The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, August 16, 1900, Image 2
I
WARMING THEM l7
Senator Tillman and The Minister:
Can Not Agree.
CAMPAIGNERS ON HOME STRETCH.
Popular Interest Is Flagging; in th<
Recital of Set Speeches?Notes oq
The Campaign.
Gathering at Greenville.
Greenville, Special.?This has perhaps
been the largest and liveliest
meeting of the present campaign. Senator
Tillman seemed to have on his oici
time steam, and the cheers for "Hoyt'f
and the twittering of the steam up ?nd
he spoke with vehemence. Tillman
?nnk*> fn more than an hour and, as
he promised, took up the sermcn o? Dr.
Gardner of Greenville. Tillman maaa
the be.-t speech of the campaign. He
had two primaries, first whether he
was Justified in charging the ministerial-saloon
keepers "alliance" and
many approved of his denomination,
and that there was th s "alliance."
But It was his prohibition-dispensary
hand p imary noted. There were rot
over 20 or 25 who voted on his call for
prohibition: when the dispensary vote
was called for the hands as of old went
us as if out of a Gatling gun?fully 25
to 1 was the record. The dispensary
had the overwhelming number voting,
and Tillman said this would be the result
in the primary. Tillman made a
connected speech and was severe on
the ministers going into politics and
talked plainly about Dr. Ga dner. who
seemed to have many friends in the
audience. '
TT ?* Avnopt tn snp^ak. !
V^UI. nu) I UIU iJVb VV
but he made a spirited aud well timed
reply to many of Tillman's points, and
vigorously defended the proliibit;onists
and Dr. Gardner. The audience shewed
feeling throughcut.especially as to Tillman
in his speech, and Col. Hoyt's
friends were in evidence.
It is to be noted that Mr. Gary spoke
first and he made absolutely no mention
of the Laurens incident, nor did
he say anything about the Cha leston
matter or anticipate Mr. Patterson's
arguments as to his dispensary posi- j
tion, and when Mr. Patterson came afterward
he said nothing about the
Charleston incident which occasioned
the scrap; so it looks as if the cause of
trouble has been buried.
Gov. McSweeney furnished evidence
that the seizures of bar flxtu es was ordered
and Mr. Gary read an affidavit
from Mr. Scruggs of Cherokee that constables
were asked for thc?.*e and not
supplied but were promised after the
election, the affidavit says.
Mr. Patterson omitted the Charles
ton incident except to reiterate mm
there are 600 tigers there. He made
uo mention of Mr. Gary except as to
his prohibition option
Senator Tillman was. received with
much applause. He said it was six
years since he spoke here and it was a
great pleasure to be here again and be
so well received.
From the behavior of the platform
there must be something weak in the
party here. He did not know whether
it was prohibition or not. He felt the
rank and file here were true as steel
and would vote right.
For the time the programme was
changed and the order of speaking reversed.
It was charged that he had
been meddling in affairs and that he
had no right to be here and berause he
had no opposition he ought to keep
nw.iv or discuss nothing but nati nal
issues. He explained the change or
programme and was told he had unlimited
time. Before he started he told
why he was here and why he had a
right to be here. He explained he was
here in obedience to party law and he
wanted it understood he would he* to
the line and if some fingers and tees
are cut off the would not be his. Then
he reiterated that had he remained
away he would be accused of being too
big for his breeches and having gotten
the swell head, and then when he came
they turned around and told him he
J too the samp as of
was meuuuu?. n. ? old,
he would be damned if he did and
he would be damned if he didn't. He
asked the crowd to be quiet until he
bottled the hot stuff.
Then he took up the special box in
this county and said the committee had
turned the candidates loose and was
letting the question he settled for the
county in a box. It was a bad p'.an
and was intended to let the candidals
straddle and honeyfuggle the people.
It is cowardly in the candidates to ask
the committee to allow th'a screen.
You will be fools if you do not have
the candidates line up and say whether
they are for prohibition or the dispensary.
The special box Is a fraud and
vrtn nnt like it lumn it.
The question before you is one effecting
you and your progeny for a lifetime.
