The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-04-04
SENATOR TILLMAN
ISSUES ADDRESS
Whiskey Question Dealt
With ut Length.
FIRES A BROADSlDE.
awe Need Some Honest Politics ID
South Carolina, Plain Speaking,
Aggressive Action"

ASSaSeoNC hShVu'
Some weeks ago it was given out
from Washington that Senator Tillman
was preparing an address to the people
of South Carolina The anticipated
document was issued Saturday, and ap-
peared in all the leading daily papers in
the State Saturday afternoon and Sun
day morning.
The address is lengthy one, and
deals principally with the whiskey ques-
ton and the control of the Democratic
party of the State. The paper will be
widely read and discussed for many
weeks to come.
The Advertiser cannot reproduce the
address in its entirety, but the follow
ing extracts give the trend of the Sena-
tors views as expressed in the docu-
ment:
There are several things in connec-
ton with our State government that /
will discuss in the coming campaign,
but in this address shall treat of only
two of the things the people of the
State should earnestly consider now and
take immediate action about.
One is the settlement Of the whiskey
question and the other is the control of
the Democratic party of the State by a
majority of all of the Democrats rather
than by a small fraction of the voters.
The two ideas interlock and cannot be
separated and, therefore, l shall treat
them together.
Let us consider for moment the rel
ative advantages and disadvantages of
county dispensaries and State dispensa-
ry. declare most emphatically my be-
lief that by proper changes in the law
along the lines suggested in the Raysor-
Manning Bill that all possibility of
stealing and bribery in the purchase of
whiskey for the State can be prevented
and it stands to reason that if the
liquor is purchased at wholesale by one
board, shipped by the car load, and
bottled at one establishment there will
be a great saving in the expense. The
county dispensaries would have no fa-
cilities for handling the whiskey, but
leaving all of this out of consideration
the one crucial test of the relative mer-
its of the two systems, State dispensary
or county dispensaries, is simply this:
if we cannot by law so hedge about and
control one State board as to prevent
stealing how in the name of common
sense will we be able to watch and pre-
vent thirty or forty boards from doing
it? Because the retiring State Board
has engaged in questionable practices
and was guilty of such gross misman-
agement and malfeasance in office is no
argument to show that the law cannot
be changed so as to destroy all oppor-
tunity for such practice. No law will
execute itself when those charged with
the execution of the law fail utterly,
and there is neglect from the highest
to the lowest, it follows as a matter of
course that it is the duty of the people
to elect men who will not finch or
neglect their sworn duties.
1t is therefore obvious that the peo-
pie must look more to the integrity,
honesty, truthfulness of the candidates
who ask for their votes than to the
mere capacity to speak glibly, and the
plausible address of the oily politician.
The people should bid fence straddlers
to get to the rear; they should demand
outspoken declararation of policy and
no man who failed of his duty in
the past should be again entrusted with
office. Look at the present disgraceful
and outrageous condition in Columbia.
The old Board of Directors of the State
dispensary has loaded down the State
with about 100000 worth of liquor
bought on credit in open and direct vio-
lation of the law. Why are not these
men arrested for malfeasance in office.
Why were they not removed last sum-
mer when the evidence of gross imcom-
potency and mismanagement were first
made public? Why did the legislature
ever elect such men? Why in the face
of absolute proof in the letting of glass
contracts and in the purchase of labels
to say nothing of the purchase of whis-
key that they were guilty of miscon-
duct, why / say, did the legislature re-
fuse to change the law when the house
found that the senate would not con.
sent to the abolition of the State dis
pensary? 1t was because of the influ
ence of The State newspaper.
Fellow citizens, we need some honest
politics in South Carolina; we neec
some straightforward plain speaking
we need aggressive and honest action b,
the masses to protect themselves. TIL,
people have been asleep. They hav,
been lulled into inaction by the honeyet
words of adroit politicians and it il
time for them to awake. Eternal Wig
lance is the price of liberty.
There is one more matter upon whicl
beg to warn the people. There arr
evidences in plenty to show that tn
same clique or ring which is fighting
the dispensary and which has Away
fought me intends or hopes to brinJ
about change in our primary regula
tions so as to prevent any Democra
from voting in the primaries who is no
at the same time qualified voter
They hope to use the club which ha
proved so effective under the Brice Law
that of confning the election to quail
fled electors, to obtain control of tn
Democratic party to resume their sway