Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, September 07, 1906, Image 1
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l. x. orist'8 sons, pubiiihen. j J dfantils Jfffirspajifr: 4[or th? promotion of the political, #oeia!, 3tgrieattnral and (JIommncial interests of the fpeople. _I__|^EBI?i^Mp"miollS^!'c^
KJTABLI8HED 1855. ...... . ? YORKVIL^p. S, Q? ,FRI PAJ. SEBTBMBE R Z?1SQ6. . .. ,, , ^ . , ,. NO,7it.
TILLMAN SM
OF
Near View of South Ca;
y
Lei
WHAT HE HAS ACCO
Man of Great Ability, Ambitio
Recognition Prom the !
Stirred the Masses to a
Force and Rode to Succ
ing Wave.
Written by Zack McGhee for the Wor
quirer by permission.
Near the centre of the Senate chamber.
directly in front of the vice-president,
sits a large, burly, surly-looking
man, with a tremendous square head
set upon a pair of broad, square shoulders,
the corners of his mouth drawn
down nearly to the lower margin of his
heavy, square Jaws. He is clean shaven?that
is, he is shaven; perhaps it
was day before yesterday that he
shaved. His thick, slightly gray hair
is dishevelled, and he wears just such
clothes as you would expect to see on
a man who says on the floor of the
"T ? ? ? ''a MAAM Aflil
Knaw, t illll at I uuc niau (Hiu MVU ?
care." But when he rises from his seat
and addresses the chair In a highpitched.
almost whining voice, standing
somewhat nervously, one shoulder
slightly raised above the other, his
one dark-brown, glistening eye flashing
through the room like a searchlight,
the other senators put down their
newspapers and slowly turn in their
seats; those walking about instinctively
tread more softly or stop in their
tracks; the many necks In the visitors'
galleries are craned to get a better
view, and there is a movement in the
press gallery to get a little nearer the
front "The only thing that ever happens
In the senate," wrote a correspondent
one day, "is Senator Tillman."
Beyond doubt he is the most
interesting figure in that body of exceptionally
interesting men.
M* ?oKla oKo/l mnnh I
light in this body, Mr. President," he
observed one day as he Interrupted a
debate between two great constitutional
lawyers with a homely, direct question
which went straight to the point,
"but I sometimes manage to break the
glass." But. however conspicuous he
may he In the senate, the most inter- I
eating as well as the most significant
part of Tillman's career was before he
was ever able to Introduce his "pitchfork."
his "cornfield law," and many
acts not in accordance with the code
of "senatorial courtesy," into that
"most august deliberative body in the
world."* In order to get into the senate.
this "rude man who doesn't care"
?an uncouth, unknown, uncredited
?1?nrlikAiii r?nlI inn 1
Uflt'AWUUuo iai uaci, n tiiivui pvu%ivi?i,
social, or financial Influence and wholly
without training?had first to "break
the glass" In one of the most aristocratic,
most conventional, most "ceremonious
and traditional" states of the
Union.
It has been said that once every
thirty years South Carolina goes crazy:
in 1833 it was nullification; In 1860 it
was secession; in 1890 it was Tlllmanism.
And for real downright crazlness,
? neither of the first two was oomparable
with the last. Nullification and secesalrtn
nroro nnnflintQ hfitw^Pn thP qtfttP
and the national government; Tillmanism
was an internal conflict, and
though nominally a fight between the
masses and the classes, It was so complicated
that in many cases brother
was arrayed against brother and father
against son. It may have been a
tempest in a teapot, but there is no
denying that it was a tempest, and a
violent one. To understand it fully one
must recall something of the history
of this peculiar state, for it was not the
power of Tillman's personality, great
as that power was. which made his
achievement possible.
Prior to the Civil war South Carolina
did not have a Republican form of government,
did not pretend to have; ref,
erence is made altogether to the white
people of course. The state was governed
by an oligarchy, one of the most
benign and just the world has ever
known, perhaps, but still an oligarchy.
In 1860 less than one-tenth of the
white people of the state owned slaves
and considerably less than one-half of
the whites even belonged to the slave
holding class. But these governed absolutely.
In all essentials the rest were
In such a state of serfdom that the negroes
In the cotton fields sang, "I'd
ruther be a nigger dan a po' white
man." The war liberated these serfs
and established a Democratic form of
government?nominally; but these
lower classes were so accustomed to
being serfs that they failed to realize
it, and there were no United States
troops, no Freedmen's Bureaus, no New
England school-ma'ms to take hold of
the poor whites, and tell them that
they also were free, and put wild no
lions inxo ineir neaus auuui ucuhuiiIng
their oppressors" and taking
charge of the government themselves.
It was left for Tillman to come along
fifteen years afterward and do this.
The patriotic "reconstructors" and benevolent
missionaries had but one Idea
of democracy, which was that the negro
should rule the white man. The
poor white man. the serf, the "forgotten
man." had no more a part In their
scheme of government than the deposed
aristocrat.
And when, in 1876. the white people
again came Into possession of the government,
these deposed leaders were
naturally returned to the offices. The
division was no longer between aristocracy
and peasantry; these had
passed away, leaving only the "best
people"?and the others. These "others,"
accustomed to be ruled, "bowed
down by the weight of centuries," just
voted, enjoyed their part of the yelling,
and went back to their hoes. In time,
as the white people felt more and more
secure in their control of the government
and the negroes ceased opposition,
differences began to assert themselves.
? There were not enough offices to go
around, not enough even for aspiring
exponents of the "best people." "Sore
heads" began to Incubate and pervade
the atmosphere with their vaporings
of discontent, which found easy lodgment
and rapidly multiplied. Industri
ASHER
TRADITIONS.
rolina's Foremost Political
ader.
