The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, January 19, 1899, Image 1
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VOL XXII.
BANRWELL/SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY JANUARY 19, 1899.
THB GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE,
FAVORS THE DISPENSARY
WITH LOCAL , OPTION.
1*11
That Coaallea Desir-
ProhtUttoa Shall Pay Ex-
for Us Euftaroement and
be Cat Oil From Dispensary
ProflU for Hchoola
The annual message of Governor
Ellerbe hae been »ent to the General
Auembl}, and aa the diMusvioo
of (he liquor queetlon will excite
meet Interest in the public mind,
we will give herewith only
very brief summary of the other parts
of the message, in order to present in
full what the Governor says about the
dispensary and local option.
Governor Ellerbe dec lares that the
ftnaaees of the State are in an unsatis
factory condition, aed it is evident that
one of two things will have to be done:
Either the appropriations must be‘cut
dopn or the tax levy raised. He urges
the Legislature to hold all elections at
oooe, in order that the public business
may not suffer. He recommends bi
ennial sessions of the Legislature,
limited to forty days, which wlR. save
•$5,000 every year. He discusses
lynching at length, and recommends
that it be made a high crime and mis
demeanor for sheriffs or constables to
allow a prisoner to be taken by vio
lence from their hands, and also that
counties shall be liable to the heirs of
the victim for S5.000, while the mbn
who are convicted of lynching shall be
deprived of the right to vote or hold
office In this State.
The following, are ■ the-Governor's
sis
be judged by its fruits rather t!
motives of polilicttl prejudice or
late rest. If these fruits have not been
hitherto altogether of the kind or
quality that it? friends still hope to
see it bear, there is yet suffiotenthmes*
ise to ask that this tree, whion hoe
been almost uprooted and blasted by
the blight of judicial interference,
shall now be given opportunity to show
what it can bring forth under fostering
and friendly influences. I beg to re
reason to change my opinion. The
law has never had a ehanoe hitherto
to show what it oan do, but now, since
there is no longer any question ns to
legmi limitations or powers, we are free
to address ourselves to perfecting and
improving the system. The large vote
received, by the-Prohibition candidate
for Governor in the second primary of
the late election cannot be considered
entirely an endorsement of prohibition,
for there is excellent reason to conclude
that the Prohibition candidate polled
the fall prohibition vote in the first
primary, while js the second he polled
the vote of the msjority of the aotag
onists of the dispensary system, from
whatever cause that antagonism arose,
and, in addition, the strength it all the
“sore-heads’* and disgruntled office-
seekers and politidacs of both factions.
The election in Charleston -is a strik
ing evidence of this, it will hardly be
disputed that, if the people of Charles
ton want prohibition, as their r&tes
seem to show, it is because they feel
bUj/3 that under that system there will
be practically no- restraint on the sale
of whiskey.
Turning now to, the practical eon-
views on the liquor question: , do DOt
Nothing connected with the admin- in
Istration of the State governmeot at
interest and im- favor prohibition. I, therefore, recom-
tbis time is of so much interest and im
portanceas the dispensary law. This
method of controlling the ITqtuor traffic
has now been in force for five and a
hadf years, and the protracted and bit
ter struggle between its friends and its
foes has reached a critical stage. It
must be firmly and permanently estab
lished or completely cone away with.
It will be remembered that, at the
last session of the Legislature, the lit
igation instituted In the United States
circuit court by Vandercook bad
reached the supreme court of the
United States, on appeal from Judge
Simonton’s decision. For almost a
year, there had been absolute paralysis
of the dispensary law, so far as its
punative features were concerned, and
the constables bad all been discharged.
The dispensaries had been forced to
fight free whiskey, on tjrms of abso
lute equality; yet, strange to say, they
fought it successfully; for while the
profits were reduced by this lawless
competition, there was still enough
business to make the dispensary self-
supportlng and leave a small margin
of profit. la May last, the supreme
court at Washington landed’ down Its
decision, sustaining tbe constitutional
ity of the dispensary law in all its fea
ture# with tbs limitation only as to im
portation for personal use. The long
and hotly contested legal status of the
dispensary was removed. The original
package dealers at once closed their
ahopa and shipped their liqfiors out of
the State with my permission. I did
not deem it wise or right to take ad-
vantage of them, as they hsd been do
ing business under the sanction of the
Federal judiciary. Tbe constabulary
waa reorganised and |>ut to work, and
from that time to
the force has
been very busy trying to destroy the
unlawful traffic which bad gained foot
hold In the State under the protection
of Judge Simon ton’s decision.
. 1 desire, in this connection, to recall
OT attotttibrtffe Tact that in 1894
the State kupreme court, by declaring
the dispenaary law unconstitutional,
gave the Illicit liquor dealers enoour-
meat aed as a result there was wide
spread demoralisation, with liquor
selling prevalent almost everywhere,
even In the country, notwithstanding
the law prohibited its sale absolutely.
