University of South Carolina Libraries
VOL..MANNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2,__N_9. TILLMAN VS. IR BY. THE IWO REFORM LEADERS LOCK HORNS IN DEBATE. A Hot Controversy Over the Nane of a New County-Saluda" Substituted for "Butler"--A Field Day in the Con vention. COLUMBIA, Sept. 16-Special: This has been the day of days in the session of thd Constitutional Convention thus far. There were intimations, on the outside, that there was to be some thing out of the usual order, and the delegates, as well as the unusually large number of spectators, seemed expectant. The preliminaries were few and short. There was the reading of the journal of Saturday-several correc tions being made. The president announced the ap pointment of Mr. W. H. Yeldell, of Edgefield, as chief of the engrossing department, and Mr. F. H. Wither spoon as bill clerk. On motion of Gen. Gray of Green vilie, the public printer was directed to print 5() copies of the permanent journal. On motion of Mr. Stanyarne Wilson it was ordered that no resolutions or ordinances should be introduced after the 23rd inst. THE BATTLE BEGINS. The ordinance creating Butler coun ty was brought up on its third read ing Senator B. R. Tillman asked leave to offer an amendment to the ordi nance-which, he said, he did at the uest of three other members of the gefield delegation. The Convention granted leave. Col. George D. Tillman asked for an explanation of the reasons for the proposed change. Senator Tillman rose to reply. SENATOR TILLMAYS SPEECH. Mr. President: As my colleage on my left has asked that a reason be "ten as to why four members of the Edgefield del ticn desire to amend the resolution will cheerfully give it to him and to this convention. It so happened that on Saturday I was ab sent when the speeches on this sub ject were made and the vote taken. I have a daughter who went to Georgia on a visit to relatives about five weeks ago. Shortly after that she was taken sick and was dangerously ill. She had sufficiently recovered, so I was informed, to elpect to be home on Saturday evening, and my only pur pose in asking leave of absence was the natural desire of a father to see his child. It is perhaps fortunate that I was not here because from reports in the papers as to what was said and what I have been told it may not have been possible for me to discuss the question in cold blood. I hope, how ever, that I have self-possession enough to treat the matter calmly and ere are personal reasons of a two fold nature why I would prefer and could pray God that the necessity shoulcl not be forced on me to discuss -tis issue, but Ihave never shirked a duty or been driven from a stand, which I have taken from principle. Sentiment rules the world and while material interests and selfishness gov ern men, no passion can rise above sentiment, and when the feelings are aroused or wounded, men will do that to which nothing else will drive them. Therefore, I rise to do justice to the living and also to do justice to the dead. The people of this proposed new county want the name of Saluda. They petitioned for it as Saluda; they drew the ordinance as Saluda and they still want it to be Saluda. There fore justice demands that they shall have it named Saluda. I wish to say here that in discussing this quesstion I shall attempt not to diplyprejudice. I hope I am capable of rising above prejudice. The question is necessarily personal in large measure, because the man after whom it is sought to name the county has been considered some what as being supplanted in the Unit ed States Senate by me and some per haps think I oppose it because of his name. It is true, but not from preju dice. I as not fighting an individual. I am simply attempting to prevent this convention from stultifying itself and sending the news abroad that the Reform constitutional convention of South Carolina has rebuked the Legis lature which retired Butler from the United States Senate. You can't di vorce the name of Butler from M. C. You must remember that he is the on ly living representative of this name and that of any prom-inence Butler of Revolutionary fame, Pierce Butler, the hero of the Mexican War, who was kill edat Cherubusco, and A. P. Butler. the jurist, judge and statesman, who was the uncle of Gen. M. C. Butler. have 'all passed out of recollection and the record of their deedsis ancient history with which the people of outside States are not familiar and very few inside the State remember them. That action of the convention would herald it abroad that the convention had reversed the action of the Legisla ture as far as possible and named the county for M. C. Butler. He is the only one of his name and some years ago he was the highest representative of that name. There are other names illustrious in our history that we could give to this territory. There is Calhoun, McDuffie, Hayne, Ham mond, Moultrie-scores of them, who have not yet thus been honored by the State. I say here and measure my words, that thlis last representative has DISGRACED THE N.XM of Butler and made it a stench in the nostrils of every white man in South Carolina who loves his race and would preserve its civilization. After he had made his fight before the peo ple of South Carolina and been fairly beaten in the canvass last summer he continued his efforts to defeat the will of the people. We are told that it was the disgruntled office seekers who barked at his heels like hounds and who retired him. You know whether it is true or not. We have also been told that it is doubtful if his equal will ever be seen in the United States Sen ate from this State. I can meet the stab coming from whence it does with out a word. I don't set up myself as being his equal or superior. I have never blowed my own horn. I have met all my opponents fairly and bravely in the forum of debate and the people have passed on my record as a man and as as an oflicer and when they have given me such substantial recognition, I can afford to pass this by. As to my friend on my right (irbv) who seems to be in the same boat asT am in the contemptuous com parison made by the gentleman whc spoke on Saturday, that is his concert and not mine, but if he is willing tc 1acknowledge his inferiority