MPLISHED AND HOW.
us of Power, Unable to Secure
i
Small Circle Ttien In Control,
Realization of a Their Dormant
> i
ess On the Crest of the Resultid's
Work, and Republished in The Enal
conditions, completely wrecked by
the war, were Improving but slowly,
seemed not to improve at all. For several
successive years crops were short
and prices low. The small farmers who
had been compelled to go Into debt for
food, clothing, and supplies were getting
deeper and deeper in debt to the
merchants, who seemed to be prospering
at their expense. There was a
growing feeling that something was
wrong and that somebody was to i
blame. ' i
>11 this time, out In the backwoods
of Edgefield, on his large plantation? 1
for a good part of each day lying on
the piazza floor beneath the shade of
spreading oak trees?was a one-eyed 1
man, reading French history and "Par- 1
T In 10fC kn ITAna nil! I
AJU91. All 1V1V lie IIUU BVMV VUV
to Hamburg and Ellenton. a few miles 1
from Ms home, to participate in the
famous negro riots. He also took a 1
prominent part In his Immediate section
In the "red shirt" campaign of 1
that year. It was he who had made the 1
first red shirts, or "bloody shirts." and
distributed them to the men summoned !
to the court house to stand trial for '
participation In the riots. On that '
same day he had fixed at the top of a 1
tall pole a transparency with the figure !
of a negro's head above; on the white
canvas below, for exhortation to the '
white people along the road, he had
printed In bold black letters: "Awake, 1
arise, or be forever fallen!" After the (
whites had won and the United States 1
troops had been withdrawn from the 1
state, he returned to his backwoods 1
farm, to his crops and mules and ne- <
groes, to his Improvised lounge on the
floor, his oak trees and his books, and 1
to his devoted young wife. 1
Benlamln Rvan Tillman had been 1
born on that farm, which had been in
the Tillman family for several generations.
He was the youngest of seven
sons and four daughters, being born
the very year, 1847, that hie eldest
brother was killed in the Mexican war.
Two years later his father died. Of his
six brothers, now all dead, three died
by violence, one having been killed in
war and two in personal altercations.
Another brother killed a man and left
the country, but afterward returned
for trial and was convicted of manslaughter.
While in Jail, he was
elected to the state senate, which he
entered as soon as his imprisonment
ended. This was the Honorable George
Tillman who served a number of terms
in congress. It was his son, James H.
Tillman, who, while lieutenant governor,
shot down N. G. Gonzales, the editor
of the Columbia State. Ben Tillman's
uncle. John Tillman, was a man
of rakish habits but of strong intellectual
qualities. He was an omnivorous
reader, as well as a great cock-fighter,
and he collected a large library of the
best English literature. Being a bach
elor but a man or great family pride, i
he' selected his nephew Ben, then a i
small boy, as the one most likely to |
conserve and advance the Tillman <
name, and to him he bequeathed his i
books, well annotated by himself. Ben
Tillman's mother was also an extensive ,
reader and lover of books, and these <
also he inherited. From that day to
this the present senator has been a
student of English literature and history.
not an orderly one, but profound, ,
and few of his colleagues in the senate
are better read; not one remembers i
better what he reads. He did not receive
a college education, the war hav- <
that great ambition of his youth. At j
me oumreaK or me war, wnen ne was
fourteen years old, his mother sent
him to a neighboring academy to prepare
for South Carolina college, but
he never went farther than this academy.
Moreover, realizing soon that
this would be his only chance, he applied
himself so assiduously to his
studies that his health was seriously
Impaired and his life threatened. It
was here that he lost the sight of his
left eye as the result of an abscess.
At the close of the war, though but
seventeen years of age and still an Invalid,
he took charge of his mother's
large farm, adding gradually to Its
acreage by purchase so that by the
time he became governor, in 1890, It
comprised 1.700 acres. At twenty he
married and during the first eight
years of his married life, as he had no
children, his young wife was his fellow
student of the books he had Inherited,
as well as his constant companion
and counsel in the management of
his large estate. Thus Benjamin R.
Tillman spent the first twenty years
of his manhood, taking little If any
part in affairs outside of his immediate
neighborhood, attending strictly to
his own business, and enjoying life.
Thus he acquired his mastery of "cornfield
law," stored his mind with a
plentiful knowledge of common things,
and cultivated the acquaintance of the
great chaiacters In history and lltera
ture.
It was oj>- August 6, 1885, when he
was thirty-eight years old, that he
made his first real appearance before
the public of his state. A farmers'
convention was In session In the town
of Bennettsvllle. the county seat of
Marlboro. Farmers and planters from
all parts of the state were present,
principally planters?well-bred, welldressed
"South Carolina gentlemen."
The sessions were held In the court
house, gaily decorated for the occasion
with flowers and evergreens. I^adies
and "young people" and ministers of
the gospel came out to hear the "orators."
After the day's proceedings, receptions
were held In the evenings by
the citizens of Bennettsvllle to entertain
the distinguished guests. At one
of these It was rumored that on the
morrow a green, gawky, sallow-faced,
one-eyed fellow from the backwoods of
Edgefield would speak, and that he was I
likely to say something out of the or- t
dlnary. Accordingly when the morrow t
arrived the court house was more than c
usually crowded with people who had s
come to enjoy the fun. That was the y
first speech Benjamin R. Tillman had li
ever'made In his life, but from that t
day to this he has been the most con- v
nrvl/tu/Mio Aeruro <n Qnuth Oornllno Thft "
speech was published in a number of n
newspapers, and afterward in pamph- e
let form and distributed among the s
farmers of the state. Tillman soon be- v
gan to receive invitations from all parts c
of the state to deliver addresses, and 1
he invariably repeated the substance a
of the Bennett8vllle speech. "If I could v
get a chance to speak to the people of a
South Carolina as I did to the farmers I
of Marlboro," he said one day, "there h
would be some fine somersaultin' In c
this old state." The chance came, and E
the somersaulting followed. He was H
lauded, he was condemned, he was rid- o
Icuied, but he always had a hearing a
and he got Into the headlines of the v
newspapers. But what was the issue it
he raised? Perhaps an incident of
more recent times will afford the best a
illustration. Ci
"I should like to ask, Mr. President, s<
what is before the senate?" said Sena- tl
tor Foraker one day as he arose in o
the senate for a "parliamentary inqul- ?
