The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-07-05


lest convenience with permission for
publication. Very respectfully,
(Signeo)s FRANCIS ". HIGGINS,
SENATOR TILLMANS REPLY.
Trenton, S. c., July l, 1905.
Mr.. Francis W. Higgins, Newbsrry,
S. C.
Dear Sir: I have your letter o.
June 9th, propounding certain in-
quiries in regard to the anti -Dispen.
sary movement in Newberry, and to
the Disper sary and liquor qoE st;on in
general, and to my own attitude to-
wards it.
The questions you ask relate to the
most important subject now asitatiag
the minds OF the people Of the State,
and in order to cover the ground at
all satisfactorily it will require ne to
answer at some length and to discuss
the subject in its various phases, and
this becomes the more necessary
as you notify me in advance that you
desire my answer for publication. l
shall premise what I write by laying
down certain general principles which
will be disputed only by those who are
fanatical and unwilling to consider
any subject from any other stand point
than that OF bigotry and prejudice.
Most men will agree to the following:
Cd All men love stinulacts and are
usually slaves to some one kind, as wit
ness the strong appetite which pre-
walls for coffee, tea, tobacco, beer,
wine, brandy, whiskey, morphine:
quiniae, cocaine, etc. With the ex.
ception OF some Of the drugs men
toned there are no injurious effects
Immediately perceptiDe and none Of
them intoxicate except those contain
ing alcohol. Alcoholic beverages In
moderation are no more harmful than
tea o. coffee, probably less so.
(2) The abuse OF liquor by men
drinking to excess has caused as much
OF more crime and misery than any
other one thing.
(3) The proper policing and con-
troll of the Eq1or traffic so as to mini
mize its abuses is one OF the most per
picking and troublesome questions
with which any government has to
deal. Men have never agreed as 10
any one method being best and never
will, and there is constant agitation
Of the subject in some form going on
all the while in almost every state in
the Union.
(O Experience shows that some
men will have EQ7or as beverage
and that no law has ever yet been de-
yised which will prevent them obtain
ing it. Wise men .are therefore con-
tent to reduce the evils OF liquor sell |
ing and liquor drinking to the niai-
mum and the question at issue in
South Carolina now, as it has been
these 6tsen OF twenty years past, is
how to do this.
There is no need for any heat or
passion in discussing the subject and
We should divest ourselves Of all p-ej,
udics in it's consideration. Three poll
cies have at one time or another been
adopted in dealing with the question.
License, high CT low, Prohibition and
the DiSpenSary system Since 1892
the last named has been the me5htd
followed in this State, but al along
there have been stauch advocates Of
the .other two systems embracing
within their ranks many OF the most
intelligent and best people We have.
It is therefore eminently proper that
We recognize these earnest, honest ad.
vocates as having just what we claim
for ourselves other purpose than
that Of the public welfare Ana
those OF US who have been the sup
porters Of the D;spsnsary Sys-
TEN must meet them in argument
and show from the experiences throush
which tie people Of the State have
passed as well aS with force and lcgic
that the advocates Of both Prolibi
tion and high license are in error.
You ask, 'Have you lost faith in the
Dispensary system and do ycu con
slider it SO inherently detective that it
can not be purged Of corruption and
made to serve its original PURPOSE"
I answer most emphatically, Nc. I
believe the principle Of state control
and the sale Of liquor through bonded
officers to be the best that was ever 6e
vised, that it comes nearer to the ideal
idea OF teaching men TO USE licucr
instead Of ABUSING it. and throw
ing around its sale safeguards which
will be the best for the cause Of ten
psrance. There is no Inherent defect
In the scheme and if there be corruo.
tion and mal-administration in tbs {;
enforcing Of che Dispensary law it is
tracable to the Legislature
and to those who have been placed in
charge of it's execution. In the absence
Of any positive proof Of corruption we
must await with deep interest the in {