After that decision had been re reraed
the dispensaries reopened and a
or less rigid enforcement of the
law for two years had extirpated in a
large measure the legal traffic, came
• the interference of ton Federal courts
aad the Imprisonment bf the consta
bles for contempt. This interference
gave onoouragement to a large number
of illicit dealers and Induced them to
continue ip the business; and when the
paralysing decision in tbe Vanderoook
eeee came, there was a phenomenal in
crease la the number of illicit dealers
engaged in this traffic in South Caro
lina. Thla Is shown by the number of
United States revenue licenses issued.
In the fiscal year‘ending June 20,1897,
•the number of Internal revenue 11-
eenses, or permits to sell liquor, were
822; in the year ending June 30, 1898,
there were 625. In other words, the
present unsatisfactory condition,
aad I do not hesitate to ssy
that it is unsatisfactory, notwith
standing the final triumph in. the
courts—Is owing in large measure,
to the interference of tho Federal
judge, with the consequent encourage
ment to all who saw fit to engage in
the sale of liquor, nothing more being
required than to pay the United States
revenue licenses. It has taken months
of laborious and strenuous effort to re
store the conditions of a tolerably suc
cessful-working of tbe dispensary law
which prevailed at tbq time when-the
Vanderoook decision waa rendered.
The friends of the dispensary and those
who have too readily tamed their
backs on it, should bear all this in
mind and still evidence hope aad pa
tience. .
The demoralisation produced byg^i
various causes mentioned can be read
ily overcome la time, and the law will
work more sucoemfully and be obeyed
move willingly as time goes by. Our
efforts should be especially directed to
' perfecting tbe syvtem la its adminis
trative features.
Thore are a great many people who
z will never be friendly to the dlspen-
/ aMtAnt nr to nnv 11
mend tbe submission of tbe liquor
question to the qualified electors of
each county, that each county may
vote as It prefers. Any county, how
ever, that votes for prohibition should
be made to bear all expenses of enforc
ing the prohibition law; and Such
county should not receive any of the
profits from the dispensary. Under
the Oonstltutlon, the profits accruing
from the sale of liquor go to the sup
port of our free school-. Now, the
county of Marlboro, which never had
a dispensary, and wblch is now under
the most rigid form of prohibition
with no possibility of legal liquor traffic
within its borders, receives its propor
tionate share of dispensary profits.
Of course, these counties may have
liquor imported for personal use with
out restriction, but it cannot be sold is
them legally. 1 believe that it is but
right and just for those counties which
have prohibition, or may hereafter
adopt it as the means of controlling
tbe liquor traffic, to be taxed to enforce
such laws, nor should they receive any
part of the profits arising frem the sale
ofjiquor In the counties, to add to
their school funds, (f the county offi
cers, magistrates and sheriffs, enforce
the law, well and good—there will be
no need for coustablee; but If they do
not, the governor should be given the
authority, upon petition setting forth
such violation, to appoint constables,
jsnd to require a levy in such counties
sufficient for their maintenance. ) -
Now let us consider the matters con
cerning the administration of the law
other than those mentioned as dealing
ith Its violations. When the di-pen-
sary system was first Inaugurated, the
State board was composed of the gov
ernor, tbe comptroller general and the
attorney general, ex officio, and in
these was vested the power to appoint
the State oommissiooer and the county
board of control, and toewrciML gen-- sell the required supply in driblets. Gov. EUerbe wouUT.
era!supervision over the working the Arrangement! should be made cutter That afternoon* 8
•ary system or to any like regulation
Eipy men are opposed to it oe princi
ple, some as extreme prohibitionists
ami W* m as extreme advocatoe of
liquor tcafflo- These two widely sepa
ls their koptUity to the dispenser]
others are influenood by political oon-
aMeratloos, and vrea by past poU^oal
prejudices, now happily being fast dia-
•ipeted. the diupeaaarj law ought to
teach the people to use whiskey with
out abusing It, aad to minimise, as far
as possible, the evil* inseparably con
nected with its traffic and use. More:
over, under the present system, tbe
8tote oommissiooer is a mere figure
head, without power and almost with
out duties. The State board of control
have absorbed nearly ail of his func
tions.
I submit what seems to me to be the
best plan of organisation: The detail*
of the buslneas should be turned over
to the State commissioner, while the
board of control should have authority
to purchase liquors aad to exorcise
general supervision over the whole
system. The bdard of control should
be appointed by the governor, with the
advice and consent of the senate, and
the constables should be appointed by
the board of control and State commis
sioner. If objection is mode, it may be
pointed out that the regents of the
hospital for the insane are appointed
by the governor, and the management
of the institution is excellent. Note,
also, the members of the present board
of control are not even required to give
bond for the faithful performance of
duty, yet they have absolute control of
an institution doing annually a million
and a half dollar business.