ry" while Senator Tillman was making 1*
fierce attacks in a desultory way, on w
a number of things and a number of nr
men. . cl
"I am before the senate," fairly ol
screamed Tillman. ei
Dm* Cnno T^aimIrflr . unHu nntpH hv
the great roar of laughter that follow- tl
ed Tillman's characteristic answer, in- g<
slsted on knowing upon what particu- w
lar subject the senator was taking the s]
door. si
"No particular subject," replied Till- ol
man in the same combative manner, di
"I am Just making a few remarks on hi
the general cussedness of the situa- ai
tlon." b;
And so it was Tillman before the m
state of South Carolina. He knew its pi
history, having studied it closely and
having himself lived through four of lr
Its distinct periods. He likewise knew p<
the conditions at that time, knew what T
was in the breasts of the "best people," pi
knew also what was in the breasts of ai
"the others." Being a close observer si
with "this old one-eye of mine," as he ei
Kills It, as well as a close reader of the ol
newspapers, he discerned the coming e<
wave of unrest and knew that the time ol
was ripe. "Awake, arise, or be forever if
fallen!" Forth throughout the state he v<
went, denouncing existing institutions ai
hoavi "? KlflrK nlonoo riAllH/Hll OA_ Ti
cial, and commercial. With the carefully
reserved power of a massive lr
brain, a rich and ready Imagination, es
ind a vocabulary of vituperation which p]
few Americans have ever possessed, he 01
?ave vent for the first time?and with d<
the valve wide open?to the Injured ti
feelings pent up In the great majority tx
of South Carolinians, who had consld- ai
?red themselves politically and socially tt
Ignored from the beginning of the c<
state's settlement. pi
And, let It be remembered, that was bl
before this "stormy petrel from South tl
Carolina" had even begun to undergo II
the taming process. There was no
'senatorial courtesy" to restrain him fc
In those days. He had no regard for pi
conventionalities of any kind, either of pi
speech or of conduct, and seemingly had m
no respect for man or beast, for Insti- bi
tutions or law. His enemies say that ef
he had no respect for truth, that If he di
thought a thing might be true he de- e<
clared it to be true, and that he went
on the principle that every man was a J<
liar or a scoundrel or a thief until he A
proved nimseu innoceni. tie aeciareu j<
that the state government was stealing ol
from the people, that public money was m
being wasted, that taxes were lnordl- m
nately high, that public men were rid- Y
Ing on free passes and hence were un- ui
der the influence of railroads. He said Ji
that South Carolina college, an lnstitu- H
tion which for three-quarters of a ai
century had been the pride of the bi
state, was simply a hot-house for aris- m
tocracy, a school for rich men's sons, hi
where young men were taught to de- dl
port themselves like lords of creation si
and to despise the "plain people." The si
Citadel, or South Carolina Military b
academy, in Charleston, another of the ai
state's "cherished institutions," he call- pi
ed a "dude factory." He said there was w
a "ring" In Columbia, the "Columbia- p
Club-South - Carolina- College-Green- p
field-Building Ring" he called it, which u
dominated the state in the Interests of ir
the "aristrocracy," Ignoring and despis- n
ing the "plain people." In every coun- a
ty was a smaller "ring." he declared, it
composed of the allies of these "ring- "i
sters" in Columbia. His principal ap- a!
neal was to the farmers, to whom he h
said: "We constitute the state: what h
are our duties to ourselves, and how ai
have we discharged these duties? Peo- rr
pie are generally supposed to look af- h
ter their own affairs In a free country; 0
but I feel that I am speaking nothing G
but the truth, and the naked truth. It
when I say that you and I and all of Ji
us, we farmers, have acted like Idiots li
and cowards. We have basely surren- "I
dered our birthrights, which entitles us si
to control and direct the affairs of this y
state." n
Gut his appeals were not to farmers It
alone, nor did he talk any less directly
to others. He went down to Charles- \v
ton, between the Ashley and the Coop- w
er rivers, and Charleston then, more tl
so even than now, was one of the most la
conventional as well as one of the "<
proudest cities In the whole country, tc
"Men of Charleston," he said, "I have n<
always heard that you were the most A
self-Idolatrous people that ever lived; n
and I want to say to you that the sun tl
doesn't rise In the Cooper and set In tl
the Ashley. It stands all over the state si
If the tales that have been told, t]
me, or the reports which hace come to h
me, of your condition are one-tenth h
true, you are the most arrant set of e
cowards God ever made. * * You have h
surrendered to a ring your rights as a h
free people." Everywhere he went he c;
urged the people: "Organize! Organize! p
Organize! With organization you will w
become free once more; without It you Jt
will remain slaves." fc
And they organized. Leaders sprang s'
up In every county, from the various cs
olsmi.nls alrpnHv rtMf>rlhp(l and thev
went about reminding the people of ci
their wrongs, and the cause of them all "i
?aristocracies, rings, officeholders, pol- a
iticians. Likewise, opposite leaders rr
sprang up to defend the "cherished In- ci
stltutlons," the "noble heroes of the C
past," and the "honored traditions" of h
the state. Gradually the people divided v
Into "Tlllmanltes" and "antl-Tillman
tes." In 1886 the "Tlllmanites" tried
o get the Democratic State convenion
to nominate one friendly to their
ause for governor, but their efforts
eemed to make little impression. Two
ears later they had a strong minority
n the convention, and when John Peer
Richardson, a low-country planter
rhom everyone acknowledged to boas
aristocrat" If there ever was one, was
lomlnated for governor, Tillman warnd
the leaders in one of his most pasionate
and violent speeches that they
ifoi*o nlovlnir urUh flro on/1 that a VaI
ano would belch forth to engulf them,
'wo years later, In 1890, It came. An
ddress to the people, citing the
rrongs heaped upon the "people" for
hundred years, was issued from
<aurens over the signature of one Capaln
George Washington Shell. It beame
known as the "Shell Manifesto."
