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I .-\i u- THE LARGEST CIRCULATION of Any Newspaper in the Fifth Congressional District, of S. C. EVERY ONE PAID IN ADVANCE The Ledger. SEMI-WEEKLY .-PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND IBIDAY. WE GUARANTEE RELIABILITY of Every Advertiser Who Uses the Columns of This Paper. BEST ADVERTISING MEDIUM. A Newspaper In All that the Word impllee and Devoted to tho Boot intereete of the People of Cherokee County. ESTABLISHED FEB. 18, 1894. GAFFNEY, 8. C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1904. $1.00 A YEAR. SENATOR TILLMAN ON THE DISPENSARY. DEFENDS HIS PET IN A LONG SPEECH. Arguments Against the System by Rev. F. C. Hickson, Who Replied to the Senator, and by W. S. Hall. We believe in “totin’ ’’ fair. We promised Senator Tillman to publish the stenographic report of his speech delivered here Saturday. We did not, however, presume for a moment that he wanted us to print anything other than what he said. He left here Sat urday at 2:48, went to Spartanburg and remained in that city until 10 o’clock Sunday morning. During that time he edited his speech, as the changes in the stenographer s copy will show. Anyone who doubts this statement can call at The Ledger of fice, examine the copy and verify this statement. We are printing it as he changed it. In changing it he left off some of the utterances that were calculated to give offense. This is another evidence of his unwillingness to be fair in the discussion of the dis pensary system.—Ed. Ledger. Tillman Introduced. Senator Tillman was introduced by Mr. Cutler as follows: Fellow citizens, I have been re quested in the absence of the county chairman to introduce the speaker on this occasion. He needs no introduc tion at my hands and you are aware of the subject that he will discuss, so without an attempt to make a speech on this subject, I now present to you Hon. B. R. Tillman, of South Caro lina. Senator Tillman’s Speech. Mr. Tillman spoke as follows: Fellow citizens: Since I have been In your midst, having arrived yester day afternoon, my memory has trav elled back to the various times when L have had the pleasure of meeting the people of what is now Cherokee county, and it has occurred to me that not knowing very much of you personally, and without being able to explain why, that there is something, I do not know what, which makes my visits to Gaffney have the appearance of mile stones along my career, along tfie road that I have travelled as a public man. My first appearance among you was in October, 1890, when I was invited here as the Demo cratic candidate for governor to make a speech. It was the only place in the St&te that wanted to hear any thing more after I had stumped the entire State during the preceding summer, and it was the only speech I made as Democratic nominee for governor. I was elected of course. The next time I appeared here, If I remember aright, was in December or January; December f think it was, 1896, when you were agitating and discussing the subject of cutting off a new county. I come this time un der somewhat similar circumstances. Then it was in response to an invita tion signed by many men I do not know, requesting me to counsel with you as to the advantages and disad vantages of cutting yourselves loose from York, Union and Spartanburg and setting up housekeeping on your own hook. The next time I came was when I was canvassing without oppo sition, but simply in the ordinary course of politics, going around to pay my respects to those of you who had supported me in 1900. The next time when I appeared here was in answer to a similar invitation to meet my then colleague in the joint dis cussion of the program he had mapped out of leading a large number of Dem ocrats into the Republican party un der the disguise of “commercial De mocracy. You know the result of my coming. I am here today in response to an invitation signed by two or three hundred of you asking me to discuss Temperance, Prohibition, Dispensary and License, as you are to pass on that at the next election. There is some difference of opinion as to whether I have any business here. There are some people who are fl ; s- posed to think that I am a meddler: that I am interfering with a “purely local matter’’ with which I have no business and that I ought not to b here. I want to say in regard to that that, when you elected me governor you did not rob me of the right of a citizen to discuss any question any where, and when you sent me to Washington as your representative in the 1 nited States Senate | was and am still a Pouth Carolinian and ‘till:- tax payer, and more than that I am still your servant. CCheors). At least I leel that way and try to do my duty in the national hall and I tried