The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-08-23
IIIE DENIES It.
Senator B. R. TiIIman Replies to
Or. q. B. Cromer's Letter.
DEFINES POSITION.
Says He Has Not Nor Does He Intend to
Appeal to FactionaliSn, but Asserts
that the Leaders Are Fight
ing Him While Fighting the
DEFINES POSITION.
Says He Has Not Nor Does He Intend to
Dispensary.

ing Him While Fighting the
Dispensary.
The Hon. George B. Cromer.-My
Dear Sir: AS your ''open letter" ap.
pealed in The Sunday News and in to.
days State I presume you expect az
answer through the same MEDIUM.
I desire, in the beginning, to ex.
press my appreciation Of your kindly
and plimentary illusions to my
self. I value them more highly be-
cause in the past you have not been
my political friend.
I have read Jour letter carefully
and have endeavored to judge your ar
guments and weigh the points you
present as Sanely as may be. It is
not always possible for men to agree:
even though both are actuated by the
highest and pureSt motives, and it is
therefore natural that you should
misjudge me in some things and disa-
gree with ne in others.
Now about the appeal to factional-
ism; I deny absolutely that I have
made sLch an appeal or intend to
make such an appeal, and in justi6ca-
tion Of the truthfulness Of this state.
ment let me remind you OF what /
said at Eige6eld. To quote: Il do
not wish to revive factionalism and /
am sorry to have the appearance OF
doing so. "I am aware that many
Of the strongest Supporters of the dis.
penSary now are men who were and
are yet probably Conservatives, while
some OF its most bitter antsgnists are
former R5fo5mers. It, therefore, can.
not be charged that ] am endeavoring
to draw the old lines which rent the
State in twain" Again, Il want
this matter settled entirely apart
from my personal and political tor
tunes. It is much greater question
for the people OF South Carolina as to
how they shall wisely and best gov
ern the sale Of liquor than as to
whether ] or some one else represents
them in the Senate. I know there
are many men who will vote for me
regardless OF their former political az
iliations and Of their present attitude
on this question, and it is probable
that there will be many who will be
sggrieved at my activity in dealing
with the question" ="
Only A CASE OF SELF. DEFENCE.
When public man Is yictc1Sly at
tackled with slander ana abuse
and there is every Indication Of
a purpose to press that attack in the
next Democratic primary with a view
to his overthrow, it seems to me it is
perfectly legitimate for BIN to give
notice to his frie ,6s and his enemies
alike OF what Is going on, and let al
understand that he Is prepared to
fight. This IS all I have done and so
far from expecting to make plea to
the Reformers as you charge to be my
purpose by ''imp;ication," / have ex.
pressly said that the old lines could
not be 6ra~u and I want the issue
settled entirely apart from my per.
sonal and political fortunes.
When T wrote my letter to Mr..
Higgins merely alluded to the true
inwardness" OF this movement, which
then realized vas being engineered
BY my inveterate political enemies.
Yuu seem to be aggrieved because l
have shifted position from the sans
and judicial attitude OF the Higgins
letter." and now take the ground that
the movement is political and 4 covert
attack upon me. Your assertion is
too sweeping, my dear Doctor. The
movement" against the dispensary
among the people arises from the dis
satisfaction with the management
and strong belief in corruption which
exists, tut while the people axe fight.
ing the diSpensary either to purify cr
destroy 1t, the leaders are fighting me.
You may not be. In fact l know you
are not, and probably there are many
others who have not such feeling or
purpose, but look at the numerous
evidences Of the political purpose and
significance Of the movement in the
minds Of the leaders. One Of those
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 existing political
status" The Darlington News de-
clared that the "oispensary 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 75h OF this month, under the
leadership OF the author OF the Brice
bill, d discussed and abused me great
deal more than they discussed the dis
pensary OF prohibition, aad each ano
every speaker opened his mLu.h ir
many respects to ms in the harShast
and most insulting manner. Since il
will not be d-ned that The antidiS
pensary forces are an incongruous anc
in man. respects anGag -nislic agere
gaticn, minister's Of the Gospel, doc
tors OF divinity, advocates OF higt
license, the old bar room system In it'
essencs-blind tigers, who want fret
I 49,. 1r<