(en Tillman wrote every word of it.
t called for a convention of "the friends
f the movement" to meet in Columbia
nd nominate a state ticket. The conention
met. and nominated B. R. Tlll?un
for governor.
The Democratic Executive committee
ppointed meetings in the various
aunties, at which candidates should
st forth their views upon the quesions
of the day. Two champions came
ut to meet the "traducer of the state,"
r the "friend of the people"?accordlg
to one's point of view, whether he
ere a "Tillmanlte" or an "anti-Tilltanite"?and
every man, woman and
bild within the confines of South Carlina
soon came to be one or the othr.
Tillman appeared upon the scene enlroned
upon the plain, hard board
sat of a farm wagon, the frame and
heels of which were decorated with
leaves of grain, pea vines, 'cotton
talks, corn tassels and other insignia
f rank. The chariot of the king was
rawn by a hundred or more bornyanded
sons of toil, wearing "wool hats
rad britches"?not trousers?held up
y "one-galluses." A hundred or
tore horsemen (and muiemen) led the
rocession, uncounted hundreds of
vool hat and one-gallus boys" bringig
up the rear, all yelling to the full
jwer of their lusty lungs, "Hurrah for
illman and Reform!" Thus they
araded through the principal streets,
id on to the arbor stand on the outdrts
of the town. "Our Noble Leadf
mounted the stand. After taking
T his big broad-brimmed hat wreath1
around with pea vines or sheaves
' grain, he proceeded with many manestations
of wrath In countenance and
Dice and with gyrations of his long
rms to "make a few remarks on the
meral cussedness of the situation."
The details of that campaign are unnportant,
though exceedingly plctur?que
and dramatic, verging at many
laces upon personal conflicts and once
r twice upon general riots. Tillman
^legates were chosen In all the counes
In the state except four, Tillman
scame governor of South Carolina,
id Tlllmanltes took entire control of
le legislature and of nearly every
>unty government. Then began the
rocess of "reform," and with it the
Itterness and most interesting part or
lis factional warfare in South Carona.
Floating In upon the wave of "retrm,"
or as the antl-THlman newspaers
dubbed It, "refawm," came many
Icturesque personalities, with whom a
lore intimate acquaintance than this
rief article can give would be intersting.
But only one of the quaint
ramatis per son se of the tragedy-com]y
can even be mentioned.
Most interesting of all, perhaps, was
jsh Ashley, who became "Citizen
shley" and in time "the Honorable
)shua W. Ashley." Even at the risk
f some prolixity we must pause a molent
for a closer look at one of the
lost celebrated of Tillman statesmen,
et only as a personality was he
nique; as a Tillmanite he was typical,
ash used to come to the little town of
:onea Path on Saturdays and stand
round on the street corners, chew toacco
and spit and "cuss." Though
aturally good-natured he was redeaded,
so that his geniality could be
isturbed. On the whole, he was Just
iich a character as "the boys" In a
-nail town like to have around for the
utt of their pranks. Josh was llllterte,
he had to make his cross mark on
apers until his wife taught him to
rite his name. He was of the "plain
eopul," that is, he was what the newsapers
had begun to call a "vox popII."
Withal he was a farmer, wearig
a woolen hat, "one gallus," and had
ever been seen with polfshed shoes or
"biled shirt." So Josh "Jlned the
lovement"?with the accent on the
ment"?and when the campaign came
long, some mischievous boys Induced
im to mount the stump and shout with
is mighty lungs, "Hurrah for Tillman
nd Reform;" to everybody's surprise,
lost of all to his own, it resulted in
is being elected to the "legislator."
ine of the events in the history of
[onea Path which they tell to the visor
whom they delight to honor, is
ash Ashley's first departure for Coimbla
to become a member of the
legislatur." It was the first time, they
ly, that he had ridden on a train;
et in a short while he was one of the
lost influential men at the state capal.
The members of the legislature as
ell as the state and county officers
ere in the main farmers, some few of
aem country doctors, and a slightly
irger number of them lawyers of the
jne-horse" variety?all alike unused
> any kind of public service. All or
early all of the "politicians," or as Josh
shley called them the "polltlclaners,"
ere relegated to the rear. Of some
ling liKt- luu lawyers in me siaie, icoo
ian fifty were Tlllmanltes; and It Is
Ignlficant that If any one of these flf:
was not seeking public office at the
ands of the "movement" no trace of
Im has ever yet been discovered. In
very county were ambitious men who
ad previously aspired to office but
ad been kept down by the "aristocrap,"
so they told the people, and the
eople believed It. "Soreheads," they
ere called by the newspapers. They
imped upoh the stump, shouted loud
yr Tillman and Reform, and were
ivept Into office. Then the newspapers
illed them "coat-tail swingers."
To puss over the administration of
ounty affairs by the green votaries of
reform," and the hundreds of county
nd precinct struggles which furnish
lost thrilling examples of how Amerla,
in contradistinction to the Old
ountry, conducts its "peaceful" revoltions,
let us go to the state capital
lth Josh Ashley.
