The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-11-18

tion-were hosts, each contributing
his share toward making fitting
South Carolina's hospitality to the
nations official head,
"There are two practicable meth
ods of defraying the. expenses of pub
lie banquets. One is by using the
taxpayers money to pay for an en-
tertainment from which more than
80 percentum of the taxpayers must
of necessity be excluded, and the
other is that those acting as hosts
do the part of hosts and defray the
costs. BY the first plan the many
pay for the benefit of the few; by
the latter there is equality and JUS
tice. And the later plan istspracti-
cally universal.
Same Plan Followed Elsewhere.
after Tillman's ill-bred outbreak
in the face of Columbia's and South
Carolina's approaching guest took
the pains to inquire of four towns
that either had entertained the Pres
ident or contemplated so doing, as
to the plan followed. Here are ex-
tracts from the replies:
Washington: The, dinner given
to President Taft was arranged by
joint committee of the Chamber
of Commerce and board of trade.
The committee issued invitations to
few distinguished guests, who, of
course, paid nothing. All others
who attended paid $40 plate. The
list was limited The list, however,
was not confined to Washingtonians.
"New Orleans: At the banquet
rendered President Taft here last
February, just before his inaugura-
ton, all those who attended were
invited to pay s25, with the excep-
ton of Mr.. Taft's party, the press
(of New Orleans) and possibly one
or two guests of honor Those in
vitations to participate were not
confined to citizens of Louisiana.
ATLANTA: I have just wired you
that we did exactly the same thing
here in Atlanta, and it Is the usual
custom, not only here in the South,
but in every other city in the coun-
try. 1t seems 10 me II is
very sensible custom. -. Some
body has to pay. Why not, there
fore, those who are there in the ca
no o;f,, of hocfe2 So far as
have heard this is the only in
stance of complaint Of this kind on
record.
Savannah. The Taft banquet
will be attended by $50 persons.
About thirty will be guests Of the
city; the 800 who are not special
guests will pay $50 per plate for the
occasion. In eighteen years ! do no
recall function Of the sort in this
city that was not similarly financed!
Invitations to particjnate In that
banquet and it's expense banquet
given in the name of Savannah
| were sent to Atlanta and elsewhere
in Georgia.
"The direct charge that Colum-
bia was attempting to make the State
at large pay for her frolic, and the
infamous insinuation that the plan
of a committee, Of which the Gov
ernor, the mayor and myself were
| the members, had engaged In mon
ey-making scheme, warrants refer
ence to what was spent in Columbia
aside from the uncheon-whose cost,
by the way, was not covered By the
estimated $40 a plate. Aside from
the entertainment in the State House
the outlay was, as accurately as
can now secure the figures, $500.
Tillman Tartly Censured.
81 have no means Of defining the
motive prompting B. R. Tillman to
make the gross and insolent reply
he did to the invitation to be host
instead of guest at the luncheon
to the President, and it is immaterial
whether he imagined it an opportu-
i nifty to hurt Columbia, or to emoar-
rass his political opponents on the
committee, or to hoodwink gullible
backwoodsmen. But his ill-bred
TRADE, his maliciously false state
ment of Columbia's position. his
charge that our plan was a violation
of hospitality and indecent would
have been ignored by me had not
papers in South Carolina, some OF
them perhaps misinterpreting the
committees silence while the guest
was approaching, indulged in Who'll
ly unjustified, and, as a distinguish
ed Georgian writes me, unprecedent-
ed ccriticism of this city.
"That Tilman, who has never
baked at the price of a dinner when
paid for with the money OF taxpay-
ers, should essay the role of Ward
McAllister is grotesque. The man
who as a guest OF honor in Charles
ton took the hide off his hosts and
then rubbed in salt, and gave Char
lestonians stomach-turning from
which they needed years to recover,
the man whose coarse speech when
making addresses by invitation has
brought the blood 10 the faces OF
| farmers wives and daughters in
South Carolina, the man whose pro-
family before women has shocked in
South Carolina and in Washington
this mans criticism, l say, of