It is a question to be decided
upon the merits of the matter. There
should be no undue pressure. He was
here also because he had been attacked
and he and his administration had
been attacked and held up to deri-ion
by Col. Hoyt the other day.
The candidates present spoke with
about their accustomed energy and effect.
At Pick;ns Court Hi use.
Pickens, Special.?The meeting here
started by the candidates for superintendent
of education. Mr. McMahan
got somewhat alliterative on his- opponent
and spoke of Capers cutting
up capers and being a circular candidate
on the patent style. Mr. Capers,
a
m
in reply, suggested that he would open
his barrel of literature later on, and
insisted that his platform was a country
school man to have charge of the
county schools. They both reiterated
their customary platforms.
Gen. Floyd made a patriotic speech
and suggested that the militia ought
to be kept up to a high standard, in
view of the danger with the other powers
on account of the Chinese troubles.
The railroad commissioners said
nothing unusual.
Col. Hoyt was the first of the gubernatorial
candidates to talk. He wanted
it understood that he was making
his race on principle, and that this
was the first time he bad ever presented
himself for office and that he
did not run because he liked to go
into politics, but because he was presented
as the exponent of a principle
that was dear to him. The talk of the
political and unholy alliance was simply
an effort on the part of some to
cloud the issues. If it was not right
for the citizen to engage in the sale of
liquor it was not right for the State
' ? - ? 1 rst
to <10 SO. rie luvorru iue nrycm ui luc
dispensary law. and this did not mean
lae sale of liquors through drug
stores. He said he had no objection
to the part that Tillman took in the
campaign, except that he thought Tinman
should take no part in State politics,
and it was even being intimated,
jokingly no doubt, that Tillman had
come out to help Hoyt. If Tillmau.
persisted in fighting him he would try
issues with the present argument and
was satisfied that the people would
act without dictation and as they
should. He felt that prohibition was
wanted and would win.
G. Wa.lt Whitman spoke with fire.
He jumped on the State colleges, made
fun of the McSweeney badges, spoke
of the rottenness that was alleged to
exist in the State government, said
what he would do if elected governor,
and insisted that me dispensary was
neither enforced inside or outsde of it.
Mr. Frank B. Gary defined his position
as usual. He asked to know what
had become of the investigation as to
the constables who had attended the
meetings, and said that a constable at
| tended yesterday s meeting no uuuui
for the purposp of booming MrSweeney.
He repeated the affidavit of Scruggs
as to a constable not being in Cherokee.
and urged that there were certainTy
need for more than four constables
for Charleston. He defined ,
his jiosition on the dispensary, public
schools and other matters the same as
heretofore, and made no mention of
the Charleston incident..
Mr. A. Howard Patterson made his
rpiMiiar disnensarv sneech and argued
to show that there were more liquor |
drunk in prohibition times than ever,
and that prohibition was a delusion
and a snare Hp urged that the
Charleston police were in cahoot with
the tigers, and wanted to know why
McSweeney had not called upon reputable
citizens to testify? He again
attacked McSweeney for not seiziug
bar fixtures in Charleston, and dared
him to telegraph that the fixtures of
Hemme Halsey, the Charleston hotel,
and Calhoun hotel, be seized. He
then took up Mr. Gary, repeated about
the effect of Gary's election and how
many brothers that would put in office
and what salary it would give
them, and then argued that Gary's dis
pensary views meant the gradual disintegration
of the dispensary for
Charleston. Columbia and other places
"would get from under the dispensary |
only to have it starved to death.
Gov. McSveeney said that the whole
fight seemed to be to get in his shoes.
The other candidates did not undertake
to show that the^ were better
qualified or that they could do any better.
but simply seemed to want to tear
him down, evidently because they
thought he was the man they had to
beat. He took up his regular argument
to show why the dispensary is
on waII nlioAri'oc) PKorloctrtn QC
j IIUl ao ?CiI UUOCI ?tu IU vuai 1V9VVU wu
elsewhere and what he has done towards
the enforcement of the law
there and elsewhere, and how the records
show that his administration has
been as good or better than that of
others in results. The constables
have instructions to seize fixtures and
they had them for a long time. He had
affidavits from the constables at the
meeting that they were in these places
of business. He could not run around
to hunt up tigers and would not do so.