to do my duty in the governor’s of fice. The question is, why did you ark me to come? There is a differ ehce of opinion as to why. Who was Instrumental in inviting me here” To give you my reason for saying some things I intend to say, I will read from the News and Courier of Thursday last, a communication from this Hi . or town, which is not signed (The Senator then read the article which was in effect as follows: That Senator Til^nan was coming' to Gaffney to interfere in a local matter and crack the whip of a boss over the boys and make them line up for the dispensary against even their conscl entlqiui*«cruples). Now I complain of that manner of treating this meeting as far as I am concerned because first, 1 am called the boss and I have no desire to crack a whip over you and I object to it most because of the fact that this man, whoever he may he, has so little respect for you, so little comprehension of your natural capacity, of your manly self respect, that he declares that you will obey the crack of the whip and fall into line and even vote against your con sciences and your better judgment. What sort of mangy cur dogs does he take you to be, men of Cherokee? Where in South Carolina is there a county which has within its bounds a lot of slavish, ignorant, debased and cowardly citizens who obey me? This is the old cry that used to come from way back; that you were a lot of fools who followed me obediently and that I had to only get out and crack my whip and that you would follow and do my bidding. There is another little clipping, or rather editorial, from one of your county papers to which I want to ask you to listen while I read It. (Senator Tillman then read from an editorial in the Gaffney Ledger, whch was to the effect that he had complained of Senator Hampton coming here in 1890 to interfere in a local State af fair and that his coming to Chero kee was very nuich out of place). Is it out of place? Well that is a matter of opinion. I have already said you put me in the responsible position which I now occupy but you did not take from me every right I have in my State and this county, and I want to ask you, what position would I occupy if I was so much of a politician, so afraid of making ene mies, so cowardly that 1 would de cline to accept your invitation to come here and discuss a great public question in which we are all Inter ested, when two or three hundred citizens ask me to discuss the ques tion calmly and dispassionately without any fear but merely to please you. I say, what sort of a cowardly dog would I be if I had said I am too busy or the circumstances are such that I cannot accept. I would not have long retained your respect or good will. I certainly yould not de serve to retain it at all if I was so low and contemptible as thht. There is another fling here that I will men- thm. He speaks of Senator Hampton coming here in 1890. Is there any analogy in the conditions? Senator Hampton left his seat in the Senate and came to South Carolina when there was a very heated campaign on for the office of governor. He spoke from the same platform with the can didates and lent all his influence in behalf of one man against another, and there is no analogy between that case oi.d this at all. This is not a personal matter; this is a matter of principle. You are to vote on a meas ure. As both of your papers are lined up on one side and you have no advocate, is it not natural that I am glad to come here, and is it not my duty to come? You all know I would not presume to come here to tell you all what to do. You would ride me on a rail *f I were to be so insolent as to occupy the attitude of a boss. I came here to give you such ideas in regard to this great subject as might enable you to judge of it and judge intelligently. I want to say- now, that after you have heard this question from mo and from any other who may choose to speak from this i tand today who wishes to argue from the other side, I will Hp most happy to hear from him before you take your action. I am not here to bamboozle or honeyfuggle, and while * s * or you to determine the dispensary may need changes whether you want this system to con tinue. It is your right to kick it out. I believe in legal self government, but I don t believe in two newspapers re fusing to print an article not in ac cord with their views. I understand an article was placed in the hands of one of these newspa pers and they refused to print it Mr. DeCamp: They didn’t send it to me. Mr. Parrott: We did not refuse to print any article. Senator Tillman: I will ask the man who brought that paper to me to please rise. (A man arose in ihe back of the house). (Cheers). The man stated that the paper was placed with the paper edited by the Messrs. Parrott and was signed by G. B. Dan- Pa rrott: I have the article, t Laughter and cheers and shouts for 1 illman). I illman: Wait a moment if I was mistaken I want to take it hack. I anott: I have the article on hand to he published as soon as we can do so. The article will appear as soon as we have time to print it Senator Tillman: Will it appear before the election? Parrott: Yes, sir. Senator Tillman: Ho says it will »nnear before the election. That is all right. 