to Genera Butler he can do so. Pe'rhaps there are others here who will agree witli him. I wish now to pass to another phase of the subject-to do justice to the dead. The assertion was made thal Mart Gary died under a cloud of prej udice. I say it is not true. He died under a cloud of slander and lies heaped on him by the man who de feated him by unfair methods in 18SO, who broke his heart, took snap judg ment on him and the people and nom inated Hagood. I happen to be a wit ness who can disprove this assertior from personal knowledge. About twc weeks before the Edgefieldconventior I happened in Augusta and there mel a man who was a friend of Gen. But. ler and he let it out to me that there was a scheme on foot to beat Gary is his own .:ounty and that he was being charged with independentism. I wrote to Gen.Gary and informed him of this scheme and asked him by the mem. ories of '76 to put the lie on the insin uation that he would run as an Inde pendent by declaring that he woul abide by the result of the State con vention. On the morning of the meeting of the Edgefield conventior I went to Gary and lie showed me hi speech in manuscript, saying that is what I shall print. I don t know what I shall say. There was a phrase in it which might have given his ene mies chance to make unjust charges against him and at my request he al lowed me to change it to a decided ex pression of his determination to stand by the result of the State convention, He thereby pledged himself and went to the convention the true choice of the people of the State. As soon as his enemies had gotten hold of the rope which I had placed around his neck, although the convention had been called to nominate delegates to to the national convention, they tricked him and nominated Hagood and we all had to submit. Nobody can say truuthfully that he was ac cused of Independentism except his enemies. THE CASH LETrER. Mr. G. D. Tillman: Did you ever hear of the letter he wrote to Gen. Cash? Senator Tillman: Yes, I have heard of the Cash letter, and it had reference to Gen. Butler's cowardly and un grateful attack on Col. Cash about the duel with Shannon. It had no refer ence whatever to independentism and was not published until after Gary's death. When the mass meet ing was called at Edgefield at which my distinguished colleague paid his tribute to his dead friend, the mass meeting to consider the question of raising a monument to the bald eagle of Edgefield, it was Senator Butler's influence and that of his friends which prevented action being taken. They pursued the dead hero even into his grave and paralyzed the efforts to hon or his memory. This it was and not independentism, which his enemies had whispered and circvlated. If Mart Gary had run as an Inde pendent it woild have been nothing more than he ought to have done after being swindled and cheated by Hamp ton, Butler, Hagood and that crowd. I am not pursuing Gen. Butler. Af ter he was defeated last summer did he submit? No. There are men on this floor who, if they would speak, could tell you, because they have told me, that he organized the movement, of which Pope was the leader, and travel ed from county to county to put mnde pendent tickets in the field ; that he abused all Reformers; the newspapers charged that there was a ring and did everything that was disgraceful and tried to use the negro. He is pursu ine me in the Senate to keep me from be~ng seated as your representative in that boy. Does this convention want to aid him to strangle me too by giv ing his name to this new county? No Butler but he is known outside of the State except to those who have studied its history. You cannot divorce him from his ancestry. We are asked to name a county af ter this traitor. Will you disgrace yourselves by giving his name to this country To name this county Butler willibe regarded by the outside world as a vindication of his recent action. Allusions have been made to Butler and Gary linking their names together as the heroes of '76. I acknowledge that Butler did his duty, but he was not the peerless leader that the other man was and I assert here from per. sonal knowledge that it was Gary's bravery and audacity which won the tight for Anglo-Saxon civilzation in that trying period and redeemed the State from the thraldom and degrada tion into which it had sunk. Memory brings to mind two incidents of that memgrable campaign and I cannot re frain from relating them as they will feelingly illustrate the temper and character and service of the two men. AN INCIDENT OF' 76. Those of you who are old enough will remember that after the famous joint debate with Chamberlain at Edge field Court House on the 12th of Au gust, in which that dirty carpetbagger had been so badly worsted, the troops were sent to Edo'efield and a pretexi was sought to ae::are martial law. The Radical managers felt that the wave of liberty was sweeping them oul to the sea and that something must be done to stem the tide. Notice was sent out to the negroe5 in Edgefield of a mass meeting to be held, at which Chamberlain would again attempt to sneak under the pro tection of the troops, and naturally s large number of colored people were on hand on the day appointed. Gen. Gary, who was county chairman, had organized Edgefield more thorougly than has ever been known in the his tory of any people. Every man in il able to ride a horse belonged to som< compay, with regularly elected oflicers and many of those companies had armed themselves with improved wea pons. And such was the state of feel ing that Gary could at any time mobi lie and concentrate a thousand red shirts in ten hours. Chamberlain however, did not come. He was toc cowardly to risk it. The speakers whc ventured into the lion's den, for Edge field was as much in a state of revolu tion as Paris was in 1789, were two or threeof the minor State oflicers, includ. ing Jillson, Nagle and the fat mulattc Smalls. Gary had seat out orders foi a large number of red shirts to be or hand,, and upwards of a thousan. were in and about the public square when the hour for the Radical speak ing to begin had arrived. It was de cided that such game was unworth5 theEagle's talons, but to show that thE presence of troops had not cowed the spirit