The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-24
TILLMAN ON WAR PATH.
Talks About Recent Dispensary Elec-
tions.- Takes Up the Race Ques-
tion.

Heath Springs, Aug Ex-senator
Tillman spoke for two hours at Heath
Springs August 81 to several hum
i dred attentive listeners. He said in
part:
II neglected no public business
when I was out West. I was preach
ing the doctrine Of white supremacy.
Now what am I to talk about? State
questions? The prohibitionists were
very wise in the last legislature. By
statute they killed all the county
dispensaries. Killed them and then
voted them out. They were very
cunning, they out manoeuvred the
other side. There is a difference be-
tween trying to bring to life dead
man and killing live man. I only
inaugurated the dispensary system Is
years ago to regulate the dealing Of
liquor. The newspapers have howled
and hoMled ever since to kill it. Then
they went about it Systematically and
with malice aforethought to kill the
system.
"They got dishonest men to run
the dispensaries and fought reform
by putting restraints around the dis
pensary. The money they said, was
blood money. The upper counties,
where whites were in majority, voted
the dispensary out, but recently only
six counties voted to revive the dis
pensary, two of these counties being
Charleston and Richland, in which
two newspapers have been bowling
against the dispensary. [ say if it IS
! good to have Lancaster. Edgefeld,
etc.. dry. it is good to have Charles
ton and Richland dry too-to have the
disgrace taken from the escutcheon OF
tie State for selling liquor.
"It is impossible to keep men who
want it from drinking liquor. They
can send off and order it. I want all
to drink out Of the same gourd. [
want no aristocracy in drinking whis-
kew. I want it so that I can take a
drink Of good lent rye if [ want it.
I want to see tie II ne in South Caro-
lima when drunken man will be ex-
hibited as a rarity.
"In discussing this question Of IL
quor only six counties voted to retain
liquor. If we have to order our
whiskev let Charleston do the same
thing, let her get some Of the bless
ings of blind tigers or w1ha ever else
we have.
"It has been said that you are not
concerned in the race question. Your
time is occupied with good roads, good
schools, etc., but little reflection Will
make you very much concerned. Four
teen years ago the constitutional con-
vention disfrancnised the negroes and
the yer ypapers which are now dis
claiming against danger Of white
domination then disclaimed against
disfranchisement Of the negro. To
get a registration certificate one must
be able to read and write. pay taxes
on $500 Of property or be able to
understand clause Of the constltu-
ton when read to him. The result is
only $4,000 negroes were able to obs
tain registration certificates. [ do not
know of single white man who could
not understand clause Of the con-
stitution as read to him. There are
more negro children in school than
whites. Why? Because there are
more Of them. In the lower counties
the negroes are in a large majority,
from 3 to l to 10 to l. According to
the last census there were in the State
about 7S5,OO0 negroes and 100000
whites
"The only thing that keeps them
from voting or being voted is this, the
REGISTRATION law. Now Mr.. Taft is
very pleasant and tactful. he has been
down South spreading molasses. he IS
coming again white Republican par
ty, confer with Mr.. Hemphill, get
some weakened Democrats to join
his party. If the notion is got into
their heads 10000 negroes may be
modified and led to the polls and
voted.
"Then what will be the result? The
18th amendment declares that no man
c!,all he dphorred from voting on ac-
count of race or color.
THE number of negroes is still IN
crpaSinU as sure as EOnder sun