0 Parrott: My brother and I do all | " wo , rk in office and we do not bave time to set up all the matter that, comes in at one time. Senator Tillman: I am glad to h " ar y < m ^at it is not true that >oit refused to publish it. Now I will try to justify myself for '•oming here. I will always believe -hat it was my duty to come. I will always come when you call me be cause you have always come when I called for you. You all in the rear there is room up here instead of the lisle I want you to come up to the • men corner because I am going to breach tho gospel according to Till man today. (Cheers). There is al ways room for those who climb and here is plenty of room down here just want to speak something fur- ’ ier in reference to this local matter, •bout the impropriety or indecency, f 1 may use a stronger word, of my com ng here to meddle in your affairs but i h«v' haVen,t the 'invitation, but I have a very good memory. I remember that when you were con sidering the advisability and wisdom of cutting loose from the counties of York, Union and Spartanburg to set up for yourselves, that there was a great difference of opinion as to how the thing would go. The town of Gaffney was very anxious to become a county seat, and discussion was go ing on as to whether it would add to your taxes and compensate you for the additional burdens by the advant ages offered. And another invitation just like the one I got last week came to me eight years ago to come here to express my opinion and advise with my fellow citzens as to the wis dom and advantages of establishing Cherokee county, and I as very sure that there was one man who signed that petition who wrote one of those editorial articles. (Cheers). When I came here then, he thought it was the proper thing. He did not say then as he says now, that it was “out of place.” I’ll bet if I had the list here now I could find probably one hun dred names of men who are now fly blowing me on the side and telling that I am coming here to whip you boys into line and that you haven’t manhood enough to resent it. It re minds me of the old story that we boys who were taught in the blue back spelling book used to read. There was a certain farmer who had a fine steer, living neighbor to a lawyer who had a bull, and the bull killed the steer and the farmer went to see the lawyer in reference to it, and told the lawyer that most un fortunate thing had occurred; that his steer had killed the lawyer's bull and the lawyer said: “Well, you are liable for the killing of my bull and I suppose you have come to pay for it.” “Hold on,” said the farmer, “it was your bull that killed my ox. I made a mistake.” “Oh,” said the law yer, “that makes a difference. We will see about it.” Very easy when the farmer was to pay hjm, but different when it was otherwise. It was all right when I came here to discuss other matters in which they are interested, but de cidedly out of place for me to come here and discuss temperance and the dispensary law. So much by way of preliminary. As I told you, I was invited here to discuss tho question of Temperance Dispensary Law, Prohibition or Li cense I am going to do it honestly and frankly as I always* do every thing. I started too late In life to teach my tongue the trick of saying one thing and meaning another There is no one here who wants to make this a personal issue, but I want to invite any man who feels so disposed to ask me questions, and I will answer them if I can. I am here for the truth as I see it. I may be in error. There is nothing in this for me in any shape, form or fashion ex cept that I will feel when I get through that I have done my duty you can d T ° as your conscience dictates after I get through. The question of control of whiskey and how to prevent the great evils which trnm . thoughtfuI “an says result from it and sometimes happen even fam,1 y. or the evils of liquor drinkng to excess. It is an is sue that will never down because it can never be settled according to the conflicting opinions of the people in terested It is going on in one form ai ?