He read the letter in the Cherokee
county matter, and said that the whole
thing was an effort of Magistrate
Scruggs to have his constable paid an
extra salary, and had he appointed the
constables the cry would have been
that he was putting on extra men
*?' ?1? 1?#?T? Af Via r?QnHl- f
under me iaou ui cut v.uuU?
idates, so it mattered not what he did
it would be complained of. He talked
about hi6 business adminf^ration and
that he wanted to be judged on what
he had accomplished and the good era
that prevailed. He spoke of his first
appointment having been that of a little
factory boy.
The candidates for lieutenant governor
followed in their usual vein.
Senator Tillman's speech was vigorous
as usual. The day was dull and devoid
of incident.
* ttt-iL.ll.
Ai wainaiia.
. Walhalla. Special.?There was nothing
of particular interest in the campaign
meeting here. It was somewhat
smaller meeting than those recently
held. It was quiet and entirely well
disposed and no one was in ill humor.
Gen. Floyd spoke first and spoke
his trouble in fighting without Lis opponent
being here.
The railroad commissioners came
next. W. D. Mayfleld, J. E. Pettijrew
I
Thos. N. Eerry, and J. H. Wharton
mn/lft nrottv miirh th^ir piiQt/*marv ar
JUMUV v? ..
gument on business lines. Mr. Wharton
protested that the rate on egg; w s
as high from Seneca to Laurens is to
hfew York.
W. D. Evans and Barnar-l B. K\ans
had a tilt about the diipens uy policies
which were secure<l through Barnard
B.
G. Walt Whitman took the ruddle
of the stand and orated at length and
with vigor regardless of the profuse
flow of perspiration and heat. In starting
out he said if liquor was made in
this State he favored patronizing home
industries. He reiterated his us ial
^pleasantries and arguments.
Mr. Frank B. Gary also had to wad*
put in the broiling sun and announced
his platform and views, so well known.
Some one complained that interior liquor
was being sold and he said this
was not the intention of the dispensary |
system and it should not be so.
He was running because he was |
real friend of the dispensary and because
the law was not now b-dng enforced.
A. Howard Patterson said there was
but one issue in this campaign and that
was the liquor question, and he waded
into his regular defence of the dispensary
and some one who interrupted
him was asked what he favored free
liquor, and Patterson told him to vote
for prohibition. He took up his customary
argument and woun 1 u> with
his attack on the McSweeney administration.
especially 83 to Charleston.
He pounded McSweeney for not se!z
ing bar fixtures and worrying the pooi
mountaineer who sells a jug of liquor.
He said McSweeney talked about saving
money. If he had a few more canstables
they would do something. He
said estimate 400 tigers in Charleston
and 100 in Columbia, put the sales at
51.00 each, which would be $i00 a day
i en AAA n^r and the ffinatahlPcr
l/l flOU.VW JZ*.. ?
if employed could save thi?. Ellerbe
had about 60 constabie3. say at $ 2,
would be $43,200 a year. McSweeney
has 44 constables, which would be $il,680;
difference $11,520. instead of $20,000
as claimed. There are in Charleston
180 revenue licenses and suppose
each of these sell $5 a day. that would
be $900 a day. per month 82.700, per
year $324,000 worth of tiger liquor sold.
So, instead of saving, the State is -losing
by not having the constables
Gov. McSweeney soid about the only (
thing against him was the tirade about
him and Charleston. All ho wanted
was to have the last year compared
with any other year. It was wrong to
single out any town. He did not claim
:oo much, but the people were doing
.heir share towards enforcing the law. j
Cnno nt Mk fnnstahles will ever be a.
owed to injure any one oi llirrsy
jrounc's. He read a telegram from
Jhlef Howie in whieh he showed that
n?truetlons were is3ued to se'ze fix- 1
.ures and he stated that the reason flx.ures
were not seized was that the "tl- ;
ters got the goods bark on claim and j
Jell very and the constables had not ,
aeen able to provide for counted bonds.