of liberty in the whites, it was a dtermined that the red shirts in pro ce3sion should march by the stand I where the negroes were assembled and i then disperse to their homes. While j the procession was forming Gen. But- 1 ler took it upon himself to ride in ad vance and pick out the line of march. had a conference with a scalawag: white man who was acting as marshal for the negroes and agreed that the J procession should take a route through the Academy Grove upward of 100 - vards from the stand. When the Bald i )Eaole at the head of his red shirt legion maLing a procession over A mile in length, reached the edge of the grove, he was met by the Radical marshal and' told of the agreement which Butler': had made. In a voice which rang out 1 so that the negroes and whites could i hear him he exclaimed: "Get out of j my way, you damn white puppy. This is public property and I will ride ( on it where I please." And he headed < the column straight for the Academy, passing within twenty yards of the < stand about which the negroes were 1 massed, forcing some of them to move < to keep from being run over. AN'OTHER INCIDENT. Another incident gives even a more striking illustration of the claim I put forward in behalf of my dead friend that he deserves the honor more than any other of redeeming the State. On the day of election there were twelve companies of United States infantry in t our county. They had been sent there to overawe the whites and encoruage the negores to vote. Six of these com panies had been distributed at various election precincts in the county where the heaviest negro vote was usually t cast. The other six were at Edgefield Court House under command of Gen. Ruger. The negroesin large numbers probably 3,000, massed at the Court House before day the morning of the election. Gary had anticipated this and the evening before the election 0 t about 800 picked men over one-half of them from Saluda, with their baggage wagons, provisions and arms, had taken possession of the Court House and Masonic Hall and were in readi ness to obey the orders of their chief, whatever they might be. There was no sleep. The camp fires gelamed out' brightly, for it was cold and drizzling rain, and Oakley Hall, the General's residence, was like a millitary head quarters, while fiddling and dancingr were going on in the two buildings 7 have mentioned. It had been agreed between Ruger and Gary that the whites should vote at the box in the court house, while the negroes should C vote at the school house, another pre cinct one-half mile away. A white company was detailed to watch the balloting at the latter place and all f day long the voting went on at both, very rapidly at the court house, very slowly at the school house. Late in the evening Cain, the mullatto coun ty chairman,- findino that it would be impossible ib vote "his men at the school house, determined to make a desperate move and try to capture the t other box. At the head of his black 3 phalanx, 2,500 negroes, armed with I clubs and pistols, he marched towards I the public square. A swift courier notified Gary that they were coming. He immediately ordered that the I court house be packed, steps, porticos f andall, andso promptlyand thorough- I ly was his order carried out that a flea I could not have crawled between the I men standing on the steps. The up- 1 per windows in the Masonic Hall in v which the rifles and other arms had t been placed, were manned with sharpt shooters and all the other men who s could be spared were ordered to mount I their horses and m'iss themselves on 1 one side of the square. When Cain and his negroes reached the head of I the street leading into the square, fill-t ing it completely, seeing the prepara-1 tion made to receive them they haltedc and a message was sent to Huger, Ru-c ger left his quarters some two hun-c dred yards on a side street and camer towards the court house. Gary ad-s vanced to meet him and after the twoc had saluted. with military punctilious ness, Gen. Rugrersaid. General, I am informed by th~e Republican Countya Chairman that he can't vote all his men at the other precinct. You must make your men give way and let these negroes get to the ballot box. My or-t ders are to see that there are no ob structions to voting.' The one was dressed in the blue uni form of the United States army and had been sent to Edgefield by Grant. The other had on the grey coat of thet Confederate brigadier and military boots. It was the crucial test of nerve. South Carolina's desting hung in the balance and Gary saved her. The "Bald Eagle" straightened up, his eyes gleaming, and clear and shrill, for his voice always rang like a silver bell, he exclaimed. "By God, sir, I'll not do it. I will keep the compact I madei with you this morning, that the whites and negroes should vote at separate 4 boxes and if you think your blue coats can make way for these negroes to vote again, try it." There had been the stillness of death while these two confronted each other,3 but when that voice rang out the whites caught up the yell of defiance] and for minutes pandemonium reigned. Ruger quietly turned on his heels and went back to his quarters. The ne-1 groes slunk away like dissolving mist and in less time than I have taken to tell it not one of them was to be seen. THE HA3IBURG AFFAIR. ] Allusion has been made to Butler's< service at Hamburg. I was at Ham-] burg and know that those services were great. But the people were readyi to act without his leadership and you all remember the despicable and cow ardly stab he aimed at me last sum-J mer with reference to that riot. For all his services to the State he has been] amply rewarded and had he possessed a scintilla of genuine patriotism lhe 'would have died before he entered. -upon the role which he played since< Auo-ust 1894.] Veare asked to name a county af-1 ter this traitor. Will you disgracei yourselves by giving his name to this county ? But the clouds will roll by, we are told, and when reason shall re-i gain her away, the prejudice, as my colleague terms it, against this man, will pass away. Mr. President, there< is no prejudice. It is a sense of righte ous indignation and wounded senti ment which called down the wrath of this people on