°^ her ,n a thousand communi- ties today They have tried prohi- hit on in three States, and it has faUed signally in stopping the sale The h»rL? r t )reventn g drunkenness. The barrooms are run open in the and" R 80 1 am Informed^ ami it j 8 the same in Kansas City Kansas, and while there are manv small towns in the two States where iquor is difficult to obtain the num- hci of revenue licenses to sell liquor meriV in ^M^ 6 ,T . ni,G(, States govern- m< nt in Maine is more than double ho licenses in South Carolina, both "Ponsary and blind tiger. Maine has w h a,,0n ' Whilfi in Ka nsas h- ve th h G po P ula ton than we t a, e m^r“ *'* mm When I was in the campaign for Eir-, ln ,892 - ll1 " l>ro hi hit ion became a very burning on< in several sections. The prohibit,, n Moment started out to Inject that in ” u * oampalgn, hut a large majority *>o pnjhihitionists were my friend in i as the issue promised to make things very complicated, it was fi vb m ag , ree<1 t , ha ’ ft ,,ox sh '’»'d ho pro- ,l, e J al <>a<: h Democratic club in which the question of prohibition or icensc should be voted on. Prohibi tton won by a majority of ten thous- 1 ' . votG landing 25,000 against and d.,,000 fop prohibition, hut^there wore more than 20,000 voters who did Hnn th< *mselves on the ques tion therefore, prohibition did not receive a majority in the State. When the legislature met the House of Rpe- resentatives felt constrained to pass a Prohibition law, a*d did pass such a bill, but I suggested to the Tn? a n° , n C> a,,v,8al,,ll( y of aubstlt.it ng the dispensary law for the prohi bition bill and the House accepted the compromise. The word “dispensary” was in the prohibition bill.- All ofthe frame work of the present dispensary law was In the prohibition bill | only changed the title, struck out some provisions and put in others and provided for the dispensary system having Iquor sold by the State through its bonded officers with the profit to go to tho people, rather than having it sold by an individual with poel et' ,nt g ° ,ng lnt ° hi8 own Private J„ a ! ra,t(hnt 1 ,ia ' 1 BOmp thlng to do with the dispensary law. but they had already framed It and I simply put the weatherboarding on when I took t np and changed its character I vo ? J ,Ud ^ ,Ulty - 80 far 1 until v Votodon thlH flvo and w iL ? f?,/ 1 * t0 Chan « e 11 I am willing to let it stand, and I still say it is the best control of liquor the question by human hands, and you have to deal with matters rather as they are than as you would like them to he. Now the particular law giver and man who deals with conditions as they are and knows these conditions clearly is the man who is best quali fied to determine what shall be done in governments. The man who holds his head high and looks at the beauti ful star and moves forward, with his eyes on the ideal, does not see the pi- falls which are about his feet. I try to which are about his feet. I try to live up to my ideal but I keep my eyes on the ground so that I can see where the pitfalls are. I am not here to say anything about the prohibition ary idea. If I felt that prohibition was possible, I would vote the dispensary law out, but I know the prohibition- ary idea can not he carried out. The question is, how will you handle this demon of whiskey? The dispensary system is a sale in the way that teach es the people how to use it instead of abusing it. There are people who hold it is a crime to sell liquor except for medicinal purposes. There are some who go so far as to say it is a crime to drink whiskey. I never saw it that way. I had it out with the preachers in 1900. The Methodist bishop down here at Spartanburg called me a liar right out in conference, and another high muckamuck from the Baptist church in Greenville preached a ser mon and flayed^me alive almost, so I went to the Bible which I had not studied over much, but nowhere could I find that it was a sin to drink whiskey, or sell it. There was one text, I don’t care to quote it, whereas, there are a dozen or more where men are told to drink, and in stances are told in the lives of pro phets where they drank. Mr. Hickson: They didn’t have any liquor in that time. Sen. Tillman: Well they had some thing that made them drunk for old man Noah was made drunk. They did not know how to distill whiskey but they used the juice of the grape and it made people drunk. Mr. Hickson: Does the Bible jus tify old Noah for getting drunk? Sen. Tillman: I don’t say the Bible justified it. A good many things are done which the Bible doesn’t justify. Gome up here, I want to shake your hand. (Rev. Hickson comes tip on rostrum, shakes hands with the Sen ator and sits down). Well as I in vited joint discussion when I got up here, I had supposed if anything of the sort was to come off there would have been an understanding to that effect but I invite the advocates of those fight^ig the dispensary to come ? n . up '^ ^ ^ end here makes any holes Ih mjr stockings, I simply want two or three minutes to pick up the stitches. Taking