The State board had been asked to proride
for these bonds, but has not yet
ione so. The expenses had not been
included in Mr. Patterson's figures, and
ae imagined a great deal.
He did not agree with Gary there, j
aught to be prohibition in one county J
* ? T# +V?ora i '
Hid dispensary 111 umeis. ><.
s-ere to be Improvements In the dispensary
it mu9t oome from the legislature,
and prohibition to begin with would
Increase taxes.
Col. .Tames A. Hoyt said that the
friends of the dispensary had already
criticised it sufficiently for him not to '
<ay anything about it. There is no uso
to go to Kansas to find violations of
the dispensary, for any law is violated
there or here. He believed there would
be agitation until the dispensary ia
abolished. The dispensary has some i
good features but they are getting in
bad repute by non-enforcement. Moral 1
questions, if they affect the peop'e. 1
have a perfect right to enter into pol- <
itics. The State has no right to en- '
gage in business.
He insisted that there was no neces- ,
sity in the Bible fo: expressly pr hib- ,
iting the sa:e of whiskey, to begin with .
J--i M
the general princ Die is agmusi .1- .
quor selling, and there was no such vile (
stuff known in the days of the Bibie as ,
fuss X, and he took up the Bible to .
show its argument against the sale of '
liquor.
Senator Tillman was well received
after a six hour wait. He said he was
limited because of time, and some '
cried: "The moon is shining," and Til'- :
man caught the joke and thought this '
was a good one on him about this 1
moonshine country. He then tock up
Col. Hcyt's sreech and sild it w s dis- !
tinctly his purpose not to dictate or 1
meddle, and then again explained why '
he was running, and he was going to 1
speak on what he pleased and would
take no orders from any one. The people
would elect no governor this year
not in sympathy with him. He has <
been ail along the line and knew of i
what he spoke.
Anderson Meeting. <
Anderson, Special.?The meeting .'
here was well attended. At least 1.200 1
wore present at the end of the speak- 1
Ing. There came near being a "scrap"
but it was avoided. Mr. Brooker was '
talking about his record ana compar- ,
ing It with Mr. Derham's and while
talking abo'it Mi. Derham's father v
having held office under Scott and '
.Moses said something about whether j
the people would rather have him or ?
the son of such men as Scott and j
Moses or something on that line, j
Those on the stand were not paying |
particular attention but Mr. Derham j
jumped up and making for Mr. Brooker
said: "Do you mean to insinuate." <
He said no more. Chairman Breazeale
and Mr. Hood jumped up and walked
between the two men. Mr. Brookw'rl'
time wa:? up and Mr. Breizealb called
time. .Mr. Derham said he was not
violent." but wanted to say that the
insinuation was uncalled for. Mr.
Breazeale had both candidates sit
down and there the matter ended.
Mr. Dtrham caine up with his fl=t
clinched and as he approached Mr.
Brooker got ready to meet him but Mr.
Breazeale and Mr. Hood stepped between
them and there the matter
ended.
Mr. Brooker says he intended no re
flections and was only replying to the
card circulated about him and he was
saying in defense of his position, "It
you were asked to vote l'or a son of
Seott or Moses against me." He went
no further and says it was hi6 purpose
to explain when Mr. Derham arose and
there were evidences of the squall that
was nipped.
Senator Tillmaji made a very long
and very v.igorous speech.
Frank B. Gary spoke first among the
governors. He started out by insisting
that prohibition was a stupendous
failure. He reiterated his position and
wanted it understood he was no apologist
for the present Mtforcement of the
dispensar.y law. He uoes not think the
dispensary was intended to raise revenue.
If it takes every dollar to suppress
the sale it should 5>e ur-ed and
the constables should net be cut off.
He took up the Cherokc-e case and said
McSweeney should have sent a constable
there. As to McSweeney's
claim of educating or helping a poo
boy, he had helped educate eight boys.
As to the Pons casa, had McSweeney
pardoned him the governor wohld no
doubt have been burned in effigy all
over the State.