Butler's head, He has] attempted to stab the State through< Judge Goff by overthrowing our elec tion machinery and this is his unpar donable sin. I have used my inilunence for "PEACE IN THIS CONvENTION." I had hoped that no factional linesi would be drawn but they have been.i Not one solitary Conservative voted for the name Saluda and some few 1 good Reformers yielded through influ- '~ ence to disgrace their State. You have l drawn the line and not we. Those of j' nent take warning. If you give us ;he point of the sword you will receive t back. If you offer us the olive >ranch we will receive it as South Car )linians and do nothing to draw the ines. In God's name let's stamp out my attempt to inject partisan feeling iere. Now, I apologize for tresspass ng on your pacience by this long at ention and move that Saluda be sub ;tituted for the name Butler wherever .t appears in the ordinance. IRBY REPLIES. As he finisned all eyes turned first to enator Irby and then to Mr. George D. Tillman. Both intended to reply is the members felt morally certain they would. During Senator Till nan's reference to Senator Irby, that rentleman. sat quietly in his chair, but he piercing glance he gave his broth r Senator was but a feeble indication )f his feelings. Arising from his seat, ne com menced almly to reply, but he too waxed ivarm as he proceeded. He too was heered, for both of the political glad ators in the arena had their friends md adherents. Senator Irby said: 1r. Presideit mnd gentlemen of the convention: I -egret that it is necessary for me to ;ome extent to have something, to say n this most unfortunate debate. I iave listened with a great deal of at ention to the able speech of the gen leman from Edgefield, and if he iadn't seen fit to criticise my silence )n Saturday, I would not stoop to en ,age in this - debate. It is too small, oo petty for members of this great onstitutional convention at the very hreshold of its great work to inject )artisan politics in it. I was all very ice in the gentleman after arraying ,onservotive against Reformer in the nost bitter speech he ever made, to ap eal for peace and harmony. I never joined the politicians when he cry of peace and unity was made. t was nothing but a pretext to gain tice. But the election is now over nd we are here as the representatives f the people of South Carolina and ve should be above all petty jealousies; ve should have peace and harmony .mongst us in the performance of our reat duties. ATTACKS TILLMAN. He dares to criticise me i)ecause I tared to vote as I pleased. By my ote I did not intend to compliment enator Butler, but I throw it back in is teeth'and say that nothing Butler vill ever do will disgrace the State of outh Carolina. (Cheers). His name ill live and be honored when you .re forgotten. I am not the champion of Butler. I ought earnestly to defeat him, but he ras a gallant soldier and has been uilty of indiscretion, but he has been Lefeated by you and you should have aanlinessand magnanimiiy to let him lone. It ill becomes you to follow Lim in this convention and stamp ipon him. We are here to form a law D suit Conservatives and Reformers like, and so help me G ad, I will not telp in making any law that will not e for the benefit of bot'i. (Applause.) BARNWELL AND - UTLER. I dare to remind the intleman from Agefield, because tb people will not rget it, that Butler is as good as J. V. Barnwell. Butler has disgraced imself, he says. Where does Joe arnwell stand Ile was the first man a the State that dared oppose the rill of the people and had the courage q come out and run on the Haskell icket. Did he disgrace his name? No, ir, he may have' disgraced himself ut never the name of Barnwell. Yet te is good enough to enter into a ritten contract with which, if it had een carried out, would have defeated he will of the people of South Caro ia. He (Tillman) entered into a ontract which would have given the onvention to the Conservatives. It omes with ill grace from a man who akes contracts with Independents to ay a man has disgraced himself be ause he voted for Butler. TILL3IAN'S DEBT TO HIM. Thank God,Ihave always voted and cted as I thought best for all the peo le of South Carolina. I believe tae efornm movement to be the best thing or the people and I have always been he strictest advocate of its principles. Ichallenge the gentleman to say if ny man has ever done more for him >ersonally and politically than I have. et lie undertakes to reprimand me. Why didn't he stay here and answer hat speech on Saturday. I thought le went to see a sick daughter but; it urns out she was well. I took no ffense at what was said. Mr. G. D. Tillman, (interrupting): t me repeat what Idid sa y. I said: pray God that South Carolina will dwas have a Senator who is the ~qual' of Butler in honor, honesty and nfuence, but I fear that she will not oon have one who is his superior or men his equal. And I repeat it here, dr. Tillman exclaimed with emphasis. A QUESTION OF 3IODESTY. Mr. Irby, resuming, said: On a uestion of that sort 1I take no offense. have too much modesty and I am orry he did not have the modesty to et what he did say remain unsaid. We stand upon our merits before The eople and we have no right to say ;hat we are as smart or smarter than ther men. I saw nothing I hal a -ight to reply to and, therefore, I did ot. Apologising to the convention, [ will say that I sincerely regret that ur great leader should so far forget aimself as to inject bitterness and par isanship into this convention, wh en t is p re-eminently necessary that we ~houlid work together in peace. I re ~ret that he has undertaken to crack ais whip over my head. I voted for Butler before and I will take great leasure in doing so again. Mr. Stanyarne Wilson made a brief peech, giving his reasons for favor ng the name of Butler for the new ~onty, and concluded by moving to ostpone the whole matter-leaving he formation of the new county to .he Legislature. Mr. George Johnson made a short peech protesting against p~ostp~one nent. 31r. Parrott said that it wvas a ques ion for the people in the proposed ~ounty. If they wanted the name aluda they should have it. GJEO. TILL3MAN SPEAKS. "Uncle George" Tillman rose. i~e ooked a little pale and somewhat