The county boards of control shoulfl
be abolished, and two or thre* in
spectors should be appointed to look
after the dispenser’s books and tbe
breakage. This would be a much more
economical method than the one now
pursued. This system of organization,
together with tbe supervision of the
grand juries, would reduce peculation
and embezzlement to the smallest
amount possible. The State oommis-
Btooer might be either ap;
the State board or elected
eral assembly. We have botn system!
TKe superb
ELLRRBE’B LOCAL OPTION.
EDirOR GOHSALBS IN TROUBLE.
DM Not Keep His
rrsmlee aad the Editor of The State. Opening it I reed ;
Hiaa to
In tha Interval before the second pri
mary last summer between Governor
Ellerbe and Mr. Featberatooe, every
dally newspaper la South Carolina,
with the exception qf the Oolumola
State, supported Featherstoee and
bitterly attacked Governor Ellerbe.
There was such antagonism to the dis
and to
peeaary system
the Governor
pointed
by the geb-
by [with sach
hlbtilon as to discourage
Tfow tn'foyperTfiTbirStKe. Tbe super
intendent of the hospital for the Insane,
who Is giving perfect satisfaction, is
appointed; tbe superint ndent of the
penitentiary,' an tqually efficient effl
cer, is elected by tbe general assembly.
But there should be vesteAomewhere
the power by which both State com
missioner and county dispensers might
be suspended, and, If neoessary, be re
moved for cause.
I suggest, a’so, what seems to me a
needed improvement, stud that is a
ebange in the manner of purchasing
liquors. Whiskey is as much a staple
article as corn or fljar, though h varies
in quality and price, according to age
ana tbe methods of distillation and
manipulation. Tbe large bulk of liquor
consumed by the paople Is obtainable
in absolutely pure form and of good
quality, wltaout the necessity of re
course to chemical analysis, for it can be
bought directly from the government
warehouses without paeslng through
th) hands of rectifiers and manipula
tors, who are almost sure to adu terate
ft for the sake of profit. I think that
the law should provide that purohas-:*
should be made, under annual con
tracts, with parties who would agree
to furnLh liquors from the bonded
warehouses of the United States of the
required age and strength, upon the
most reasonable terms. These con
tracts should be let In such a way af to
preclude all possibility of collusion or
fraud. If blended or rectified whiskeys
are bought, as Is now tbe case, there is
absolutely no safe te s t by which adul
teration can be shown, unless the liquor
is so bad as not to be fit to drink. These
remarks apply to the X and XX whis
keys, or liquors of the first and second
quality, enumerating from the lowest
to the highest, as has been the Vule In
the State. I do not believe It Is repu
table, in the State’s business, that there
should-be a swarm of whiskey drummers
meeting at Columbia onoa a mouth to
dispensary In the whole State. After
the retirement of Gov. Tillman, In the
middle of Gov. Evans' term, tbe legisla
ture changed this provision, and cre
ated a new State board of control, con
sisting of five members, to be elected
by Itself. The governor was left without
official connection with the dlspeniary,
except the right to appoint and control
the constables. This system has now
been in force three years, and, in my
opinion, it has failed to accomplish the
purposes of Its advocates* The Idea
m to divorce the dispensary system
irom politics and to put it under a
strictly business manag -ment. No such
result has followed. It is notorious
that tbe dispensary is as much or more
n politics than it ever was. As gov
ernor, I have had little or no authority
Id connection with the administration
of the law, and no power of restraint
or direction over it; and yet I have
been held responsible by the people at
arge, and by my enemies in partieu-
ar, for the mistakes and shortoomings
of its management. Responsibility
without authority is a most unpleasant
and unjust burden; and while I do not
-seek additional responsibilities In con
nection with the dispensary, -submit
that justice and fairness make It neoes
sary either to relieve the governor ab
solutely of all connection with this In
stitution, or else give him some poten
tial tbioe and lufluence In its affairs.
The legislature Itself, last session,
by a particularly unanimous resolu
tion, deprecated and almost- forbade
the granting of beer and hoiel priv
ileges, but the State board of control
paid no attention to this expression of
opinion from the law-making body, and
I had to use tbe constabulary to sup
press the nuisances in form of open
barrooms, which resulted from the
granting of tbeee privileges This
brought me Into antagonism with the
State board of control—an antagonism
which might have been avoided bad
these gentlemen paid any heed to my
suggestion or consulted ve aa to the
best policy, to be purtced. As long as
the original package stores were run
ning in open competition wjth the dis
pensary, ^and illicit sales were also
unchecked, there was, perhaoe, some
excuse for the State hoard Of control
to continue that policy; but after the
supreme court of the United State bad
confirmed the validity of the dlspen
sary law, and forbidden Judge Simon
ton’s support of the State's competi
tors, leaving the dispensary law la full
possession of the field, 1 did not think
there was any exouse for the cootie-
Arrangements should be made under
contract for the purchase, as I have in
dicated,-and the orders for additional
supplies would go forward with as much
assurance of being honestly fil ed as if
salt or bacon were bought. The special
brands and wines required > could be
purchased in tbe same way, and aa
these constitute only a small part of
the business, no change need be made
in the present inodes of buying them.
