Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Bamberg Herald. EXTRA. BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1900. SENATOR HAYFIELD'S SPEECH At the Campaign Meeting at Olar. The Bamberg Dispensary?His Record While in the Senate. r*?Tnniiix? ? **T\ T?n i nw-PTTHrvc* a\1K. n a1R .U .a a a?\U a I am happy to be here today?glad to meet face to face the voters of this county from whom I received my commission to the Senate, and account to you for my stewardship. The bestowal of a political honor upon a citizen means that the person so honored obligates himself to work for the best interest of the people. The election to the Senate carried the responsibility of legislation for the relief from grievous and burdensome taxation under which you were groaning; the building up of your highways which were only paths or gullies; the freedom of our youth from the bar rooms of the past. So I betook myself to a careful study of our county affairs. The enormous debts had to be paid, and yet taxation must be reduced, how to meet it, was the question of vital importance; how to save the land from the blighting, blasting influence of intemperance, costty trials, murders and debauchery. Tl.-c. +Vi? nf 1 was rpmnrt-nnnp 1 JL1C SCSSiUll tiiv VA.J1UVL VI AUVM II VIU v.... There the old line politicians held over and attempted to block all reform legislation. But determined that the evils of the barroom should be wiped out we framed and passed the dispensary bill which took the selling and handling of liquor out of the hands of the individuals and placed it in the hands of State officers and county dispensaries. The result has been a wholesale reduction in the amount of drunkenness, and a curtailment of the treating habit. Many good men have become sober, God-fearing, industrious citizens; the youth of our land are saved from the gam? bling dens and temptations. A sober generation has grown up. When the dispensary was mismanaged, Senator Efird and I drew ? ? i* i . i r* _ji _ r t _a tne Dill estaDiisning tne tfoara 01 control, i^ater some unwunny men got on the Board so last session I drew the bill to abolish the Board of Control and establish the Board of Directors, whose powers were limited, and where the county which consumes the liquor shall have the profits arising from the sale of liquors through the dispensary. It was a long, hard fight, in which every man of prominence took part. Every enemy of the dispensary voted and worked against the bill I prepared. But at length the right triumphed; I inoved to strike out all except the title of the bill and insert the changes which we wanted. The motion prevailed, and after many amendments it was sent to the House and at last was passed. By this change in the law you will get annually from the dispensary all the profits made on the liquor sold except 10 per cent, which will cover the cost of handling? you will have turned into the county funds more than $4,000 which had been going to counties like Spartanburg, Greenville and to prohibition counties like Marlboro and Horry. Horry County, although it had no dispensary, got all told, more than $21,000 from the dispensary fund. This brings the dispensary legislation to the present. Just at this point I desire to explain to you the BAMBERG DISPENSARY MUDDLE or what has been contorted, changed, magnified until it is the only thing my opponents have to back their man for office. I want you to listen attentively and when I am done pass judgi .1 t * i ^ ? i. tm j: r> i ment wnetner l am ngnr or nor. inc uispenser ai camuerg often made himself officious and obnoxious by talking instead of attending to his business; for sometime he has been fighting me; I thought it time for him to stop it, for it is not right for a man to hold a position in the dispensary, have his son, a minor, to do the business while he spend his time on the streets dabbling in politics and maligning candidates. Having received from the State Board of Directors a notice asking for the names of the County Board as provided for in the new law, I wrote: "Dear Doctor:?The Directors of the Dispensary have written me requesting the names of the County Board of Control and before doing so I desire to settle one question in Bamberg. I don't think it is the business of a dispenser to become the politically ally of any man and as the race for the Senate is between you and me, I have written to the dispenser at Bamberg, Mr. J. D. Felder, and requested of him that he be hands off in this election. I do not want his aid as a dispenser in my campaign, because if I accepted it, it would drag the dispensary into politics and is in direct violation with my whole course in dealing with the dispensary; but I desire to see the principles of the dispensaiy prevail; and that its influence be exerted to curtail the use of intoxicating liquors in this State, and I therefore write you as my - ? .? . * .. ,, opponent and request that you join with me m the attempt to eliminate the dispensary from politics in this county, and let the race between us be fought out upon issues which are material to the best interests of the people of this county and not have one or more of the dispensers engaged in canvassing for men who are candidates for election to county offices. I would be glad to have your co-operation on this line and trust that I will hear from you forthwith. .Very truly, S. G. MAYFIELD." In that letter I enclosed a copy of a letter I had written to Mr. J. D. Felder, as follows: "Dear Sir:?I write you in regard to the race which is now under way between Dr. Black and myself as candidates for the State Senate from Bamberg County. Naturally I would be glad to have your aid in this campaign did you hold any other posi * .1 . r ?f a - i ?j r i.: i u.* tion tuan tnat 01 a non-poiracai anu nun-iai-uuu<ti unc, um knowing that you hold *such a position I have deemed it best to write you and ask you to give me at least an expression that as dispenser at Bamberg you will be at least neutral in this race. I have never sought to use the dispensary in any of my campaigns or in any political fight and do not now; in fact it was on account of making the dispensary a political machine that I raised my protest and made such a fight as drove every man who was doing it out of that business and made them quit it. As an officer who has somewhat to do with the appointing power, I request from you a statement at least that you will be non-partisan in this race, voting as you please, but treating both candidates absolutely fair. Kindly let me hear from you forthwith. I send a copy of this letter to Dr. J. B. Black also. Very truly, S. G. MAYFIELD." These letters reached Dr. Black on the morning train on the ? .1 1 J _1 X 1 n 9th of May. I was in tfamoerg on tnat aay, anu aoour o'clock shook hands with Dr. Black. He had gotten my letter, but he did not mention to me the matter. Now why did he keep silence? Why did he not tell me frankly he proposed to use the dispensary in politics, or that he did not? Why did Dr. Black not say to me I'm ready to take this matter up and settle it? When a successor to Mr. Dickinson was to be appointed I had to go to Bamberg several times. Dr. Black was afraid to act. He was afraid of the influence of the applicants who did not receive the appointment. Surely no man will say that I should have gone to him again having written and spoken to him and no re1 T J-J - .J- 1 TV? T eanf in ftl/a nomPG nf flip ply, J. Q1C1 IIUL near IIUIU UI uiaiA. su jl ovub m vuv uuiuvu vi vuv three men for the County Board?they were recommended by me individually. The following is a copy of the letter: "Hon. L.J. Williams, Chairman, Columbia, S. C. Dear Sir:?Pursuant to your request, I herewith hand you the names for County Board of Control: Mr. John J. Jones, Bamberg, S. C. Mr. G. B. Kinard, Ehrhardt, S. C. Mr. G. P. Perry, Denmark, S. C. . I would deem it a personal favor to have these appointed. Very truly, S. G. MAYFIELD." I went to Bamberg shortly after and after talking with friends I found that owing to a homicide in the town that the appointment of Mr. Jones was objectionable, was regarded as factional. I saw him and told him the trouble and he said he saw that I was right, that it might be the cause of strife and [continued on other side.]