my view of prohibi tion, I think I have made it clear enough that it Is a little too high for us. The old barroom idea is simply an impossible thing, and I can’t con ceive of how the people of South Car olina will ever go back to the old wanting it back again. I can’t con- ceive of how the people of South Ca rolina will ever go back to the old scheme of selling —the barroom with its cut glass glasses which would doo7 y ° Ur b ° yS ,D through the hack In 1890 when this issue was last voted on, I asserted what appeared to me to be a plain fact, that the preachers and barkeepers were in line together, the angels of light and aUd^h 88 ' ° ne to have barrooms and the other to have prohibition. Are they together In this fight? I don t know whether these men who used to make money in the liquor S nrnMMM n ° W thG heEd ,,ghtS ln the prohibition crowd or not. I know they are not on our side. Let us find the truth and follow it. If it leads to prohibition let’s have it, or if it leads to the dispensary, let’s have it. Now what are some of the reasons and advantages why the dis pensary is better than prohibition or ‘.cense? T,1G first thing it does, is that it does away with the element of personal profit. Honestly administer ed as tho law was formed and as it is now, there Is no chance for anv man to make anything out of it individu ally except his regular salary as dis penser. clerk or constable, he cannot get more honestly. Some men have talked about its immorality The newspapers keep it in stock. I think hey have it run together with llno- . i ,K \ i! n . ev , er rnadG an - v Pretentions about Its being a great moral institu- i on. I simply said when I formed it nils is an improvement on the old svs- ° m with the ai#l of tho moral e!o- ment in this State, we can enforce ft to the letter and drive drunkenness out of South Carolina as far as ii could be driven by anybody. We did not name It a great moral institution. I have been misrepresented by men who make me say things I never said or thought of saying and then con demned by the same men for having said them. Now instead of men selling liquor for profit, they don’t sell it for profit and the profit goes to the community. Tho man who is a dispenser has nothing to encourage him to sell con trary to the law when he only gets tils salary as fixed by the Stato bontd, therefore has no personal in terest in it. You can easily realize 1 bat it. has tho advantage over any other scheme of handling whiskey. I he greed of humanity and desire to make money without regard to con- j sequences or to tho women and chil- dren who are made miserable by (lie sale of tills stuff, encourages barkeep ers to sell to minors and after dark. They talk today about the State being disgraced and that tho dispensary money is blood money. When the state permitted licenses to be Issued • ml to receive money therefor, when your town got its barroom licenses, it. was as much an immorality as it is to have the dispensary. There is no difference in immorality. There is one feature which the dispensary sys tem has which the barroom has not. It has destroyed the habit of treating, destroyed the saying “Come on Bill or John and get a drink,” and they would all get a drink at one man’s expense, and they would sit around and talk about crops and one man would say, “We have drunk that man’s whiskey, let’s have another," and all would take another drink and before they left the larger part of them would be drunk. Treating has been done away with by the dispensary law and the man now who wants to give his friend a drink has to go around hack of the stable and it doesn’t taste as good as it would in one of those little cut glass glasses. But say what you please, treating has been killed practically by the dispensary system. When the law is honestly administered, there IS no incentive to sell after nightfall, as there was for a barkeeper to do. These three are enough. I recognize the right of newspapers to criticize me. I don’t set myself up as being above it, but I do object to people putting words in. my mouth which I never said and whaling me over the head for having said them. About two months ago, as I happened to be going from Clemson College to Washington, to get an officer detailed to Clemson, newspaper men ran up to me at Spartanburg and asked me what about the Brice hill? I have never been afraid to say my say about anybody’s bill or anybody. I said it seemed to me to be an attempt to as sassinate the dispensary law. I did say I did not see how any honest man could vote for the Brice bill. For this I have been severely criticised. If I can make myself understood I do not think anybody can accuse me of hav ing insulted a large lot of people who believed in it. I have been taught that dishonesty