ex ~ited, not to say a little angry. At irst lie spoke with grcat calmness and leliberation. When he warmed to his ~vork, however, his manner became ronical, his face became pale0 and ome of his utterances were delivered n his most sarcastic and impressive nanner. Ie said the people wantd ethis coun y. They had been petitioning for it s far back as lhe could remember. [he first communication he had ever vritten in his life was a petition ask ty. In all the petitions that had been presented the name of Butler had al ways appeared. He never knew of pe titions for Saluda county until now. e had always been the pet of that section because he had always cham pioned the Butler county scheme since he was 21 years of age. It ill became his colleegue from Edgefield (his brother) after having defeated Gen. Butler and having dispossessed him of his office, to assail a man who was down. It was not manly, magnani mous or brave. Doubly was this so for him to strike Butler here where he could not defend himself. Slapping his own breast with great force and displaying great earnestness. he proceded: "This breast never could have done either of those things. Mr. Tillman then referred to 76'and went on to speak of Gen. Mart Gary, saying: "My God. the man is not living nor is he dead that has ever had a better or more exalted opinion of Mart Gary than myself.' We had a large mass meeting in Edgefield the day after his death to pass suiteable resoltions in regard to it. I drew them up and made a speech in which I said that Gary had done more to redeem the State in 176 than any single man in it, Hampton not excepted. I said so then and say so yet. The ingratitude of the politicians and the manner in which he was treated broke his heart. I don't mean to cast any reflections upon his family, but he left a large estate, yet his grave, I am told, is there now without a stone of any sort to mark it, all covered with grass. (Mr. Till man's manner was extremely touch ing here.) On Saturday I said-fcer he was my friend-that I tried hard to have a marble monument erected to him on the public square at Edoefield, with a bald eagle on top, indicating the type of man he was. Other schemes for perpetuating his memory were also tried, as were also many schemes to raise the money necessary, but we found we had to abandon them all till the prejudice on account of the Cash letter and some other things he had done had subided. He was born sick, lived sick and died sick, yet performed all the duties of the high est type of citizen. The same prejud ice that now exhisted 'against Butler, prevailed against him. I for one am willing to erect monuments to both him and Butler by calling counties for them. But there were other Butlers be sides M. C. Butler. I repeat he is a splendid man, a man o great ability,a born orator. He has acuquired national influence which took years of arduous serivce to acquire; it was work to make friends and divide our enemies. He is a diplomatist of the first rank. I fear that the Congressmen from South Carolina will fina out that it won't pay to spit against the wind, for that is spitting in their own faces. We are in a hopeleess minority in Wash ington, and it won't do to go there and talk about using -pitchforks on people. We are not a free people. It won't surprise me in the least if the doors of Congress are closed on the South. Carolna Congresmen and its junio'r senator. He referred to the force, bill: told how inISSO it had passed the House and lacked one vote of passing the Senate,yet nobody in this State seemed to realize how near they had come to having the whole fabric of the government, State and national, revolutionized. I don't believe that this convention is going to act like a sehool boys' debating society and undo today what it did yesterday, but I believe that you will act like bold and indepent men. Don't be like the jumping of the Punch and Judy show, jack responsive whenever the master hand pulls the cord. This is the way they are ask ing you to act. The gentleman from Spartanburg boasted that there was no leader here. The vote will show whether there is or not. There is nothing in this whole matter today but bitter prejudice. Why defer this matter? That isn't the way grown men do business. If you consider it you will act exactly like a debating society of small boys. It seems to me that some of the leaders never intend to let this prejudice drop. BEARING WITH BEHRE. Mr. Behre, of Colleton, then took a hand. He said they were sent there as the representatives of the people. The people desired the name of Saluda and they should be allowed to say that Saluda should be the name. Give them the name they desired. He for one thought that the movement need ed new leaders badly. Always some one was saying that they were sub missive to the crack of the whips of a few leaders. Get new men and repu diate the charge. He stood there to say that certain things that George Tillman had said on this line met his approval. He misquoted Mr. Tillman and that gentleman remarked " I nev er said any such thing." He had great admiration for Gen. Gary though he was a mere boy when Gen. Gary's deeds were done. TALBERT AND TILLMAN. Congressman Talbert got the floor next and there were exciting passages at arms between he and ex-Congress man Tillman, who he defeated in 1892. It was during their incessant and heat ed colloquy that the president had to send the sergeant-at-arms to quiet Mr. Tillmnan. And a good many times thereafter the president calleil on the sergeant-at-arms to preserve the peace of the convention. Mr. Talbert hoped that the minds of the delegates would not be led as tray by the personalities that had been injected into this convention. It was an important miatter for the new county. There was a motion p ending to kill the whole matter. WVhen he came to the convention, lhe came to be a candidate for the presidency, but ne saw that the harmony of the con vention would be endangered and he withdrew from the race. Ought they to be governed by sentimiental speech es or by the sentiment of the peop:.e of the prop~osed new county. He thought his distinguished friend was mistaken when he stated that the people wanted the name of Butler. Mr. Tillman (with much energy) I