There is another matter that app?ars
worthy of mention. With the expe
rience gained by the employes in bot
tling and packing and Iblpplng of
liquors, there ought to be practically no
breakage, if the bottlerwere of good
quality and the packing were well done,
for the cars are loaded alongside the
State dispensary building and thete is
hardly ever a trassfer from one road to
another. This matter of breakage hat
been the main res-on for continuing the
county boards of control. It can be
readily teen what a saving would fol
low if these boards were abolished, and
it can be safely assorted that the pre-
veutlon of breakage would make tbe.-e
boards no longer necessary.
There is one other matter to which I
invite tbe careful attention of tbe gen
eral assembly! it Is with regard to the
importation of whiskey for personal use
The protection given by the supreme
court to those who desire to exercise
this right in good faith la in no sente
objectionable. The State does not need,
nor does it wl?h to restrict its citixens
In this right; but the abuse of It gives a
loophole for illicit dealers to obtain their
supplies, under the pretense that it U
for perconal u*e. The provision of the
law which was declared unconstitutional
in this respect, I think can be amended
so as to mske the importation pf such
liquors come withln the terms of the
court’s c fibree. But for the opportunity
thus afforded to evade the law, by im
porting liquor under the pretense that
it is for personal use, there would soon
be small reed for constables.^! earnestly
urge that the judiciary committee
consider the subject carefully in the
light of Justice White's opinion, and
see lf tome provision for inspection can
not be enacted, that, while imposing no
onerous burdeosson theeitzan who im
ports for his own nae, will yet insure
tbe importation of pure 1 qnora, and
limit, as far aa possible, the ahMe of
this right forthe purposes of sale. Let
the law define fully and clearly the
methods to be followed in such cased. *
alspei
the field,
waa any exouse forthe cootie-
of the petley upheld by the State
board, for I believed tbe former law;
andl believe the present law, should he
administered as a temperance measure
with no regard whatever to the matter
of profit or to anything othar than to
personally, it waa generally predicted
aad believed that the kotos of the other
candidates la the first primary would
go to Feathers tone on the second aad
nominate him.
The Columbia Stole was antl-d<spen-
sary aad aeti-prohibitloa, and had
been for a rear supporting a mode of
settlement by county option, between
high license, prohibition and the State
dispensary. On account of the absence
of Editor Gonzales in Cuba, Tbe State
had not token a very active part In the
campaign. A Tew dsvs before the
second primary, in a signed editorial,
It came out for Governor Ellerbe, pro
mising the local option and license ad
vocates that it would be to their inter
est to support him. The second pri
mary resulted in a scant majority for
Ellerbe. Efforts to draw an explana
tion from the newspaper'were unsuo
oessful. It asked its friends to await
the meeting of the Legislature.
When the Legislature convened and
GoveVnor Etlerbe’s message was read,
It suggested county option between tbe
dispensary and prohibition systems, but
itlons ahnnt votieg-Jee
handed me an envelope bearing the
familiar engraved lettering, “ State of
South OaroTlaa. Executive Chamber^
Columbia,” aad addressed : “ Mr. F. H.
We»ton, Columbia, 8. C., Personal.”
Columbia, 8. C., Sepi
(Confidential.)
nk;
p(*&M89e.
to you? in*
prol
tlon of the system _
nbredf fiTgfi license altogether and
made a Long appeal for the mainten
ance and fortification of the dispensary
system. _
Editor Gonzales was so bitterly dis-
appoinfbd at the outcome of bis nego
tiations with Governor Ellerbe that he
has made a full statement In regard to
the matter, claiming breach of faith
on the part of Ellerbe, and denouncing
him in the most scathing and unparlia
mentary terms. The main portion of
his statement Is as follows: 4
STATEMENT OF MR. GONZALES.
I arrived in Columbia on tbeevenlng
of September 5, but finding myself in
almost total Igboranoe of what had hap
pened in South Carolina aul the world
since the middle of June ard being
somewhat “dazed” by a return to
civilization, I did not at once resume
my editorial work, Intending to study
up a week or two before attempting it.
On September 7, however, the Spar
tanburg Herald made so attack on the
dispensary system and called on me to
join in the fight, and that night I wrote
an editorial, which appeared next day
in The State, giving my “hearty assent
to the propositions so well put by tbe
Spartanburg Herald,” but stating that
on account of my lack of information
as to the campaign, the pledges of tbe
candidates, their platforms and their
alliances I would be “ compelled, with
regret to be a bystander.” In addition
to these stated reasons I had two others.
(1) Contrary to my insstructloos an
editorial mildly endorsing Gov. EUerbe
had oeen printed In Tbe State during
my absence, and It seemed to tie my
nands ; and (2) I was Informed that Mr.