Tillman himself admitted at the end
cf hi3 first term that the "reform" leg- l
Islature was a failure. The promises i
he had made to the people had not been I
fulfilled. True. General Wade Hamp- i
ton?whom they called a- "aristocrat" <
?had been turned out of 4he senate
and one of the leaders of the "move- (
merit" put in his place. The leglsla- <
ture had cut down the salaries of the 1
South Cf.rollna college professors from <
$2,000 to $1,000, and stopped the ap- ]
propriatlons for completing the state t
capitol. The reformers did not pro- <
pose to be beautifying the city of Co- <
lumbia. whose nnniilsflnn were "sntls " '
at the expense of the "peopul." And a
few other measures similar In nature
and Importance were passed. But for
all these things taxes did not seem to
be materially reduced, i:he price of cotton
did not rapidly rise, and the corn
crop was not noticeably increased, In
accordance with some of the prevalent
Ideas of "Tillman and Reform." Genei-ally
speaking, reform did not seem
to be making much headway. At least
the newspapers said so, and while Tillman
had taught the people not to believe
anything they saw In the "lying
newspapers." there seemed to be some
disaffection on the part of "vox popull"
Itself.
Tillman "cussed.".
In the next campaign he went before
the people and told them that this
movement, like all other floods, had
floated in a lot of driftwood. "Turn out
this cattle, these driftwood legislators,"
he said, "and send me a legislature
that will do what I say, and I'll give
you reform." The people obeyed.
Then Tillman was in complete control n
if the state. His word was law; no r
mail uarea oppose ii in imngs emier e
great or small; or if he did, his polltl- V
cal decapitation took place at once. *
Tillman ruled like a despot. By this h
It is not meant that he was unjust or t
oppressive, but he Intended to rule, and o
he ruled. Had he not held the reins r
tight, there Is no telling what would |i
have happened. Enough happened as n
It was, but his attitude toward the In- 9
atltutlons which he had so ruthlessly a
denounced was more conservative than "
either his friends or his enemies had
expected. He did not "tear up the 0
South Carolina college root and 0
branch," nor remove the "dude facto- t
ry" in Charleston from the face of the h
earth, as he had threatened to do, but n
recommended liberal appropriations Ii
for both. He assisted materially in the q
establishment of a normal and Indus- a
tria l college (for girls and in the orgbn- s
txatton of Clemson Agricultural and t
Mechanical college for boys, for which a
he had fought before he became gov- n
emor and which the legislature had es- n
tablished. These last two institutions s
were distinctly "reform" measures, and t
goc>d ones, in which he had the co-op- li
eratlon of Tillmanltes and antl-Tlll- r
rianltes alike, as far as the two fac- n
tlnns could co-ooerate. But Tillman a
never did anything nor Bald anything t
for the purpose of conciliating his ene- t
mica. tOn the contrary, he constantly 1
said and did things which kept the two o
factions apart. At first few newspa- v
pers In the state were with him. These "
were small country weeklies. And u
those which were not for him were a
against him; there was no middle t
ground In South Carolina on which any c
one could stand. The State In Colum- t
bla was started with the declared ob- c
lect of opposing Tillman and Tillman- e
Ism. Its editor, N. G. Gonzales, had s
resigned from the Charleston News and c
Courier .because it was not strong a
enough In its denunciation of Tillman, n
and the county weeklies throughout t
the state, almost with one accord, fol- v
lowed the State. s
"We cannot stand this thing," said
Tillman. "We must have a newspaper, a
too." Then appeared upon the scene a t
new figure, a personality as plctur- h
esque almost as Tillman himself, f
brought over from Georgia for the t
purpose, as he himself expressed It, of i
"running a rough-and-tumble cam- n
palgn." They secured the Columbia i<
Dally Register and Imported for Its ed- t
itor Colonel T. Larry Gantt, the man n
who had conducted the famous cam- a
paign against Judge Emory Speer for f
congress. He wore a coarse woolen f
shirt and soft collar with the remnant i
of a tie, never properly adjusted. On n
his head was a faded woolen hat of s
manv summers, brown with the dust f
of all of them. His baggy trousers n
stopped where the tops of his unpol- s
ished brogan shoes began, and his I:
black coat, worn only In winter, was a
brown with age. He put a goodly wad
of tobacco Into the hollow of one cheek, t
while deep down Intp the caverns of the t
other, at an angle of forty-five degrees, t
he plunged a long cane pipe-stem a
pointing upward. Then with his sal- t
low face cocked to one side and his t
bright eyes glistering with delight, Col. r
T. Larry Gantt snatched up the first and t
scrappiest piece of paper he could find, v
took a blunted stump of a pencil into I
his lean and nervous hand (or went to
the tvre case himself) and was ready i
for business. "There's no use for you
fellows to begin telling lies In this v
thing, now," he announced to the enemy,
"for I give you fair warning that
I kin beat any man In South Carolina ^
In the lying business."
It would make too long a story to
describe even the hundredth part of ^
the striking Incidents of the Tillman ^
administration, and no attempt will be (
made here to give even the Important
one". Thp whole state was In one con- .