said that for years I had draw n up and seen petitions all mentioning that name and it only. Talbert: The people of Saluda want the name of Saluda. Tillman: That's your opinion. Talbert: T My~e~ as much right to my opinion as you have to yours, sir. Mr. Talbert and George Tillman faced each other in the aisle and their fingers shook in one another's faces. Talbert almost screamed his remark and the thing looked pretty serious. Mr. Tiliman quietly replied: "Of course you have, but still I have a ight to my opinin. Tillman: I have made a great many speeches in the county advocat in this new name, and speaking of it as Butler. Talbert went on to say that lie lion ored tne name of Butler as much as Mr. Tillman did. Mr. Tillman: WIy don't you vote for the name then; I want to do honor to the dead as well as the living. Talbert: Tell me, didn't you draft that ordinance calling it Butler. Tillman: Yes I drafted the ordi nance. I honestly believe that tha majority of the people of Saluda favor the name of Butler, as no right-think ing people are ashamed of their illus trious ones, born and reared among them. Talbert: Don't let me excite you, sir. They still faced each other. Tillinan: I am not excited; I'm as cool as a cucumber. Mr. Talbert was standing with his back to the president in the aisle a foot or two from his opponeut. Mr. Hen derson suggested that they be required to address the chair. Talbert: How can I answer the gen tleman's questions with my back turnedf Talbert: Did any of the committee men who came here ask you to put the name of Butler in ? Tillman: Many of them did, but the most of them, on the contrary, asked me to put the name of Tillman in. (Applause.) AN OFFICER CALLED IN. Just here the passages between the two men became so warm and they appeared so much excited that the president with his gavel prevented any one from hearing what was said. The president called to the sergeant-at arms to go over and preserve order. Governor Evans exclaimed: The gen tlemarL will not interrupt the speaker. The sergeant-at-arms will see to it that he does not. The debate was continued at some length. BEN TILLMAN SHEDS EEARS. Col. R. B. Watson' then got the floor and he was particularly heavy on "Uncle George". He said that in 1892 Mr. Tillman ran for Congress and was defeated. He had the greatest ad miration for Mr. Tillman. He thought him the highest type of a man in every sense of the word. But since his defeat he had nurtured and culti vated his wrath and now came here to pour his vitriol forth. Mr. Till man had. he understood, told the committee that unless they gave him Butler as the name, he would defeat the county. It seemed that he desired to wound the people of the Saluda section because they defeated him and to wound his brother. Just here, those. who were watching Ben Tillman saw him shed several tears. He wiped them oif with his hand first and then took his handker chief. GEORGE TILL3IAN AGAIN. Mr. George Tillman rose to a ques tion of personal privilege and went for Col. Watson with gloves off. His sarcasm was terrible. He said that the gentleman from Edgefield, his col league, had said that he was his dear friend, his warm friend; that I was the most honest politicianhe ever saw,and said other things about me that almost made me bush. And then this d-e-a-r. dear friend of mine proceeded to let me down by saying that after I was defeated in 1892, I got mad and nursed my wvrath and was trying to take rev'enge now. God save me from such friends. That is the meanest thing any man ever said about me. There isn't a nigger in Edgefield who has such a low opinion of me. Al. though he ought to have worked for me in that election, for reasons I need not mention, yet if he ever did, neither I nor my friends ever heard of it before. I don't want him ever to call mie friend again, unless he rises on this floor and apologizes. I don't want a man that has such a vile opin ion o: me to ever call me friend or to speak to me. Is it wounding my brother, as the gentleman says, to wish that he will make as able, honest and influential Senator as Senator Butler? I hope that I have got some little character ':o lose, some reputa tion for telling the truth. I don't ex pect to get the name her-e, but in jus tice at least refer it to the people. I am satisfied that a majority of them will vote for Butler. But here the master pulls the cord. Talbert- Can you find any man on the committee here who wants the name of Butler? Tillman: Yes, plenty of them. We came here to do the State's business. but it seems to'me there are some stormy petrels on this floor and in this State that will never permit peace and harmony. We have spent two dlays here now debating this one word. Mr. Tillman went on to say some thing about an hereditary prejudice that existed between one of the bygone Butlers and Mr. Watson's grand father. Mr. Talbert raised a point of order that this was carrying things beyond bounds. The chairman sustained the pointI. Mr. Tillman stated that Mr-. Watson had attacked in the same mnanner'. The chairman said that was out of order. Mr. Tillman demanded to know why the president didn't stop him then. MR. wATSON'S STATEMENT. Mr. Watson then got the floor. le said he desired to state to CoL Tillman that what he had said was based on information given him. He went on to make an explanation and conclude d by saying: "I desire here and now fo retract it." H~e was cheered. Mr. Till man said: "I accept the a entleman's disclaimer,' and lie was chieered also. Senator Tillman closed the debat?, replying to the previous speakers. ard emphasizing his prev-ious points. THlE VOTE. Mr. Wilson's notion to inde fin itely postpone was then defeated by a vote of 84 nays to 5S yeas. The question coming up on the m tion to substitute "Saluda"' for "lIut her" as the name of the new count~y was as follows: Yeas-John (Gary Evans, Alexander, Austin, Barton, Behre, Bellinger,. Bo bo, Bowman, lIradham, Breazeale, Buist, Byrd, Cantey, Carver. Clayton. Cooper,~Cu nninghamn, Delay, Den nis, Dent, lDouglass, Dudley, Efird, Estridge, Evans, WV. D.; Field,Floyd, Gamble, Garris, Gary, Glenn. J. P. Gooding. Graham, Gunter, Hamel. Harris, iarrison, Hlemphill, H ender son, Win.; Henry, Hlier's, IHodges, Houser. Johuso:2, T. E.: KeCitt. Lo w man, MIcCown, Mc Kagen. McMak in, McWhite, Matthews, Morrison. Mt ray, Nicholson, Oliver, Otts, P'arrott. Patterson, Prince. Rledfearn. Ruissell. Shuler, Singletary, Smith? W. C.: Smoak, Sprott, Stack house, Stokes, Strng, Tab. nylor. Tillman. 