Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-29

decided for prohibition. This was az
terward amended so as to allow these
.owns to vote on establishing dispen-
saries: but no provision was made for
the removal Of a dispensary In case
1t should prove unsatisfactory. Under
this law there was an effort to secure
a majority vote for the establishment
Of a dispensary in Yorkville. The peo-
pie would have nothing of the kind and
with a view of forcing them to 1t, a
dispensary was established at Tirzah,
with about a dozen votes.
The history of the TirZah dispensa-
ry is still fresh in the memory Of most
Of our people. 1t would fill volume;
but a brief outline will be sufficient at
this time. People who from infancy
had been taught the dangers Of intox-
icating liquors learned to believe that
there was no harm in whisky sold by
the state and In the course OF time
whole neighborhoods were debauched.
The influence Of this dispensary was
felt In every direction, until the people
were forced to arise In their might to
put 1t down. Petition after petition
was submitted to the proper authorities,
but the authorities returned the mock
ing answer that they had no power to
remove the Objectionable institution.
At length the people Of York county
sent a representative to the legislature
with the especial object Of securing
the removal of the dispensary, and
the matter was about to become a state
issue. Mr. deLoach had a bill to give
the people the right to vote out dis
pensaries and was about to introduce
1t. To prevent the introduction Of this
bill Hon. w. A. Barber, then attorney
general and connected with the dis
pensary board, took the responsibility
Of removing the dispensary in violation
Of the law.
The relief of Tirzah was a signal
for renewed efforts to secure the es-
:ablishment Of a dispensary In York
vile. There is reason to believe that
the whole dispensary machine COM
bined with local influences to this end
and the thing was finally accomplish
ed, with the result that the Tirzah agi-
tation was promptly renewed. A major
ity Of the qualified voters Of the town
petitioned the removal Of the dispen-
sary; but unable to get relief In this
way Senator Brice began his fight to
give the people the right to vote dis
pensaries out where they so desired,
and here we stand with a majority of
the white people Of York county de-
manding that the only dispensary In
the county be removed and that no
more be established.
Maybe Senator Tlllman thinks the
people of York county don't understand
this question We have met people
to whom the attitude Of York county
on the whisky question was incompre-
hensible, but we think that the people
Of York county understand the whis-
ky question better than Senator TILL
man understands them. There Is not
great deal Of hostility to Senator
Tillman in this county. There Is some,
we admit; but not a great deal; but
a majority Of the people hate the IL
quor traffic as they do the very devil
in hell They hate 1t because of the
harm they have seen 1t do and because
Of the harm they know 1t still may do
to themselves, their fathers, their hus-
bands, their sons, their sweethearts,
and they are not going to compromise
with II on account of Senator Tillman
or any other man on earth. This is
our firm belief.
However, Notwithstanding the fact
that a majority of the people Of York
are against the whisky traffic, we want
to take occasion to advise them to be
at Tirzah on September Z. We do not
question the moti' es of Senator Till
man in coming to Tirzah. He is to be
there by invitations; but underlying
that invitation we believe there Is
hope Of saving the dispensary. 1t has
been claimed on the floor of the South
Carolina senate that Senator Brice
did not represent the people of York
county on this question and there is on
foot an ill-concealed effort to pack
this meeting with people who will
root for the dispensary, with a view
to making 1t appear that the people
Of the county In which the Brice law
originated are really Indifferent on
the subject. We are not charging
Senator Tillman with completely in
anything of this kind; but we are sat-
isfed that there is something in the
suggestion.
Senator Brice goes to Tirzah, not
because he wants to, but as the repre-
sentative of the disnensary opposition
in York county. That everybody
knows his position goes without say
ing He declared at a public picnic
In 1903 that the dispensary owed its
origin to Ben Tillman and the devil,
and since that time he has been fight
ing for the right of the people to set
tie this question for themselves. 1t
Is because of his efforts that now for
the first time since the inauguration
of the dispensary law the people
are to be allowed the right Of saying
whether or not they sanction the
state conduct of the liquor business,
and Senator Tillman comes to per-
suade them that they should have no
such right.
Every effort is being made to rally
the dispensary forces at Tirzah. The
dispensary opponents owe ii to them
selves and to Senator Brice to be
there also.
- Gen. John d. Frost announces
that he will not be a candidate for
another term as adjutant and inspect
or general. He says he will quit pol
itics and try to make some money for
his family.
- Spartanburg special of yesterday
to the Columbia State: The leaders
of the prohibition movement, through
their attorney. Mr. S. ]. Simpson. turn
ed over 10 the county supervisor to-
day the petition for ordering the cleo
tion on the issue. dispensary or no dis
pe nsary, along with the revised lists
of 26 of the largest precilctS In the