tlnuous hubbub from the time Tillman
entered the governor's mansion to the t
day he left It; and the administration
of his Immediate successor, John Gary j
Evans, during which Tillman continued
to keep his hand upon the throttle, was s
scarcely less stormy. Every thing he
did or proposed met with the most vio- ^
lent opposition?likewise with the most t
violent support. His entire admlnlstratlon
was one long process of "re- n
form" In South Carolina. The volcano r
J n?/l ttfUK' If a trrpflt
Iliiu i uurru UMIIC, auu nun * * 0. ?- s
earthquake which shook the Palmetto j,
state to Its very foundations, lopsenlng v
up the soil, however, and levelling It j(
somewhat. Although the antl-Tlllman- s
Ites hooted at the term. It was Indeed 0
a "campaign of education." At least a
the glass was broken and the light let a
In, though it took some time' for the s
smoke and the mists to clear away. <3
The people of the whole state, In coun- g
try and In town, came to realize more t
and more the necessity of giving atten- y
tlon to public afTalrs, and many a man jfelt
that somehow?he did not know j|
exactly how?the barriers had been re- f
moved so that he could aspire now, as q
he did not believe he could have aspired
before, to even the highest honor
and station. It is persistently claimed r
by the enemies of "Tlllmanlsm" that I
there were no barriers before. Let tha
pass without argument. PeopI
thought there were, and Imaginary bar
riers are sometimes as strong as rea
>nes. *
. Gradually more Intelligent and bet
ter equipped men were put Into office
ind gradually the "green" ones ma
:ured. The primary system was adopt
?d In all the counties, and after fou
r'ears a state primary was ordered fo
'Wo aIaoHah a# haifarriar an/1 af a fa nffl
. 11^ C lev Hull VI VI Vf VI nvt auu v??i%v van
:ers. Finally United States senator
ame to b? elected by a direct primary
The days of government by convention:
ias passed away in South Carolina
tnd if rings and aristocracies ever ex
sted they can exist no more. Neithe
s it likely thAt a Tillman nor any oth
>r type of man can again complete):
Inmlnate the state.
Gradually, too, factional strife dle<
iway. and at last factional division
Iradualjy, as Tillman has become ab
icrbed |n .larger afalrs, far remove*
rom the pphere of local politics, an<
tas grown in strength and influence
>ersonal bitterness towards him hai
leclined; likewise, his own enmity to>
vard those who fought him has wand.
He is fifty-nine years old now, ant
he upward years have mellowed him
moothed away many of the hare
daces, and softened his naturally bis
leart.
One incident, the murder of N. G
ronzales, has generally been mlsunlerstood.
'An explanation has no place
iere. but in justice to Ben Tillman ii
iught to be known that he was In n<
my, either directly or indirectly, conlected
with that affair. James H. Tillnan
was the son of his devoted brothr.
and N:: G. Gonzales, the man h<
tiled, was his own bitterest enemy?
>olltlcaI, not personal. Many peopk
lave supposed from these two facti
hat Ben Tillman sanctioned the dee<!
>f his nephew, but if he did there it
10 word of his. no act known, to provt
t; and those who know him best beleve
that he regrets the deed as mucti
s any one. Neither had that acl
ught to do with what is known at
Tlllmanlsm."
Tillman is becoming universaly recgnlzed
as one of the growing mer
>f the senate. At first, and for a long
ime, interesting only as other oddities
ie has of late come to develop a lint
f usefulness all this own. Somebod)
s needed In the senate to put dlrecf
uestlons, to shake up the dry bones
.nd to crack tfte hard nuts with a
ledge jammer; someone Is needed Ir
hat body every now and then to "make
, few remarks on the general cussedless
of the situation." So long as Tillnan
remains, that need Is abundantly
upplled. He Is one of the most acive
men in the senate, one of the
lardest students. He Is visited b)
nore different kinds of people with
nore varieties of grievances than an)
ither senator. When a crank comef
o Washington, the first man he goe;
o see. after being shut out of th<
Vhite House, |s Senator Tillman. Ash
ine of them why, and the answer Inarlably
will be something like this:
Well, he is honest, and he Is for the
inder dog." Senator Tillman receives
.11 these cranks and laughs at many ol
hem; but if there be any merit in the
ase. he will readily take It up, no mater
where the man, or the woman, ma>
ome from. And they come from evrywhere,
fewest of all from his own
tate. Every senator constantly reelves
letters from his constituents
sking all sorts of favors; Senator Tillnan
srets them from everywhere, from
he north, the eas? the south, and the
rest. Since he makes it a rule to anwer
every letter, his is a busy life.
He lives very simply, both at home
nd in Washington. He cannot afforf
o live any other way; but apparentl)
le has no taste for luxurious living
Ifter working hard all day he spend;
he evening with his family, every one
f whom is interested in all the detail:
f the day's activities, just as he 1;
eenly interested in all the events ol
heir lives. He has two grown sons
ne grown daughter, another daughtei
t college, and a little girl of twelve
le Is fond of music, fond of flowers
ond if children, and of all the simple
oys of the domestic fireside. He Is e
nan of the sobef-est habits, eating twt
imple meals a day, abstaining totallj
rom all Intoxicating liquors, all forms
>f tobacco, and all other kinds of dlslpatlon.
In all respects Ben Tillmar
s a good cttizen, a good husband, anc
i good father.
As a public man, it is difficult to esImate
Tillman. There are those whc
hlnk him a demagogue of the worsl
ype; there are others who think hln
i great statesman; still others whc
hlnk him a little of both. His life has
leen lived in the open, so the public
nay pass judgment upon the factshat
Is, up to the present. What he
kill do tomorrow no man knows. He
s a "rude man and don't care!"
"o. Remove Stains From White Goods
In the case of acids tie up a bit ol
cashing soda in the stained part
nake a lather of soap and cold soft
cater, and boll until the spot dlsaplears.
For anlllines, wet with acetic
.eld, apply dilute chloride of lime
.nd wash out carefully. Paraffin*
akes out apple and pear stains
Hood, If fresh, Is removed by soakng
for twelve hours In cold water
hen washing in tepid water; this fall
rig, the mark is covered with a paste
if cold water and starch, and exposed
o the sun for a day or two. Old stains
uccumb to iodide of potassium diuted
with four times its weight ol
rater. For coffee and chocolate, poui
oft boiling water through the stains
nd while wet hold over the fumes ol
lurnlng sulphur. Fruit stains can be
reated In the same way. Grass stains
leld to alcohol. Ink is removed with
nilk, the spot should be soaked and
ubbed; an old stain may require
oaking for twelve hours. Iron mould
9 to be held over a basin of boiling
rater and rubbed with bruised sorrel
eaves, afterwards washed with warm
uds; or cover the spots with a paste
f lemon juice, salt, powdered starch
.nd soft soap and then expose to the
untight. Mildew is treated In the
ame way, or by covering with powlered
chalk and bleaching on the
rrass. Paints are disposed of with
urpentlne, tar with petroleum. Tea
lelds to boiling water poured from a
telght, or to glycerine. Wine stains
F old, the same treatment as for old
rult stains. Other stains will freluently
yield to boiling milk.
