Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-09-12
ASHLEY SAYS IT Is ROTTEN.
Anderson Statesman Gives charac.
tariatie interview.


Dead? Dead as the deyil," said
Citizen Josh Ashley here yesterday
when some one asked him about the
future of the states liquor dispen-
sary. Like q good many others
Josh Is saying 7 told you 80. but he
is not in the ordinary told you so,s-
class because he has always fought
the dispensary law and as far back
as 1892, he said, he raised his voice
against the iniquity Of the rum ma
chine. L
Josh. 1.-The thing was born rotten
and It can never be cleaned up or
whitewashed. Boys, I'll tell you they
got to stop this thing they got to
get free Of this here dispensary, or
the whole proud Palmetto state will
get into the hands Of the liquor people.
It's got to STOP"
That's right. God knows you are
talking right. brother" said an old
farmer who had been drinking Ash
ley's words. This got Josh Ashley
right, and he threw hot shot into the
dispensary and everything connected
since 1t started, he said, and he ex-
pected to keep 1t up until the breath
left his body. And then Josh swore
mighty oath, which meant a rough
road for the great moral institution
for many years to come, for as Ctti-
zen Ashley explained, he has no Idea
of dying just yet awhile.
For many years Mr.. Ashley has
served Anderson county In the legts-
lature. He does not pretend to be
man Of letters but when It comes to
signing a check, he can put as many
ciphers after the first figure as most
tn 10 RI
He did not enter the campaign year
ago to be reelected to the general as
sembly for the money that is In 1t.
At the last session he introduced
measure against the dispensary In Its
present form, but like others. OF It's
kind, the cold water cure was ad-
ministered and that was the end OF
the reform.
Mr. Ashley was asked what he
thought Of the chances Of having
general cleaning up In January. He
said he expected to renew his fight,
but hoped for little or nothing from
the present legislature. The ma
jority he already showed how 1t
stood, anc II 1t did bend In away to
the great wave Of public indignation
sweeping over the state, its work
would be of the halfhearted, unsatis-
factory sort. In other words, Mr..
Ashley didnt mink anytnlnB dt OH
would be actually accomplished, ex-
cept more or less whipsawing and
bluffing.
I'm Anderson" said Mr. Ashley,
I'VE got the grave of the dispensary
dug right now, and it's going to be
buried when the votes for prohibition
are counted. Yes, sir. She's a goner
in my county. You know there are
goin' to be some folks vote for the
dispensary just because they think
they will help to save Ben Tillman
by doing It, Don't you believe any
such nonsense as that. The dispen-
sary is dead already, but old Ben
ain't, and he won't go yet while,
either. He'll shuttle off the dispensary
coil when the last flicker comes
heap sooner than what preachers call
the mortal coll Of his future politi--
cal life. II a man loves Ben and
hates his baby as he calls the liquor
machine. let him kill the baby. Ben
won't die
Mr.. Ashley has long been one OF
the unique figures In the legislature.
He has q lot Of good horse sense. He
has all the courage needed to fight
for his convictions and can't be
bluffed into supporting a measure con-
trary to mis- good judgment.-Green-
vile News.