Feathorstont had pledged himself to
general 'prohibition and nothing but
that, a circumstance that made me
even more hopeless of the promotion
of my local option plan through him
than through Gov. EUerbe, because I
was sure Mr. Featberstone would do
what he said and I was not sure that
Dear Frank: In reply
qolry, will any—I fully concur in year
view as to the beet solution of the liquor
question. After mingling with the
people for three months and thorough
consideration I hava oome to tha con
elusion that the Dispensary Act should
be amended so as to allow each coun
ty to settle the liquor question for
itself, and have determined to make
snch reoommeedation to the next Gen
eral Assembly.
Your friend.
W. H. Ellerbe.
To Mr. F. H. Weston.
All of this except the printed caption
and date line was In Gov. EUerbe’s
handwriting. The date was wrong-
one day behind.
It was not as precise a pledge aa I
would have dictated, but whatever of
vagueness there might be in tbe phrase
“ allow each county to settle the liquor
question for itself ” was offset typthe
initial statement, “ I fully concur in
your view as to the best solution of
the liquor question.” I knew, and it
was a matter of public knowledge and
record, tbat Mr. Weston’s “view” was
tbe same as my own; tbat he favored
county choice between the dispensary,
high license and prohibition. While
1 did not have any ooofidenoe in Gov.
Ellerbe's simple word I did not believe
he would dare to incur tho obloquy of
exposure for violating this pledge, and
tbe *dop ^toS^i^gdiag-that ifternocm
•nu- - .7.™- ??* Charleston and wished to use the ori-
vrtnn-tTnT* J£r|'g1u*l-ttrsecBrB"V815Bg"ToF'lBe "Governor
there, I took a copy of the letter on
his promise to hand me the original
on ills return. He did return It, and I
That afternoon, September 8, when
I went to The State office I found a
note on my table from the oeahler
stating that Mr. Weston and Col. Neal
had been to the office to see me and,
having failed to do so, asked me to be
sure to meet them that qlgbt at Mr.
Weston's bank offloe. I kept the ap
pointment.
We talked for nearly an hour on In
different topics. Ac last Col. Neal saiJ
to me, slapping his knee :
“ Well, let’s oome down now to busi
ness. Nearly every paper in tbe State
Is jumping on the^overnor; he’s pretty
have kept It in my pocket most of tbe
time since.
I must confess tbat the Governor’s
prompt compliance with my ultimatum
was not altogether gratifying, for I
had thought tbe matter over and con
cluded that to carry out my part of the
agreement would subject me to muob
criticism and perhaps suspicion of my
motives and tbat I would have tQVith-
hold my justification until the Legis
lature met. On this account I half
regretted my ImpulslvedCss, which
bad entailed upon me a severe ordeal.
But tfie thing was done, and I went to
work In good faith to carry out my
C rtof the compact, having the satls-
ition of feeling that I had acted
wholly for the public good. The next
morning The State contained a signed
editorial urging high license voters to
support EUerbe, and each day until the
election the paper did Its best for him.
If it changed as many as 2,600 votes
which womd otherwise have gone to
Featberstone it Is responsible, I regret
to say, for his nomination.
I did not see Gov. EUerbe from the
time 1 returned from Cuba until some
three weeks after bis nomination by
the second primary. He had called at
my office when I waa out, and had sent
me messages asking me to visit him ;
so I went one day to his offloe at the
State Houso. After an exchange of
civilities be asked my opinion of the
clause in the State oonstltutlon per
mitting the Issue of lioenses for the
•ale of liquor, Maying that according to
that clause all liquors sold under high
license would have to be bought from
the State ‘dispensary. I analyzed the
section and showed tbat it oonld bear
no such interpretation. He persisted
in his claim, however, and l realised
that hu was trying to find a loophole
by which to escape the redemption of
his pledge. This realization angered
much that I could hardly trust
last Saturday afternoon. Qa Friday
Mr. Was ton Informed me that the
Governor had read him,that part bf
his message relating to, tha liquor
question, aad that it seemed to him
throughout aa argument tor the retea-
I on of the dispensary system, aUhoAgh
it did make a brief aad bare suggestion
ns to letting the people of the counties
settle the question for themselves. He
did not like it, he said. I told hi#
that If the message did not come up to
K romlse I would show up Ellerbe ruth-
wsly. The next day, Saturday, Mi*.
Weston gavu me a proof of tha liquor
Meet Ion of the mesMge, with as invita
tion from the Governor to call on him
at the mansion at 5 o’clock that after
noon. I read the proof aed waa great
ly Incensed at what I found in it. My
disinclination to sea the Governor waa
strong, ns I was afraid I could not con
trol my temper after thla revelation of
bis dupllolto ; bat ns I did not wish to
bring Ool. Neal aad Mr. Weston into the
matter—ns I must do if I exposed Eller
be—I finally determined to keep the
appointment.