McSweeney had no higher place thaq
anyone else because of filling out an
unexpired term. It was a desperate
strait to talk about his kin being in
office. It was left lor peace colonels
to complain of his going to the front,
no one complained when the seventh
Gary brother werat to war.
He said he had no organ or "ism" to
L 4 ? hi* ?a1 I *\A unnn Mmeolf
uuum mill. nc I cucu u^/vat uiuiovn.
quoting from John G. Saxe's lines.
A. Howard Patterson commented on
the closing of the dispensaries at all
campaign meetings and then he eulogized
the dispensary system. Then he
attacked the prohibition platform r.nd
said it was not prohibition but the use
of the dispensary machinery under ths
name of prohibition. The prohibitiondispensary
will be as much of a machine
as the present system. There
would be more Hoyt's cologne sold un
der that system than ever before.
There wero blamed few prohibitionists
from principle. Hoyt wants to be governor
more, tkau he wants prohibition;
then he rapped Gonwes ana waueu
into McSweeney. He said he would
not be in the race if McSweeney enforced
the law. if the law was enforced
in Charleston it was because he
jvas after him with a hot stick. The
instructions McSweeney reads are over
a year old. and yet they have seized no
fixtures. He took up the custom house
and other matters on McSweeney. He
feaid bloodshed had to come if necessary.
but it was not necessary. And
then he took up the constabulary
figures.
Then he took up the Gary? and
argued that they should not take
everything in sight, but leave something
for their friends. Gary's platform
mennt prohibition, then free
liquor and starvation of the dispensary
in Charleston, Columbia and
elsewhere. He edged on the Charleston
incident to-day by saying what he
sa!d there. Every daily paper was supporting
h.m, and he spoke of his newspaper
appoihtments and spoke of me
is an "honorable" newspaper cyan.
Gov. McSweeney said aJl spoke about
violations in Charleston and Columbia.
Why are they not fair and show how
well the law is enforced eisewn^re.
They do not tell you about the grand
juries throwing out cases. Patterson
rould not get the grand jury of Barnwell
to beiieve him and he could do
nothing to force true bills. He related
what he had done towards a general
jnforcement of the law He never had
refused to send a constable where
asked for by reputable citizens. He
explained the Scruggs-Cherokee matter.
He read a letter from Chief Howie
" * ? PliorloKtnri
to snow me couuiuuus m .
as to seizing bat: fixtures. His instructions
are for constables to do
their full duty. Scott was a partisan
t>f Pattcrson'3.
He then quoted the record of seizues
and cases tried, claiming a better record
than in previous years. Howie
also said the statement that there were
BOO tigers in Charleston was absolutely
false.
Patterson asked how many there
were and McSweeney told him to find
out in his own way. His adminisrration
stood for him and he took up the
Pons case and said every application
for pardon was carefully considered
and petitions were not given undue
weight. He was not going about slingine
mud and merely presented his
claims.
He discussed prohibition to show
that it was not feasible or good. He
explained why. as a business man. he
reduced the constabulary force, and
there read letters to show that the law
ana enforced cenerally. He read a
note from some veterans pledging
:hair support to him and reminding
him of having stood by the veterans
in his last annual message, and he
thanked Anderson for Its previous support
of him.
Col. Hoyt spoke of Hampton and red
shirts started the '76 campaign on this
very hill, and he spoke of those scene*
with feeling and he rebuked the idea
that he was running for the office and
ft
V ' V.
! not from principle. In order to enforce
any law you must have the peo
pie back of it ana tne iacg 01 popmar
Siipport of the dispensary was its greatest
drawback and the officials mast be
good. If the municipal officers enj
force the law here and not the goverI
nor or constables. Gov. McSweeney
I said this would be the case in Charleston
if the people and local officer*
favored the law. If elected he would
not allow the enforcement of the law
in Charleston to be common talk. He
was told that the Char!e*ton raidg
amounted to nothing. Tillman said he .
would raise hell on Chicco street andN^
there was the difference.
Col. Hoyt brought as witness Gary
aud Patterson and Whitmpj. They all
say they have seen the tigere In Charleston
and they were his witnesses as
to hoav wide open things were. He
knew nothing of it himself, except
everyone said the tigens were common
there. He sald^lt was a slander to say
drinking was as general as claimed
and he had some fun out of his pri*
raaries as to those who drank.
