Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-11-04
STATE PROHIBITION.
Senator TilIman is Not in Favor OF
Such Measure.

. , ~ i. +. a j
Columbia, Oct. 29,-Senator TILL
man, who is here spending several
days with his friend, DR.. j. w. Bab-
cock, with whom he took the trip
abroad this summer, does not endorse
the movement headed by Representa-
tive M. l.. Smith. Representative C.
W. Garris, John G. Richards, Jr.,
state Senator Earle and Others of the
old State dispensary leaders to Join
forces with the prohibitionists and
push State wide prohibition bill
through the coming Legislature, as
was attempted without success in the
last Legislature when the county op-
tlon scheme took the place of the
state dispensary system.
cannot Nsee that prohibition
stands any chance of success in the
coming Legislature" said the Sena-
tor in answer to question from your
correspondent. with majority of
the counties in the State holding on
to the county dispensaries, isn't it
natural to suppose that the delega-
tlons from those counties will stand
by the present system?"
The Senator added that so far as
he was concerned it was. q matter of
indifference whether prohibition
Dill was enacted or the present sys-
tom was continued.
TWO hundred years from now
folks Will be wrangling over this
same liquor question:" said he, "and
1t is idle to talk of settling the prob
lem. have been seeing the same old
tussle over In Europe. The countries
that have been longest at it have
reached solution that seems most
satisfactory 20 them in the adoption
OF beers and light wines. During all
my travels through Italy, France and
Germany L never saw drunken man,
but plenty Of drinking men. Over in
London, where big fight Is on over
the matter, l saw many drunks.
When was Governor 1 recommended
this same substitution of light alco-
hol1c drinks. l wanted to see beer
given chance. If we could give the
beer privilege to big responsible
concern that would be under a heavy
bond, say something like a million
dollars, to sell beer throughout the
state under certain definitely stipu-
lated conditions, We would do much
tor the cause of temperance, and get
Dig revenue for the State BESIDES"
senator T1llman occupies a unique
position In the present situation re-
garding whiskey in this State. He is
not with the State dispensary leaders
In their efforts to join forces with the
prohibitionists. He Is not with the
prohibitionists and he is not an un-
qualified endorser of the county op-
tion scheme. He thinks every county
In the State would be better off hav-
ing dispensaries.
Il venture to say" said he in an
swer to a question, "that counties
like Orangeburg, Sumter and Flor
ence, which are retaining the dispen-
saries, are In a 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 ap-
peared to have been proven that the
police records Of the dry counties had
materially improved, the Senator said
this was only temporary, that it
would only be short time in a coun-
ty going dry before it was in a worse
state morally than 1t had been on
voting out it's dispensaries.
On the whole the Senator did not
appear to be much interested in the
situation and answered questions
guardedly.