At 5 o’clock I went to the executive
mansion and found the Governor con
versing with n visitor. Whan the
latter loft I told him that I had reed his
liqudr recommendations and was
greatly tururised and disappointed;
that he had not said whnt he hod
pledged himself to sny; that he had
defeated his half-way endorsement of
local option by other reoommendatlons
of the strongest character. He aeksd
me to specify. I pointed onVthls para
graph, for one : “ It (tbe dispensary)
must he firmly and permanently
established or completely done away
with.” This, I said, clearly manat the
hllshment of the dispensary on Us
Present basis or its elimination from
the wbolfl S totar-ll was adverse to par
tial elimination under the influence of
local option. Then I showed that the
context of his recommendation as to
local option limited the choice to pro
hibition and the dispensary only,
wholly ignoring high license ns an
alternative. Thla, I said, was not
whnt he had promised me ; If adopted
It wbuld defeat the very policy to
which I was committed nod,which I
preferred—high license. I went on to
sny that the whole dellvernnoe was
obnoxious to his professions, and
pledges, and that 1 quite understood
hit motive in limiting the choice to
robIbltlon aad the dispensary and in
lag special aad onerous burdens
on prohibition counties—he sought to
force the dispensary on tha people ns
the only endurable alternative.
He had made the word of promise to
the ear and broken if to the hope, I
said. -He replied, with marvellous ef
frontery, that he had made no pro
misee, tbat Frank Weston had not
acted properly in concealing from me
what hfi had said, and that he would
make him publish his latter. I an
swered thatl would do that; that I
proposed to show the public tbat I at
least had aotod in good faith. I got
up, bade him good evening, and walked
out of his sitting room, while he was
saying : " You oan do as yon please.’’
are mart ia thnwnyof penae n
and preachers. The editors i
sOeeP.nl to fond their __
tha abuse of the Booth in likn i
in trade and is alwoyu
It la a good eemeat ft
party aad keeps it solid, for If
readers differ oe home polities they
oaaaiwuu harmonise by abusing o*.
Tha lead lag New York RepubUcaa
paper in just as malignant
Kinley made his Southern tour
Was before.- Mr. McKinley
tho hnrmoaIMn, but The Pr
lanes to the music.
As for the preachers, my -mrltlfl
opinion is the majotrityof tb«m have
no more real religion than did Heary
Ward Beecher. Like the editors, they
rely on sensation to fill their pewa aad
their pockets. With a few exceptions,
their ThanksglTing sermow bag
neither love to God nor obsrity to man,
aad they weat out of the text to give
the South a slam or a stab. 1 used to
have great respect an^ reverence for
ministers of the gospel. I really bo*
lievod tony worn nil ordained of God
for the snored oeihng, hat in my inter
jedrs that reverence has wsakaoed
and It seems to me now that must of
them are only ordained of men. The
pulpit, both North aed South, has'
been degraded and has lost its high
standard. Hardly a week peases bat
some preacher has committed oome
crime and created n sensation.
Churches are torn asunder and tha
people divided Into outer factions.
Sensational preaching Is the order of
the day, and every oo*/ and then n
scandal with a woman in the case oc
curs. Undignified and bitter con
troversies in the newspapers feed the
public mind and delight those who art
outside of the pale of the church.-A
was oalled on yesterday for charity for
a poor, unfortunate family that Uvea a
few miles away, and was Informed that
the only daughter*, a girl of seventeen,
who could help the nged couple at aU,
I 1
list preacher
he
had married an old uapi
of sixty and;after a few weeks
abandoned her and left for ports
known. The story Is a pathetic
one and he ought to be caught jhM
to lodlBoe and lynched.
G
IT MAY BB A MASCOT.
BUI Arp Talks About the Figure 9
as it Appear* in the Mew Year -B
Terms of Peace With tbe North.
1899. I was ruminating about
riddle of the ft's. 1 aad 8 are 0. aad that
makes three 9*s la a row. 18 are two
9’s, and. that makes four Ps la a row
— A
7
myself to speak. I paced fumlni
badly worried
very anxious for
i
have already pointed out hoWwe may
iase, for the dispensary, lit
purchase, for the dispensary, liquors
tkst are pure; some provision requiring
bjndnd warehouse stamps on tiquorn
con-umed in Soa'.h Carolina, it scams to
me, would answer the purpose; bat I
only throw oat tha suggestion for whnt
it is worth and call attention to the sub
ject booitoe of Us Importance.
you to help him out. Can’t you do it?"
I replied that I had told Gov. Ellerbe
nil along that I would not support him
for renomlnntlon if he stuck to the die-
pensary, and he had stuck to It.
Mr. weston sold: “ The simple foot
of the matter is that the Governor
feels he Is obliged to have the support
of The State, and w* have naked you
here to find out on whnt conditions you
will support him.”
Without hesitatloa nud on the spur
of the moment I replied : ** If he will
pledge himself to me in writing to
urge the Legislature to pees n local
option law, allowing each county to
decide ior itself between high license,
prohibition and the dispenaary, I will
support him.” This idae had been with
me for n year; it bad bean the object of
All my effort the previous fall and
winter, end it came spontaneously to
my Ups. I did not stop to'consider the
prloe I might have to pay in public
misunderstanding of my motives if be
should nooept my terms.
