who were and are yet probably
Conservatives while some Of its most
biLter antagonist are former Reform.
ers. 1t, therefore, cannot be chaged
that L am e~ndeavoring to draw the
OLD lines which rent the State in
twain, but there Is every indication to
snow that the present onslaught on
the ~diSpensary Is being engineered and
led by those who have been, are now,
and will ever be my most bitter politi-
cal opponents. The more venomous
Of these men have not hesitated recent
ny to say In the press and in other
places that they regard the dispensary
as the main prop Of Tillman's political
fortune and that If they can pull that
down he will fall with it.
The people are treated to columns
and columns Of can't and hypocritlcal
moralizing and sermOnizing on the
rottenness and corruption and evils of
the dispensary system while the sole
purpose Of the crusade In the opinion
or the best and closest observers is
that morality and temperance have
no place IN the hearts and minds of
these men but that their only hope
and desire Is to organize a movement
that viii result in my political over.
throw.
ELECTED ON OTHER ISSUES.
/ want to say right here and now
that | had been elected governor twice
on other issues than liquor control and
the d~lspensary had nothing to do with
my political fortunes. 1t never con.
tributed In the slightest to my election
to the senate. Thesssettlement Of the
Iqlor question came to me unsolpht
and l would have beer glad to have
had nothing to do with it. But as the
issue was forced while I was governor
/ made such settlement OF it as I
deemed best In the interest of temper.
ance and morality among the people
OF The State and the unqualified en-.
dorsement which has been given the
dlspensary system by the masses Is
Sulnclent Justification Of the wisdom
OF any action. L had wen the respect
and confidence Of the people because
or their faith In my integrity and
character. If had consented to keep
quiet and steer clear Of State politics,
having nothing TO do with local affairs
as a politician would have done, |
Would probably nave had less opposl.
zion n might have continued In the
senate without having to fight for the
place. The position Of senator ia a
worry high one aud L coveted the honor
because | believed that | could be Of
some service to the people Of the State.
My record in Washington will SHOW
whether or not l have been able to &C.
complish anything worthy the admira.
zion OF the people and TO keep my hold
on their affections. L would not re
tain the oilce me minute longer than
L can hold 1T with honor and maintain
my self. respect. 1t would be cowardly
to lose sight OF the public welfare In
the pursuit of my personal ambition.
l believe the ~dispensary system to be
the best for the people and for the
cause Of temperance and 50 believing,
l have acted. ] believe now that the
law can be changed SO as to preclude
the possibility OF corruption in the
purchase Of whiskey for the State dis.
pensary, and 1T would rest with the
people whether or not the regulations
and rules governing the local di3pen.
sarieS are observed. No law can ad.
minister Itself and when the grand
Juries fall, as they have failed, to see
that the d%iSpensary law Is enforced in
the counties the people themselves are
to blame.
o THE GRAFT
No system Of liquor selling or prohl.
billion either ~ ever succeed n bet.
ter Il the dispenaary has succeeded
unless there Is an enlightened and do.
termined public opinion which compcls
observance to the law. If the legisla.
ture at It's next session will make