The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-07


Liquor for the Dispensary, With
The Purpose OF Making Clear
Case for Himself and Associates I'm
The Dispensary Investigation.
Columbia, August At is not be-
lieved here that there is anything in
the report which has been circulated
through some of the Northern papers
and copied extensively through the
South, that Senator B. r. Tillman, of
South Carolina, is gathering "the evil
dence necessary to make a clean case
for himself and, if possible, for his
associates" in his trip out West.
Those in position to know have
stated that the report is a wild flight
of the imagination, and that most
probably the senator has not the dis
pensary investigation at this time Gin
the back part of his head" 1t is
coincidence, though, that Cincinnati
of all cities, has been hit upon as the
one where the senator is said to be
gathering the information. For, as
it is well known, much of the dispen-
sary data has been gathered in that
burg, and we'll known detectives
agency could made readers in this
State sit up and take notice if this
information were given out.
The story as published in the Wash
ington Herald about Tillman's trip
is picturesque and makes interesting
reading. 1t follows:
"A sensational story came out Of
South Carolina day or two ago that
Senator Tillman was dangerously i'll
at his home and that, in view of gen.
orally failing strength for some time
past, he might resign from the senate.
Investigation developed that Senator
Tillman was not at his home, but was
in Cincinnati on business. 1t was de-
MED that there had been any especial
has been far from good for more
than a year.
But incident to this story another
1as developed which has a decided
interest for the admirers of the Wig
orous Carolina statesman. It appears
that the Tillman political regime is n
Z bad way South Carolina, and that
general investigation by decidedly
unfriendly people is being made into
the conduct of the famous liquor dis
pensary system which Tillman estab.
lished. This investigation is giving
real worry to the senator and his sup
porters.
"Tillman was a farmer until in
1890 he was elected governor on a
platform demanding better educa-
tional facilities for the State. He be-
came at once famous more for his
bitter antagonism to the negro than
for anything else; but he carried out
his educational programme, and in
addition forced through the legisla-
ture his dispensary law, under which
the State entered the liquor business,
bought and sold all the liquors for his
State, deciding where and when dis
pensaries should be operated. 1t was
one of the biggest experiments ever
made in such an enterprise and peo-
pie from all over the world studied
it with the greatest attention and in
terest.
1T is commonly said nowadays
that Senator Tillman has never been
accused even by his worst enemy OF
dishonesty. South Carolina people,
remembering the bitterness that be-
logged the dispensary experiment,
smile at that suggestion. In fact, Till
man was under the most direct and
hostile criticism, reaching to his per-
sonal and official integrity, from the
day the dispensary was established. 1t
was easier to assail him because he
took profound personal interest in the
scheme and personally administered
1t. He bought the liquors, hired the
help and permitted no detail to es-
cape his attention.
I'm such a vast complexity of bus
mess his enemies found plenty Of op-
portunity to make attacks on him
and they overlooked none. But Till
man was triumphantly reelected and