Mr. Weston looked at Ool. Neal and
than said: ** I don’t think there wUl
be much trouble about that; do you
Colonel f” And OoL Neal replied, to
me: “ I think ha’ll do it nosy enough;
he’s got to do it if yon insist.”
Mr. Weston then asked me if n ver
bal assurance would satisfy me. I told
him no; there had been too much
question about Ellerbe’s verbal assur
ances already; I must hava it in black
and wblte for my own protection—but
he could tell the Governor that I would
not show the pledge to anybody nalei
he felled to observe it, In whioh case
would.—-Then Mr. Weston asked
•SWould you object to having theletter
addressed to jne ? I aa going to Char
leston to try' and help the Governor
down there aad I would like to be able
to show It to some of the politicians. 1
I answered that I would not object to
that, but that after he had used It ta
Charleston I must have the custody of
the paper, g
The eonfereaee broke up
t. at they would oe* the Gov-
next d«y aad bring me his on
Tha asxt day, Friday, September 9
Mr. WfHOR earn* to mj
me so
MpiBwiHSiMiiBilii *g up
end down the executive chamber and
finally told him that I was in no mood
to be dallied with In that fashion; that
‘f he intended to bunco ms ns several
newspapers had predicted he would do
be might rest assured that I would
publish the pledge and show up the
whole affair. Then I started out, bat
ns I had my hand bn the door-knob he
oalled me back and offered to leave the
nterpretation of the clause to any
awyer I would select. I proposed
Chief Justice Molver, but he objected.
1 then snggested Mr. R. W. Shand and
Gen. LoRoy F. Youmans, and he ohoee
Mr. Shand and said he would submit
the question to him. (Weeks after
ward b questioned Mr. Shand, and he
told me that the Governor had not said
a wor4 to him about it.)
The main issue then oame up, after
some talk, and Gov. Ellerbe bare
facedly denied that he had made any
agreement whatever. (I had his letter
Id my pocket at the time.) He at
tempted to unload the whole responsi
bility on Weston and Neal, saying he
had told them when he wrote tbe letter
that be had not changed his views,
was still for the dispensary and would
make no agreement. Assuming on air
of virtuous Indignation he Mid he
would send for them and make them
set him right. (He never did.) Ii
so disgusted that I again started to
leave, raying I would expose the whole
affair and let him settle It with Neal
and Weston ns he could; but again he
begged me to oome beck, ana thei
leaving his sent and coming to my eld
in front of tbe west window et his
right hand, he said : “ Don’t get mad;
let’s talk this thing over quietly sad
if we oacVoompromise it.” And
then he proposed to do precisely whnt
he had promised and wqn$ 1 had ex
pected—to urge the Legislature to
pass an net permitting each county to
choose by ballot between prohibition,
high license and tbe dispensary. It
was a lightning change on his part, and
almost took my breath away.
He went on to ray that this was so
new thing on his port; that he had
held those views before he had written
tbe letter to Weston end had told W
D. Evans of them. Then he added
“But I don’t era how I oan put through
nn administration measure carrying
out tbe plan.” I answered that that
did not matter; that I did not like this
“administration measure*’ idea an
how, end that i thought in this ease
might do as much harm as good. A1
.... Jl expected w«s that be would do whnit
with their T nod promised to do and leave the
consequences with the Legislature.
Herald again that he would make thaw
- recommendations, aad 1 went away
The three 9'
7 make 9
the 3 and 6 .make 9. Maybe this yeas
of the 9*a is to be a mascot and we will
have peaoe aad prosperity la tha lead,
fiaybe tbe lion will lay down with the
nmb, end the nations shall brat their
swords into plowshares nod
war any more.
Maybe, I ray. Bat thorn are
lynched. Thin
lowering of the standard of morality
and good old-fashioned Christian pas
toral preaching is especially noticeable
in the two great lending denomina
tions of the South. I am gratified to
ray that the Presbyterian and Episco
pal churches have not yet shocked the
public with any ministerial soaadal,
though their preachers are as a class
inferior in pulpit elcquenoe to those of
half a century ago. No minister of
the olden time would have carried bis
sectarianism so far as to seek to *x-
pungs from the Presbyterian hyma
book that beautiful hymn:
” There is a fountain flllad with blood
Drawn (rom Immanuel's veim ;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood.
