The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-07-31
THE GREAT lLBERT PICNIC
SOMETHING OF ITS HISTORY

YORK, July li.-0eAalol Do"'0AA
R. Tillman may be rightfully called
called the daddy" of the Filbert pic
mic. an annual York county affair of
considerable political and social i'm
portance which is to be held next
Thursday, August 2. Great croWds
from all sections of South Carolina
come to Filbert each year on ac-
count of the picnic, and the olstlng-
uished statesmen invited this year as
we'll as other attractions, are calcu-
dated to draw the largest crowd that
has ever gathered there to listen 10
fe-vid forensic oratory and an airing
Of views on issues in the nation ana
state. Congresswoman Janette Ran
kin of Montana; Congressman Hell
lin of Alabama; McKeoWn OF Okla
homa and Stevenson of South Caro-
lima. Governor aiming, ex-Govern-
or Cole L. Belase; ex-Warehouse Com
missioner John L. McLaurln ana
Mayor Olin Sawyer OF Georgetown are
invited to be present next Thursday.
and the folks up Fflbertway are con-
-fdently expecting them all.
But to get back to the origin OF the
Ffbert picnic and the evidence tna'
Senator Tillman is the dad: The nrse
pienic ever held there was IN lsol'
II was merely community gatner-
ing. the only features being lots o1
corn LIQUOR and several knock-doWn'
drae ont fights. In 19O2-O3-04-05 pic
rios were held at Filbert but they
continued to be only small affairs.
Along about 1905 Hon. J. S. brice o.
York county began to loom up as i
formidable foe to Senator Thlman )
,"sreat moral institution" the State
disnensary system. The Yorkvllle En-
anirer had for years been hammer1ns
4 tbe system and had crystallized a
strong sentiment in York county
against it. Since The Enquirer would
kt take the stump and it's editor would
Senator Tillman had no way 10
II hack at il. and he concentrated his
on Mr.. Brice. Down at Tlrzah
kono occasion. the fire few during
esat debate between them.
1906 certain citizens living IN
Il vicinity of Filbert who were
personal and political frlenas
: 4 ,ator Tillman. invited him to
~ there and deliver speech, as
him that they were with MN
and wha tever he said would go. Well
he came on tie 18th of August ana
from every section of York county
came people TO hear him, the En-
ouirer and Mr.. Brice. He called them
-ro++v nearly every name that is in
the dictionary and many that are not
there The crowd was with him. fhey
.vbooned and hollered and shouted
and rolled and many Of them loadea
up on the fiery liquor that could De
obtained from any one Of the sever
} al of sfthe great moral institutions that
Awere located in the county OF YORK
8rhst crowd would have gone to YORK
vile and ridden the editor OF the
ENQUIRER and Mr. Brice on rails that
aav if Senator Tillmen had given the
word. 1 mean they would have trlea
It.
n, fl,,t occasion the Filbert folks
we're baptized in politics and each
wear from every section OF tie coun-
tr and State return there to seek re-
consecration and at Filbret today
stands the highest altar Of a poll
tics-worshipping people. The popu-
lation of the county Of York taxes
even it's most purely personal politics
at white heat, relying upon polltlcs
in general for its interest, pleasure
and entertainment. The same is true
OF the vast numbers as people who
come there annually from otner c'dn-
ties Of the State.
PRACTICALLY every statesman anu
politician i So@th Carolina has spok-
en- at Filb2t some t'~H since 1906
and the mai nal figures T'ao will be
brought to the little v."eee next
Thursde- will doubtless fr3 'rger
crow of sure enough !ntere~te 30
liticf v :olhs, than they -" "-'r
adS ?ssod in their own cesDec--|e
ba g.icl1s.
ne social feature OF the Filbert
pic S always as interesting ana
entertaining as the political side.