In union there is strength?tu
nany a married man has learned tc
lis sorrow.
I iHistfllaurous grading.
J THING8 AT CLEM80N.
A Farmer Calls For an Investigation
of the Whole Situation.
To the Editor of The State:
With your permission, I desire
. through the columns of The State to
express my views on some of the
topics of the day. and especially to
thank Mr. McMahan for his speech
at Greenville, or so much of it as re- (
lates to Clemson college. I (
It was my privilege (and I had
_ hoped my pleasure) with my young
est son to attend the farmers' institute
at Clemson college three weeks
ago. It was anything but pleasure for
I I assure you the treatment the visitors
received at the hands of Clem- !
son college was a downright insult,
I and the accommodations were a dls!
grace to the dignity of South Carolina.
While fare was very poor inj
deed, I would not, and do not believe
any one else would have complained
about it publicly, but the fare was a
I small item in the treatment we received.
| In the first place, the barracks or
, rooms they gave us to sleep in were
dirty, dusty and mouldy, with an unhealthy
smell about them. Neither
was that all. Every room I went in
, was completely possessed with
t chinches or bed-bugs, as some call
, them. My son and myself, together
. with a number of other gentlemen,
. spent the night in the Bermuda
. grass under the magnolia tree Just
, In tiunt of the barracks.
Yh..- "hlef topic of conversation
*kn Inif OtAfl K<U1_KIIM WO
} u u < 115 inr ia/ ffao ww-wu^o. ??v 1
, did not stay but one night We ,
I wot Id have gone to the hotel, but
, there was no room there.
, Nor Is that all. Those In charge
. of Clemson college paid very little
, attention to the visitors. Very few of
t them showed their faces; they were
1 either away from home or kept themselves
In doors. I must say that I
. believe there is too much extrava1
gance at Clemson college. In thle day
; of graft I believe there should be a
, rigid investigation at Clemson col?
lege at once. It was a common exr
presslon heard while there that they
t had more money than they knew
, what to do with and they had to get
l rid of It No, sir, I would not offend
1 a son of mine by sending him to such
) a filthy, dirty place as I found Clem
son college.
Except a small crop of cotton (as
' an experiment) I found their crops
- very poor Indeed, I did not see a
single cow that I call fine. I did see
r six fine hogs. For fear I take up
> too much of your valuable space I
' will say no more at present.
? S. O. Major.
> Greenwood, 8. C., Aug. 27th, 1906. ,
> ,
f EIGHT CENT COTTON.
Interesting Calculations as to the
Probable Trend of Priest.
Mr. H. Madanian of Smyrna, Turr
key, who Is In New York for a few
' weeks, contributes the following in ,
regard to what he deems the impos- (
sibllites of 8-cent cotton this season. ,
"We are confronting a general (
feeling: that 8-cent cotton ia inevitable,
but we venture the prediction
' that this feeling is founded more on
sentiment than upon a sound and
' logical basis.
! "In our opinion cotton prices will
be ruled more than ever this season
by the usual dominating factors?
| supply and demand. The yield is variously
estimated from thirteen to
fourteen millions, which the present
level of values partly discounts.
"The unexpected, of course, frequently
happens, and It may prove
to be the case in the present instance,
as many traders think 8-cent cotton
not only a great probability, but In ,
; ??ct practical certainty. Our views
for a brighter market are Dasea on
' the following:
"First, the difference between the
acreage this season and that of the
big crop year is fully 1,500,000 less.
"Second, the condition of the plant,
according to the last bureau report,
is ten per cent less favorable, and
even if the coming bureau report
j shows a condition of about seventynine,
it will be six per cent less than
the September government report of
the big crop year.
^ "Considering also the unseasonably
low temperatures which prevail in
many sections of the cotton belt, not
to mention the fact that the crop is
fully two or three weeks late ?n
many localities, the condition cannot
be considered as Ideal, as the possl,
bility of an early frost, as In case of
the crop in 1903-04, must not be Ignored.
Early frost in the season of
1903-04 was the main factor in
' bringing an already poor crop down
r too close to the 10-mlllton bale mark,
despite a 29-million acreage and a
September condition of 81.2.
"In the season of 1904-05, when a
crop of fourteen million was generally
accepted as a fact early In the
season, spot prices did not go up to
the 7-cent mark. On the other hrttd,
nripps did not fall to sDeedllv run ud .
/
1 to 10J cents when a record con- ,
' sumption of twelve and a half mil- ,
' Hon bales was forecasted. ,
' "At the present moment everyone .
' Is talking of the expected enormous
yield, absolutely overlooking and ig'
noring the fact that the consumption .
is Increasing at a rate unparalelled (
j in the world's history. ,
"In short we must consider the j
' universal prosperity both at home ,
' and abroad, the number of newly ,
| erected mills, the actual cheapness {
of the raw material, the reduced |
j Indian cotton stocks, as compared j
with last year, and the usual yearly {
J Increase of 300,000 bales. We have j
i a combination of factors which lead t
us to believe that a consumption of f
( American cotton of between twelve (
, and a half and thirteen million bales 1
, Is a certainty.
