Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-07

TILLMAN ON
| THb DISPBNSARY.
Senior Senator Writes q
Compromise Letter.
MUST BE RAISED ABOVE SUSPICION.
Parent Seems to Think His Child
Must Be Suffering From Corruption,
and Says That Unless the corrup-
tion Can Be Wiped Out, the limo.
cent Child, Now oversrown, Should
Be Slain.
| Senator Tillman has given out let
| ter in which he fully expresses his
views as to the dispensary situation.
The letter was addressed to Mr.. Fran
els w. Higginson of Newberry, under
date of July l, and Is as follows:
Dear Sir: have your letter Of June
27, propounding certain inquiries In re-
gard to the -dispensary movement
in Newberry and to the dispensary and
lliquor questions in general, and to my
own attitude towards 1t. The ques-
tions you ask relate to the misinter-
preted subject now agitating the
minds Of the people Of the state, and
in order to cover the ground at all
satisfactorily 1t will require me 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 de-
sire my answer for publication.
Certain General Principles.
shall premise what ! write by lay
ling down certain general principles
which will be disputed only by those
who are fanatical and unwilling to con-
slider any subject from any other
standpoint than that Of bigotry and
prejudice.
| MOSl IIlcH VIII d6iCC " ShS ANA'o''
ing:
| 1. All men love stimulants and are
usually slaves to some kind, as witness
the strong appetite which prevails for
coffee, tea, tobacco, beer, wine, brandy,
whisky, morphine, quinine, cocaine,
etc. With the exception of some Of
the drugs mentioned there are no In
furious effects Immediately perceptible
and none Of them intoxicate except
hose containing alcohol. Alcoholic
beverages in moderation are not more
harmful than tea or coffee, probably
less so.
2. The abuse Of liquor by men drink
ing to excess has caused as much or
more crime and misery than any other
thing.
2. The proper policing and control
of the liquor traffic so as to minimize
its abuses Is one Of the most perplex-
ing and troublesome questions with
which any government has to deal.
Men have never agreed as to any one
method being best and never will, and
i there Is a constant agitation OF the
subject of reform going on all the
while in almost every state in the
union.
! 4. Experience shows that some men
will have liquor as beverage and that
no law has ever yet been devised
which will prevent them obtaining 1t.
Wise men are, therefore. content to
reduce the evils Of liquor selling and
liuuor drinking to the minimum. and
the question at issue in South Carolina
now. as it has been these Is or 20
years. is as to how to do this.
No Need for Passion.
There Is no need for any heat or
passion in discussing the subject, and
we should divest ourselves OF all
preiudices IN it's consideration. Three
policies have at one time or another
been adopted In dealing with the
luuestion. License, high or low. pro-
hibition and the dispensary system.
Since 1893 the last named has been
the method followed in this state, but
all along there have been staunch ad-
vocates Of the other two systems, en-
bracing within their ranks many OF
the most intelligent and best people
we have. It Is, therefore. eminently
proper that we recognize these earnest
honest advocates as having just Wnat
we claim for ourselves, no other pur-
nose than that of the public welfare.
And those Of us who have been the
supporters of the dispensary system
must meet them in argument, ana
show from the experience In which the
people Of the state have passed, as
well as with force and logic, that the
advocates of both prohibition and high
license are in error.
You ask, have you lost faith In the
dispersary system. and do you con-
slider It so inherently defective that
It cannot be purged of corruption and
made to serve it's original purpose?
Believes in State Control.
answer most emphatically no, l
believe the principle Of state control
ana SAFE VI
officers to be the best that was ever
devised. that 1t comes nearer the ideal
idea of teaching men to use liquor In
stead of abusing 1t, and throwing
around 1t safeguards which will be best
for the cause Of temperance. There
lis no inherent defect in the scheme,
and If there be corruption and misad-
ministration in the enforcing Of the
dispensary law 1t is directly traceable
to the legislature, and to these who
have been placed in charge Of Its exc
cution. In the absence Of any posi-
tive proof Of corruption we must wait
with deep interest the investigation
which Is now under way and urge
those in charge of that important
work to earnest thorough and speedy
action. The people believe there Is
corruption and a great deal OF It.
Very many things go to show that
this belief has good foundation In fact
We ought to know as soon as possible
lust what and how far men have been
guilty Of unlawful behavior.