Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1905-08-16
OPEN LETTER 10 SENATOR THlLNfAN
FROM HON. ijEO ORGE b. CROMER.
EX-PRESHDENT OF .NEsvBERRY
LEGE.
A Return to Facfionalism DepIored-.Dispossonate
and StatesmanIike Appeals TO Senator EIl1n'an
to Eliminate Politics i'm Discussing the
liuuor Question.

haS&0
'rhe Hon Georl e B Cromer, form
er president of NrwberryS College,
has addressed the following open
letter to Senator B r. Tillman:
The Hon B. r Tillman.Dear.
Sir: i protest against theSiintroduc-.
ton of the tom-tnm and THE spirit
of faction into the movement by
which the merits Of the dispensary
are to be tested. The tom-tom is
the instrument of the juggler, and
factionalism is The resort.ofsthe po.-
itician. The people of*this State
have. the right to expect something
higher and better from you. Your
recent letter to Mr. Higgins was a
calm, sane and judicial statement
of your attitude on the dispensary
estion, but for this very5reasOnit
was dis tasteful in certain quarters,
and YOU were .nccuSed OfstIaddling.
You gave that letter Out1as an ex-
preston of your views, and, my
name having been kindly suggest
ed hy YOU, I was asked to answer it
in the New Voice. Ideclined to do
so for the simple reason that in Ibis
county We Wish TO test the dispen-
sary question on its merits, aud, !,
therefore, desire to exclude every
possible phase ct "Fillmanism."
In the Higgins letter you recug-
Enlz-d the widespread and WE'LL
|founde belief that the dispensary
ms corrupt in its administration, AMI
that the present agitationri- an ex.
preston of popular dissatisfaction.
But in your Eigefeld speech you
shifted your ground, and took the
! .position that the movement is pO-
iitical in Significance and is Il covert
attack upon you. In The Higgins
letter you Said that the remedy for
the corruption rests With:Sthe legis-
Iaturp; that in the lasl Legislature
the friends and enemie@SUf the dis
pensary got together aud dill moth.
ing but appoint committee; that
ever since yuu were Governor ynu
have given advice andsmade sug-
yestinns, but that your opinion has
had no eight with the legislnture; ;
and that il the next legislature does
not apply The remedy, you Will help
10 kill the dispensary.
BY IMPLICATION.
In your Edgefi"ld $perc!l you said
that if the nrxl Legislature dnes not
adopt certain Suggestions that you
intend to make, you viii help tn
elect a legislature that will. And
YOU said, by implication at least,
. that you will 20 To lie Reform
tor hat legislatures. Lappeal from
Philip drunk to Philip sober-from
tie temper Of the Edgefirld speech
to The tone of the Higgins letter.
In Newberry there ISL ,IisroAi-
ton to make an attack upon you
i, under cover of u vement:agaihst
the dispensary 1t is .not5a politi-
cal movement. twas begun insan
loft wear in order that il mights:be a
3 test Of a5great moral quest j, un-
clouued BY personal ;a tical
] considerations. Il, Owe
lSfilan lXts.s
ssAla eIIEs S
lssaSS sSSasIgs
: are s not II the siYioVeinf eHilt
, question your rightito takeIpartfin
;. the discussion. independently sof
the fact that you are the author Of
ltba. system IN this Slate,i would
be strange if you Wrfe Tr't-4-etilaimt
silent. BY virtue Of.your high
utfice and Of your great influence, il
is your duty to speak-but tuspeak
sanely and temperate1y as you lid
in the Higgins letter. You owe II
great deal to the youth ofthis State;
you owe them the best that you
have to give. When the dispensa-
ry was first put on trial there may
have been good reason for an ap-
peal to u faction, but that reason no
longer exists. The SYSTEM has been
on trial more than twelve years. 1t
will soon be voted on by thousands
of men who were only eight or nine
years old when it was adopted.
When you speak now, We are en-
titled to have you speak from the
point Of view of statesmanship and
not of partisan politics.
NO DANGER TO TILLMAN.