Not one of the mayors said the constables
enforced the law, but they enforced
the law themselves. The "tig,
ere" are In the country and some one
said there was not a blind tiger in
Garvin township and Col. Hoyt said
the same could be done with prohibition.
Mr. Richardson said It would
give no money.
G. Walt Whitman wae running
purely because of patriotism and repeated
Wb usual argument and particularly
on prohibition. Any man
who preaches prohibition is a fool,
fanatic or a crank.
Josh Ashley and Whitman had a
tilt, Ashley insisting that he never
voted for the dispensary. Whitman
took a few raps about the enforcement
of the law and Charleston's non-en,
forcement He went for McSweeney
as being without backbone, sand or
nerve.
It was announcd that all other
speakers would have five minutes pro
vided they spoke before Tillman. All
who wanted more than five minutes
would speak after Tillman.
C. L. Winkler spoke first, supported
the dispensary, liberal support for
veterans and common schools.
John T. Sloan referred to this being
his native "neath and wanted to be
elected as the first .ieutenant governor
from Anderson. He wanted the Piedmont
belt to stand by its boys.
James H. Tillman favored the dispensary;
prohibition had been an absolute
failure where tried. Prohibition
has almost trebbled crime in Maine.
tn tho romnanv from here \
and received a large bouquet from
some of his "boys'" of the company.
Cole L. Blease stood on his record
as a man. He wanted better schools
and $100,000 given the public schools. *
The scholarship system he urged was
wrong. Favored dispensary law.
Capt. Jennings and Dr. Timmerman
spoke of their qualifications.
Mr. Derhain took up the charges ami
made reply and Mr. Brooker bam^C
mered away on Derham's absence from
office.
McMahan and Capers skimmed over
their platform. In reference to Bishop
Stevens he said he was a minister and
that was no doubt a good reason for
his views, but McMahan nor the instructors
of the normal school were
preachers.
Gen. Floyd made a patriotic defense
of his administration and the militia.
Mr. Rouse wrote that he was sick.
Senator Tillman said be baa not Deen
here in six years and this county stood
by him as no other had. He was now.
introduced as the "Ben-gall tiger. ' Of
course he was "Ben," Gonzales furnished
the "gall" and the whiskey men
and prohibitionists the 'tigers." and'
that was how his new name came
about. He took up to-day's editorial
in The State. It was an old thing to
call him a riegster and a "boss." It.
was because he always had an all
round ring that they call him a "boss."
The people are with him and that was
why the people stood by him and that
was no reason to call him a "boss."
Then, as before, he explained why he
was in the campaign, it was not his
fault that he had no opposition, rne
reason no one ran against him was because
it was thought to be useleee. Because
he came in compliajice with,
party mandates he was accused of being
a "boss." No one knew better
than he that the people would be the
very first to rebuke "hossism." If he
had not come then he wcruld have been,
jumped upon anyway, so k was only
an evidence of the web that was being
made. They would have said he had
the swell head and all that and when
he. came it was cHticism. so it is the '
same old thing: "Be darrmeu if he did
and be damned if he did not." He
never paid any attention to his critics
and he always felt be'.ter when he had
N. C. Gcnzales opposed to irnn and he
knew he was right now wuen he had
all of N. G's. venorn poured on hira.
He reiterated h!s statement relative
to the alliance of the preachers and
cid barkeepers and whiskey men. The
Feather-stone election showed the "al- I
lianee" openly and plainly. A large
ni'muer ci ministers uate neve^ oeen |
opposed to the dispensary and they I
have given it their quiet support. IJ If
gave him anything but pleasure to ar/ fl
tagonize minister*. for he recognized fl
their influence, their piety and ex- ||
an:ple. but he felt constrained to taJk ||
out when slandered and when thpy ;|||
entered po!itio3. He took up Dr. Gard- i||
ner's sermon and insisted that it wae Hj
his duty to prove his charges or with- F|||
draw them. No man could insult him.