is getting something that doesn’t belong to you. What did the Brice bill provide? Simply that the dispensary may be voted out, and no way Is provided for enforcing the dispensary law in that county out of that county’s funds. I will tell you the truth straight and square, and ••Men a county wants a dispensary kicked out it Is their right, but still when the dispensaries In the other counties that have disnensaries have to send constables into this county and make the other county defray the expenses of enforcing the law, I say it is dishonest and I believe it was dishonest and I stick to it. Well, I have very briefly given you an outline of some of the fundamental principles involved and I have also endeavored to point out the reason why the dispensary law is the best system for handling whiskey. (The Senator then made some ref erence to the fact that he was often misquoted, to which one of the edi tors present said that he never mis- represented the Senator but would print his exact words). Senator Tillman: You tell me you are going to print what I say just plain and fair. I have a gentleman there who will furnish you with an exact copy and I almost agree to set up the type or pay some one else for doing it as I want everybody to see how much there is to your great blowing on this subject. I tried to get information from some of your county officials as to the total amount of expenditures for schools and taxes paid, etc., but this is what I get: (The Senator then proceeded to read the statement which was turned over to the stenographer, but which has since been mislaid, and in com menting on it said): You don’t give me any supply bITi and you don’t give me any state ment asked for information which should >e accessible to any citizen in this town and that is what I got, therefore, J cannot say anything as to what will’ he the result if the State officers have this in revenue cut off. Voice: I can tell you what the re- cf‘ipts are from the dispensary. Senator Tillman: I have got that. You don’t get but $3,750 from tho dis pensaries according to this state-' merit, from October 1st, 1903 to Goto her 1st, 1904. I got Jt from your county treasurer. He was good enough to prepare it for me, a clear statement in regard to the countv Now if you find the dispensary is such a crime producer and such a machine o wreck Mves and you want to pay his additional amount to get rid of and the additional taxes of over u m 1 V” ,,ay for Gnff >rclng the pro hibition, to get rid of the dlspensarv, Jn , y0 !', r r - Kht ’ l,uf 1 08,1 your atten- n U ] ,,1G fact that if you do you will I'ave to ,,ay double your taxes for county purposes, and those members , fkG legislature who have probably been elected on this Issue will go f ar ',. to face with the issue, that they must increase the levy and you must put your hands In your iiockots and ma! > this money good. Your school fund will he reduced unless vmt make it good to tin. amount of $3,774, and you will rob your children of tin ir school ng or tax yourself i„ order to make it good It is all a matter you must determine for yourself. I have a deep interest in the dispen sary law, first, because it gave me a* governor more trouble than anything I ever had anything to do with The responsibility was or, me to enforce the law as it was on the statute books n id I Pledged myself that I would close every bar in South Carolina and would go the limit to see the law en- mT m? nd ^ pGnf,,t y Imposed, rnd I u'' Or0 ,nVG • , '*en men who were so l tie and contemptible, who, lost lo nl sense of decency, without a scintilla of evidence, have charged me whh lining my pockets. F know my fellow citizens have never given any credit to it, for they have elected me to the Senate twice since these tdan dors wbre started. But the altuatlon in the State now la certainly one that is most unsatisfactory. The law as it was written I tried to enforce. I had the law written, as far as I could convert the legislature to my ideas, as I deemed best, and the first session after it went into effect in 1893, we amended It. As Loon as I left' the governor’s office, hardly three or six months had elapsed before they changed it. They took the system out of the control of the State Board, composed of the governor, attorney general and comptroller general, and they put the power of directing, con trolling and purchasing whiskey in charge of a State board. That they have changed twice. Now the board is elected by the general assembly and approved by the governor. I wouldn’t have come here but to give you my opinion, and I want to labor with my friends to take hold of this law and key it up, and have the ma chine run as a temperance measure rather than as a money making ma chine. It was never intended to be a machine