The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-11-04
GIVES HIS VIEWS
SENATOR TILLMAN ON THE
LIQUOR QUESTION.
Says He Cannot ssee Where Proa'
bition Stands Any Chance In the
Coming Legislature.
Coming Legislature.


The Columbia correspondent Of the
Augusta Chronicle says Senator TILL
man does not endorse the movement
headed by Representatives II. L.
Smith, c. ". Garris. John G. Rich-
ards, Jr., State Senator Earle and
others Of the old State dispensary
leaders to join forces with the pro-
hibitionists and push a Statewide
prohibition bill through the comine
legislature, as was attempted with
out success in the last Legislature,
when the county option scheme took
the place of the State dispensary sys.
tenn.
II cannot see that prohibitio"
stands any chance Of success in the
coming legislature" said the Sena-
tor in answer to question from
your correspondent. with ma
jority of the counties in the State
holding on to the county dispensaries,
isn't 1t natural to suppose that the
delegations from those counties will
stand by the present system?"
The Senator added that so far as
he was concerned It was matter OF
indifference whether prohibition
bill was enacted or the present syE-
tenn was continued.
Two hundred years from now folks
will be wrangling over this same
liquor question" said he, land it is
idle to talk of settling the problem.
/ have been seeing the same old
tussel over in Europe The countries
that have been longest at it have
reached solution that seems most
satisfactory to them in the adoption
Of beers and light wines. During all
my travels through Italy, France and
Germany never saw a'drunken man.
but plenty Of drinking men. Ov.:
in London, where a big fight Is on
over the matter I saw many drunks.
When I was governor I recommends
ed this same substitution Of light
alcoholic drinks. I wanted to sec
beer given chance. II we could
give the beer privilege to big, re-
sponsibie concern that would be
under heavy bond, say something
like half million dollars, to sell
beer throughout the State under GER
tain definitely stipulated conditions,
we would do much for the cause Of
temperance, and get big revenue for
the State besides"
Senator Tillman occupies unique
position in the present situation Pc
garding whiskey in this State. He
is not with the State dispensary lead-
ers in their Efforts to join forces with
the prohibitionists. He is not with
the prohibitionists, and he is not al
unqualified endorser Of the county
option scheme. He thinks every
county in the State would be better
of having dispensaries.
II venture to say" said he in
answer to a question, that counties
like Crangeburg, Sumter and Flor
ence,. which are retaining the dlspen-
saries, are in much better state
morally than such counties as Green
vile, Spartanburg and others which
have voted out their dispensarieS.
and where blind tigers are doing the
business
When he was reminded that it
appeared to have been proven that
the police records Of the dry coTntlss
had materially improved the senator
said this was only temporary, that
it would only be short time in
county going dry before it was in a
worse state morally than it had been
on voting out it's dispensaries.
On the whole the Senator did not
appear to De much interested in tn
situation and answered questions
guardedly.