"Admitting that a crop of thirteen j
, million bales Is possible, If every- t
[ thing with the crop goes as well as f
i in the season of 1904-05, a consump- j
L tion of twelve and a half million j
bales will undoubtedly be a certainty, t
I The question then arises, If we have '
. a crop of twelve million bales and a (
consumption of twelve and a half i
million bales developes, what will be 1
t the price of cotton? j
> "Working on the Ideas above enu- <
merated, we shall advise our friends i
to be very cautious In selling cotton.
At present levels we would rather
buy than sell, In view of a reduced
visible supply as compared with last
year's."?New York Journal of Commerce.
% m +
SOUTH'8 DIVERSIFIED FARMING.
Its Cotton Plantations Capable of Producing
Many Other Crops.
It is said to be the opinion of the
agricultural department that diversified
farming has come to stay in the
cotton region, although It still has obstacles
to overcome.
W. J. Splllman, who has charge of
farm management investigation for
the department of agriculture, remarlts
thnt thp nonnl* of th? annth
generally recognise the desirability of
growing other crops besides cotton,
but with many it is not a simple
matter.
"In the old days," said Mr. Spillman,
"when the soil was not exhausted,
the demand for cotton exceeded
the supply, and the cultivation of the
staple was Immensely profitable.
Consequently a single crop system of
farming developed. Furthermore,
cotton is an easy crop to grow.
Many' of the laborers adapted to its
cultivation are incapable of the proper
management of dairy cows and
ether classes of live stock. Therefore,
for several generations the lator
of the south was trained to grow
cotton and today naturally objects to
Innovations. It is necessary therefore,
to train the available labor in
entirely new channels."
Mr. Splllman says the greatest dlsideratum
in the diversification of
farm products in the south is the development
of live stock farming. This
would give much greater stability to
igrlcultural industries. It helps to
supply extensive home markets and
thus keeps money at home, and at
the same time would add greatly to
the fertility of the soil, thus increasing
the production. It has been fully
demonstrated on many farms that
cne-third of the land now devotid to
cotton can be made to produce as
mucn conon as IB gruwu UII ail ui Ik,
while the other two-thirds of the
tereafe Is capable of producing the
forage needed for farm stock, the
fruits and vegetables required for
home use and local markets, and
with few exceptions all other food
nlpplles which are now imported
from other sections,
"The beginning of diversification
irKpotton plantations in the south,"
said Mr^Spillman, "should be the effort
to supply home needs as far as
these may be supplied from the farm.
After that the aim should be to supply
local marketa By the time these
demands are met outlets will open
for any surplus that may be produced.
except In the case of the most
perishable products."?New York
Commercial. . .
NO LONGER A PROPHET.
The Prediction That Brought Obed
8mall Into Discredit.
There had been years when Obed
Small had given the town Ihe benefit
it his weather predictions the former
resident of Bushby remembered
those years, and was not prepared
for the unresponsive look which
marked Mr. Small's features when
tsked what the prospects were for a
good picnic day.
"I've got nothing to say about It,"
uid Mr. Small gazed carefully down
the road, on which there was nothing
to be seen save dust and a small
boy with a large paper bundle.
"Why, Mr. smau, aren i yuu ms
town prophet, just as you used to
be?" asked the former resident, reproachfully.
"I relied on yor to tell
me before I Invited the young people."
A spark of angry recollection
kindled in Mr. Small's dull eyes.
"If you'd been here in the summer
of '02," he said, slowly, "you'd know
my rsasons. If you'd seen Ma'am
Qregg when she came at me, all
sails set, for telling her Mary Jane
that 'twas going to be a lovely afternoon
for her to go riding wlih
that young Simpson chap she was
trying to get, you'd have known 'em.
"Seems she wore her best suit o'
summer goods and a flower hat and
a pink spotted veil all on my presentations
of the weather. They set
forth in an open buggy for Wilson's
Lake, and a thunderstorm came up
rrom over behind old Qreenough^s
mountain, and struck 'em on the upper
road, where there's no house for
nearly three miles.
"She's afraid of lightning and had
hysterics; besides which her clothes
spotted and shrunk most fearful, and
her hair came out of crimp; her hat
Flowers ran, and so did her veil; and
she lost the Simpson chap as the results,
her mother said.
"I moved my Bible and hymn book
to the Marshtown church a month
later, so I shouldn't have to see that
3regg woman and Mary Jane every
Sunday. I've suffered pretty well for
my folly, I tell ye? and I learned my
esson once for all.
"That boy coming aiong me roaa u
probably tell you a great deal more
ibout the weather prospects in five
ninutes than I'll ever tell you as long v
is I live. So I'll bid you good day."
?Youth's Companion.
Why the Devu, Has Cixpven Hoops.
?Legends of the devil are quite
common In Ireland, but the one
which is the most Interesting and
east known perh&ps is that which
ells why the prince of the infernal
eglons has split hoofs, like those of
i cow beast. Moore alludes to the
egend in his story of St. Kevin and
Kathleen at Olendalough. In that
itory Moore makes St. Kevin throw
lis ladylove over the cliff In order
:o be rid of her importunities, but
he peasants of Olendalough district
five the story a more poetical touch,
rhey insist that it was not Kathleen
hat was thrown over the cliff, but
t was Satan, who had assumed the
orm of the lady In order to tempt
he saint. The moment the prince of
svil toppled over the edge of the
pawning abyss he spread his batike
wings and sailed away in safety,
nuch to the surprise of the holy
- '?-* * ?** ? /I/vitll Ail f A
(ill III. littler me uc v?i aiicm^icvi w
ay a snare for St. Kevin, but the
>aint managed to get the arch (lend
>n holy ground, where, of course, he
vas helpless. While the devil was
n this helpless condition Kevin sawid
off his legs and attached cows'
loofs to the stumps. Since that day
Satan has been cloven footed andwill
be until the end of time. v'
X