for money making or for profit. They say it is being whispered everywhere that certain members of the board had nothing when they were appointed but that now they have plenty. Another man had a mort gage on everything he had when he was appointed, but the other day he died and left his family a lot of money. They don’t spare even the dead in their vile slanders. Why is this situation? Because the legisla ture has put it in their power. A man is elected on a salary of $400 as a member of the board of control and it is said he makes $2,500 or $3,000 per year. Mind you, claiming for my self that I was honest in every par ticular, I bought whiskey as best as I could, and never touched any of the State’s money. I give these men who are in charge the credit of being just as honest as I was, and those men who charged me with be ing dishonest are charging the men now in with being dishonest, and that because these men can get rebates, they have gotten them. If the ques tion is as to whether it is now possi- ble, I say of course it is, as long as the present system of purchasing whiskey by the month is continued, and as long as there are a dozen men going every month to sell these goods, as long as there is a lot of whiskey piled up, which does not come up to the proof, which cannot be sold, you will hear stories that this man or that man is making great sums of money out of it. They charged me with hav ing stolen because I could have stolen. The reason they charged me is because they would have stolen if they had had the chance. When the dispensary law was first enacted we had to start out on $50,000, and we • ()Uy on cred lt do business. $50,000 would not have bought enough whiskey to have given each of the men of South Carolina a drink apiece. I & m ready to quit the defense of the dispensary law when you can say truthfully it is a political machine. It was not a political machine in my hands. The governing board used to be the governor, the comptroller gen eral and the attorney general, but they said we must not allow that to go on, because that puts too much power in the hands of the governor I tried to enforce this law, and I sternly repressed any effort to mix in politics. I never had any constables with me on my campaign when I ran for senator. One or two did start out but I “cussed” them and told them to attend to their duties as consta bles. No man should be allowed to have the appointment of commission er unless he has a clean record. No such man has had it as far as I know. The salary of the State liquor commissioner has been increased from $1,800 to $3,000 and he is re quired to give a bond of $75,000, I think It Is. to insure the faithful dis charge of his duties, but the commis sioner is not allowed to have anything to do with the whiskey until It is bought, and he merely keeps tho books and attends to the business de tails. My Idea, and f have spoken |)i ivately to the governors once or twice, was to make a contract by the \eai with men who have honesty and character and who distill their own liquor and let them furnish the State of South Carolina with all we require tor the year, and let the commission’s chemist examine it and see if it Is of the proper grade. Ii you don’t tni'-t the governor, attorney general and comptroller general, and the other Slate* officers, if they are not enough, tmt anybody on whom you can trust Fbit my friend Mr. Hickson on. Put .inj set of men In charge who can command the confidence* and respe*cf of the whole people, hut lake* the eli e- pensary out of politics and ste>p the vile slanders that are destroying all confidence. You can he'ar them c'" H'liially saying this man Is getting rich and thal rebates are paiel fe» com missioners fejr buying their goods. I have- shown you that this can he* stop, nod by huving your early supply from "•mo great firm, which will furnl h tin* Si:*.(■* certain grades e»f whiskeys and that thc;«e whiskeys may he pure, let it give bond for $500,000 that th v will come up to the standard on tbe contract. You can put a< many men on,that hoard as you please. |f you can’t trust the present hoard put on •\ supreme court justice, or all of them. Put on anybody and got a hoard above suspicion. When I was in charge I had four grades of whis key, IX, 2X, 2X, and 4X. They had the palmetto tree on them. The o goody, goody people, many of th *m advocates of license, have gone on first and stated it was a disgrace to have the State’s emblem on the b<>t tie. There was no chance for the lo cal dispenser to make money us the iMdtles were all alike, but they charge now that Hie agents of these several firms go around to the local dlsM , »n- saries and say “Every time you sell a case of our goods w« will give you fifty cents,” so they charge that local