Lora ail their guilty ttalas.” —
This hyma was oomposed by Wil-
Wf* Oowpor, the poet, aad is em
balmed in the sweetest memories of
our child hood. But this preeoher
wishes to have it expunged hnotnan
third line emaoks of baptism
by Immersion. Oh, my country ! Add
now tome of our Atlanta and Nashville
preachers urn ventilating their pollti
onl pplalow about the war and the
— , Phillipplnra in their pulpits, to the
this Of svsry hrara ; w ho diffsrs with
that th ® ni - , Tbe J Wirt Utat the pulpit is
not theirs, and their call waa to preneh
tho gosnel—hot politics. .a-
j I asII, I suppose that
>’s makes 27, and tbe 2 and I * • om #
The four 9’s make 86, *&d I wU11
1 jramlwra O Mtawho thlffi MAT I fMJDiioU rolls. I - §M
signs of peaoe on this aide of the water three different neelkationa in
-pence between the North end the 1
South,
of jt.
Congress
McKinley has mod# a break
‘ if be can control his party,
will fix up our Confederate
rraveyards. Then the next thing will
w to pension our Ooufednrato veterans
and widows last like they do theirs,
nod Ust of nil, to apologize. I never
will bn satisfied antil
and beg oar pardon,
will do that nndefoel bettor
know by this
so.
In}
i seventy-two of nn Ohio regiment have
| already applied. Ohio beats the world
on pensions^ aad has learned Ml tito
tricks of tbs business. "
not learn I th * p * rooeuU
no* ie * ni 1 drawn three pens!
mess. One maa up
ly detected la having
lions for tha past five
years. During tbe war bn was
ferrod three times, and so bn
counties, end his sore leg went 1
nil light, end be now f “
lawyer put him op to it,
the lawyer one pension
Th
bo i
two. The general opinioe at Y
laftou is that at least one-half the
pensions granted are frauds. Bat pee-
sloe money olroulates f^eely, and tbat
is a good thing, end when it get* to
among onr baya
ks they do the
apologize. I an'
*’“ ‘KS* 1 ”I to . Mod -ftto*, ud
f—Jto 11 ?* 11 1 olrenUtlaff down her.
ltt«r M* horto( I.. won’t oompldto.
WtMi ,,,1*4.1004 old-to.Woood
that they were in the wrong, though I Christmas at snr *»—— —
t has taken a long tiara for them to I thankful that no affliction or oalauilv
fl K nd U "I".*- .hod bninl^uTdor^ tL%2?w
the most forgttlng people In the world, hod sixteen of the oontoritv al ttai
or w* wouldn’t make so much ado over | ( Mt ive board, and ttoydSdra? turkey
'at ce terse amazing. Next March
m our gulden wedding, and then
all th* distant boys and their wives
and children are to gether at the
family mansion, end my wife -end I
will be calm and serene. I rend in n
life Insurance paper that only
married couple In 1000 live togetoMr
fifty years. And so the event ought to
bn odnbrated.
or
the offer to fix np oar graveyards, for
the truth is, our women have already
fixed them ap nod oar died are com
fortable under their earn. Bat it is n |
sign of good will and foreshadows nn
apology Is the near future. Tom Reed
wants to get ahead of McKinley In the
South, end I expect will introdooe n!
Bill of Apology at the next session.
Pensions and apologies will be his
slogan. It woa’ttake n grant deal of
money for oar veto mas end widows,
for there nr* hot sonny left, but It will
onus* those who ere left to live longer,
for
Bill Asp.
—Norway is 1
Is‘baying
country, end it is raid
i in thH
**rt*bteiipra-
nesdhlbtnin
Thla In a
■ Norway olaim-
lftf Sweden preponderates too
much la the partnership. A war be
tween tbe two countries would
of greet fierceness, for tbe Si
Norwegians represent the s
roue stock in Europe. We are
to forgot la these time* that th* fore
fathers of all the nations of Northern
“ Time onto down Ml,
Both great aad small,
Except a pension soldier.
They do not die, v
But multiply- '
And never grow any older.
An old friend told me that the aliena
tion between tbe North and South was
owing more to diet and climate than
it was to slavery or negroes. Said be. | Europe, aad our own too, earn* outM
they live oa oold bread aad canned | Scandinavia. It was mat
good* aad codfish, and drlak iced tea,
while we live oa bam and eggs aad hot
rolls and beat Msoult aad drink oofli
Their diet is fir eMd aad shivering as
thei” climate, while ours is rich
warm aad stlmnlatiag like our sun
shine. Hence, they are inclined tub*
oold hearted and tolfish. We feestod..
McKinley down here on Southern food.
and warmed him to tbe heart aad tth
mule him feel generous nad Wad, aad | PWlmtim
MW
ago, but it gives us all an
interest la that peninsula.
-Iloilo is the
port in the Phil
chief Mty of the
cording to geographers the
nnuren of , 4,633 sqaura mil
then the Stole of
bin to tho heort mai.td.fl lolotho thro.
•o he _ MM
and wore that veteran’s badge l
he felt good inside. If bn nal s
down there u few weeks long
would have spoken for ponriom
apologised.
- Maybe there Is something in
for 1 have observe
with an Mr any
Mwnys take onr side
qnn,
If Oanix
rith 121.1
with
909 is
—Ilia
the
United
Uid not sen Gov. Ellerbe again natil
is that the
4'