Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-07


ed by the acceptance Of such a small
favor as a free pass, there is bound to
| be a serious shaking of confidence In
the man who is convicted Of doing that
which he had vigorously condemned In
others. Senator Tillman. it will be re-
membered, accepted the first free pass
that was offered after his inauguration
as the Reform governor.
The worst thing Senator Tillman
ever did for the state, was the result
of his effort to solve the liquor ques-
tion. A majority of the voters who
expressed themselves on the subject in
the primary that elected him, said they
wanted prohibition. In an effort to a
little better, Senator Tillman establish
ed the dispensary and in doing so SOW
ed the seeds for a saturnalia of "bam-
boozlement and debauchery" the like
of which the state had never known.
Except for Senator Tillman, Clemson
college would have never been. He Is
really the father Of that institution,
and while not the exactly the father
of winthrop, he Is deserving of great
credit for what this college has be-
come 1t could not have been estab-
lished on the broad lines of usefulness
it stands for today, except for his CO.
operation and support, and there
should be no attempt to minimize the
part he played in connection with its
birth and development.
We are not prepared to say that Sem
ator Tillman has not been selfish. On
the contrary, we believe that he has al
ways managed to look out for Number
to the best of his ability, and we do
not doubt that he succeeded pretty we'll
at times. That is only our view. 9th
ers might think differently. However,
we would not urge any Of these things
against him at this time.
Whatever may have been Senator
Tillman's merits or demerits in the
past, we do not think there Is any
doubt of the fact that he now COM
mands very considerable influence in
the United States senate. He Is not as
powerful as he once was-not by any
means; but still 1t would take a new
man years to become as powerful or as
useful as he Is now.
AS to what Senator Tillman means
by suggesting that If the people don't
want him any longer he would like
them to find some way Of indicating
their desire other than defeating him,
we do not exactly understand. The
primary election which he himself had
so much to do with establishing as a
state institution, is the only means we
know of whereby the people can say
what they want and what they don't
want.
There are those who will claim that
the people Of South Carolina owe Sen
ator Tillman another election, and
there are those who will claim that the
senator has gotten value received for
all the service he has ever rendered.
AS between these views each voter
will decide for himself. Some probably
will take advantage of the opportunity
to even up old scores, which will be
wrong. Others will support him on the
ground that he Is still the best man In
sight, and If they think this Is true
that is the way they should vote. Still
others will be persuaded that one or
the other of Senator Tillman's oppo-
nents now have a right to a showing,
and these also are entitled to vote as
they choose.
So far as The Enquirer Is concerned.
it does not feel called upon to advise
anybody to do anything other than to
vote as may seem right when the time
comes.