3. R.: Timmerman, Watson. Whip per, Wiggins, Winkler, Woodward. So. Nays---Aldrich.Anderson. Atkinson, Barry, Bates, Berry, Brice, J. S.: Brice, T. W., Burn, Derham, Doyle, Ellerbee, Farrow. Fraser. Gage, J. L. Glenn; Gray, Howell, Irby, John stone, George: Jones, I. B.; Jones. Wilie, Kennedy, E. J., Kennedy, J. W.; Lee. McCaslan, McGowan, Meares, Miller, Moore, Mower, Nash, Parler, Patton, Peak, Ragsdale, Reed, John; Rogers, Rosborough, Rowland, Sheppard, J. C.; Sloan, Smalls,Smith, A. J.; Smith. Jeremiah, Smith,R. F.; Sullivan, Tillman, G. D.; Waters, Wharton, White, A. H.; White, S. E. Wigg, Wilson, Stanyarne; Wilson, W. B. --54. Mr. Barn asked to be excused from voting, but when the house declined to excuse him he voted against "Salu da. With some unimportant verbal amendments the ordinance was then declared duly passed. OTHER PROCEEDINGS. Thtere were several new ordinances --none of them of special interest, ex cept the following: By Robt. Smalls: To regulate the right of suffrage. This ordinance pro poses universal suffrage outright. By Mr. Gamble, of Williamsburg, offered an ordinance for the same pur pose. It is the "Mississippi plan," with some changes. By Dr. Timmerman: To pension Confederate veterans. By Mr. Parler: To give women the right to vote. By Mr. Sloan: Requiring the Legis lature to let the public printing out to lowest bidder. The Advance in Cotton, The cotton market has continued to advance steadily, and middling cotton is now at 1:, cents in this market, while contracts are at 8 cents and above. There has, therefore, been an advance of fully, ,15 per bale from the lowest prices of the past season. "Will this price hold is now the question that every one interested in cotton is ask ing himself," says the New Orleans Picayune. The greatest number of people in the cotton trade appear at the moment to believe prices to go even higher. There is not the least doubt that the crop is a very late one, nor is there now much question that there has been a very considerable de crease in the yield, even if the crop does no' turn out as small as 7,000,000 bales, which is the figure that many sanguine people have plnned their faith to. The present prices are un questionably satisfactory to the cotton growers, and.it may be iumed that were the crop less backward they would now be shipping freely. The fact that, in spite of the hioh prices, receipts should remain ligAt is a strong con firmation of the crop shortage which has been predicted. It will take a great amount of arguing to get over that fact. Judging by past experience, the planters will rush their crop to market freely enough to take advan tage-of presentprices as soon as cotton becomes more plentiful in the interior, and it is possible, and even probable, that free marketing, if even but for a brief period, will cause a temporary reaction. It should be remembered, however, that planters are more inde pendent this season than usual; hence any appreciable break in prices would soon check up receipts. The produc ers seem determined to get full value for this crop, and, while they will likely enough be willing to sell freely with prices in the neighborhood of 8 cents they are pretty sure to hold back whenever the market drops ma terially below that figure. From all present indications, the season of 1895 96 is likely to prove a producers' and not a spinner's year, as far as profits' are concerned. Turn about is certain ly fair play. A Disti nctive Sliver Movement. Cme rAo, Sept. 19 -The resolutions formulated by the executive commit tee of the National Sliver Committee are as follows: "esolved by the executive com mittee of the National Silver Conm mittee, That the American Bi -metal lic League and the National Bi-metal lic Union be requested to join with this organization in calling a confer ence on the third Tuesday of Decem ber, 1895. at Chicago. to take action in formulating a plan for holding a national convention to nominate can didates for President and Vice Presi dent of the United States upon a plat form with the sole plank providing for the restoration of silver to its con stitutional place in the currency of our country, without awaiting the action of any other nation on earth. "Resolved, That all persons who at tend said conference shall have pre viously declared their intention, in writing, of placing the views of free coinage of silver independently by the United States above all party allegi ance. "Resolved, further, That the object of such conference shall be to inaugu rate a distinctive silver movement for the campaign of 1S9i3 before it is too late for effective action, to the end that all believers in free coinage may unite for that campaign for the solu tion of this gr-eat question, and be left free to readjust the political relations after this question is settled. "Resolved, further, That if said American Bi-mnetallie League and Na tional Bi-metallic Union shall fail to join in said call by November 1. 1895, then the president of this organization shall issue said call in behalf of this organization. "Resolved, further, That the ques tion of representation at said confer ence and the method of selecting dele ates shall be settled by a conference f the piresidents of the three organiza tion herein mentioned, and each or ganization shall be entitled to equal representation." .Just 1jp and Kis~ed im. A young lady in St. Jloseph, Mo.. met a young farmer on the street the other day anid took him in her arms anid kissed hiim before lhe knew what w-as going on. She said in relation to the af fair: "1 never sawv the young man before. and I knew lie was~ a staliger before I kissed him: but I couldn't help it. W~\hen,.I tnurned arounid my ees met his, and he looked so good, noble and so true, tha t I wanited to kiss him. 1( din't think: there wasn't no time to thi nk. 1 only knew that I had met a real "man, and I wasn't sure tht I would -ee another one.' If this i to be' a fad w'itho th: new woman. what are the