The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-11-11
1ILLMAN's VIEWS UNCHANGED.
Ihe Senior Senator Says Prohibition
Will Not Work.

Inc Columbia correspondent of The
Charlotte Observer writes. os so,,o
Senator Tillman. who is here snend-
ing several days with his friend Dr
j. w. Babcock, with whom no too,,
the trip abroad this summer doo
endorse the movement headed bv Rem
resentative NJ. l.. Smith, Representa-
tive {. w. Garris, john G.. Richards
Jr'' State Senator Earle and others
OF the old State dispensary leaders 70
join forces with the prohibitonists
and push statewide prohibition bill
through the coming legislature. as
was attempted without success in the
last legislature, when the county on
ton scheme took the place of the
state dispensary system.
Il can't see that prohibition stands
any chance of success in the coming
legislature" said the senator in an.
swer to question from The Observer
correspondent. with majority of
the counties in the state holdine. on
to the county dispensaries. Isn't IT,
natural to suppose that the delega-
tions from those counties will stand
by the present system?'
The senator added that SO far as be
was concerned it was a matter OF tu..
difference whether a prohibition bill
was enacted or the present systems
was continued.
Two hundred years from now folks
will be wrangling over this same
liquor question:" said he, and It is
idle to talk of settling the problem.
have been seeing the same old coun-
tries that have been longest at 1t have
reached a solution that seems mcst
satisfactory to them IN the adoption
of beers and light wines. During all
my travels through Italy, France and
Germany 1 never saw a drunken man,
but plenty Of drinking men. Over i'm
London, where a big fight is on over
the matter. 1 saw many drunks. When
was governor I recommended this
same substitution of light alcoholic
drinks. / wanted to see beer given a
chance. If we could give the beer
privilege to a big. responsible concern
that would be under a heavy bond, say
like a half million dollars.
to sell beer throughout the state under
certain definitely stipulated conditions,
we would do much for the cause Of
temperance, and get big revenue for
the state beside"
Senator Tillman 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, and ne is not an un-
qualified endorser of the county op.
ton 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 question, that counties like
Orangeburg Sumter and Florence.
which are retaining tho dispensaries.
are in a much better state morally
than such counties as Greenville.
Spartanburg and others which have
voted out their dispensaries, and
where blind tigers are doing the busi-
ness.''
When he was reminded that IL
appeared to have been proven that
the police records Of the dry coun-
lies had materially improved, the sem
ator said that this was only tenn
porary; that it would only be a short
lime in a county going dry" before
{ was in a worse stat, morally from
blind tigerism and other forms of
awlessness than it had been on vot-x
ng out its dispensaries.
On the whole the senator did rot
appear to much interested in the
situation and answered Questions