innocent and good men to do: They will be afraid to walk the streets without sonme kind of a pro tetion, and handsome married men will be kept in a perfect staite of agita n. LIVELY PROCEEDINGS. THE CONVENTION HANDLES THE "STATE" NEWSPAPER. Action Takeu Upost an Editorial Comment n;z uPot t he action of the President rhe Debate and the Vote. CotUomuA, S. C., Sept. 19-Special: The session of the Constitutional Con vention this morning was consumed in the consideration of a matter that grew out of a -publication in The State of Tuesday morning. On yesterday, Mr. Patterson of Barnwell (Vise Presi dent Talbert, on suggestion of the speaker, having been called to the chair) introduced the following: Whereas, "The State," a newspaper published in the city of Columbia, did on the 17th inst., in its editorial col umns. contain the following statement in reference to the action of the presi dent of this convention in announcing the vote upon a motion to take a re cess, when the question as to whether the name Saluda should be inserted in lieu of Butler, in the resolution before this convention on the 16th inst., to wit. "On a division vote intended to defer final action on the matter until Irby's forces could be rallied, the president openly and defiantly misstated the re turns of the tellers, subtracting two announced votes from Irby's side in order that he might show a majority of one against postponement;" there fore be it Resolved, That a. said editorial statement is unsuported by the facts, Seator Irby having announced upon the floor of the convention that the an nouncement of said vote was correct, and as said statement was a reflection upon the honesty and integrity of the president of this convention and an insult to this body; be it Resolved, TL.at this convention do hereby pronounce said editorial state ment as being a malicious falsehood. Mr. Patterson stated that this was a matter that this convention should pass upon in a few seconds and not a committee. Now, Sir. I offer this res olution for this reason; that we should protect our presiding officer from in sult as well as this body. He is the Governor of South Carolina for whom - we have the utmost respect gnd confi dence. All who were present heard this vote when announced and the chair was not only sustained by Mr. Irby but by the second vote; therefore the editorial in The State was malici ous and false. Listen at it. (He once more read the editorial.) Said he, "Now -entlemen, are we to submit to that? Oan we sit here content and al low our president to be insulted? I don't believe in muzzling the press. But when we are attacked by such a man as the editor of this paper we should act. He knew that no man there was too high for him to say mean thin-as about, but they, as individuals, cold put up with it. But this was an at tack on the president of the conven tion. When he relects, on our presi dent, he reflects on us; therefore I. move that the resolution be passed." Mr. Henderson of Aiken asked that the fesolution be read again. Later Mr. Patterson took the floor again and stated that a member of the convention had gone to the reporter of this paper on the floor, and told him that several members had asked him to see the representative of the paper and asked that the statements in the editorial be corrected. Instead of a correction, there was another edito rial this morning repeating the same charge. Can we stand that? He had thought of a resolution to deny to the writer of the article the privileg'es of the floor. "Let it go to the world that we denounce it as a falsehood and .a reflection on our president and this body." Senator Irby: Let the resolution go to a committee. Geo. Johnstone: Let us reflect over the resolution. Irby: Let us sleep over that awhile. The president: Do ten members ob ject to the immediate consideration of the resolution. There was such objection, Senator Irby being among those who stood. Mr. Patterson: Now I move that the consideration of this resolution be made the special order for tomorrow, immediately after the reading of the journal. This was agreed to. The resolution was ordered printed in the journal o f the day's proceedings. The resolution came up for considera tion this morning-Mr. Talbert again in the chair. Mr. Patterson called up the special order-the resolutionis which he had introduced yesterday. He offered the following as-a suostitute-the pream ll being unchanged: Resolved, First, That said editorial statement 'is unsupported by facts, Senator Irby haviug announced upon the floor of the convention that the an nouncement of said vote by the presi dent was correct and as said editorial is a reflection upon the honesty and in tegrity of the president of this con ventionand an insult to this body,beit Resolved, Second, That the conven tion desires to express its entire confi dence in the integrity, honesty and fairness of our president, the Hon. John Gary Evans, and we do hereby declare the statement in the aforesaid editorial to be unsustained by the facts and untrue. Besolved. Third, That we consider the editorial in question an abuse of the privilege granted to the press, in admitting its members to the floor of the convention. Mr. Patterson urged the passage of the resolution-taking about the same grounds as those in his speech on in troducing his resolutions. Mr. Bates of Barnwell offered tihe fol loing as a substitute for the paper of Mr. Patterson: Whereas, the State has seen fit to impute to our- honorable President an unscrulplous and intentional mis statement of a fact for partisan pur poses: ther-efore be it Resov-ed ist. That we do hereby ex onrate the P resident of this Conven tion from any intentional misstate mient of the vote on said occasion for p~artisan or for any other purpose, and further, that he manifested his absolute fairness by orderlag another vote as soon as it occurred to him there had been a misapprehension as to the result of the fir-st vote. Resolved 2d. That it is not deemed necessary to answer b~y aiuse or de nunciation any adverse or defamatory criticism of its otlicers by any newspa per or persons and that we re-affirm our con idence in the ability and integrity of our presiding oiliccr. After some discussio)n this substitute