The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-05-26
Can't. Tillnlan's Letter.

sure OI 1SGIU VIVA S1nSC SIS Va
the Farmers Convention" has left ME no
time to reply to the fUsilade Of criticism
called forth by its action.
And, first, let me correct some mistakes
and misapprehensions of your Reporter.
The effort to behttle the Convention and ell
erate me on the pedestal of the 6emagogue
by saying, 1T was Capt Tillman's Conven-
ton all the way through" &C., will not hurt
our cause in the least because it is not true
It was representative body of earnest, in
telligent men taking counsel for the good
ofshe State, and what little control | ezer-
cised over its actions arose from the fearless
manner in which I had attacked existing
abuses and the unanswerable arguments ad-
duced to sustain my position. The COM
mittee on resolutions, who had full control
Of all business brought before the body
consisted Of one from each county, appoint
ed by each county delegation. had Doth-
ing to do with their selection, and I don't
even know half dozen of the thirty picked
men composing that committee. What
more need be said to show that these men
went to Columbia with their minds already
made up. and had no desire TO hear lengthy
discussion On the questions I have been
agitsting and others besides.
Invent into the Convention on Friday an
dcipating long and hot debate. I was
prepared with facts and arguments to sus-
tsin each and every one Of my resolutions.
The speech made at the opening of the
Convention had required little labor and
thought, while to show the Justice, the Wis
dom, the necessity of the reforms I advo-
cate has been my sole study for months.
The Convention needed no arguments other
than have already used in the Netes and Coz
rieT to convince it, and am glad that was
spared the labor Of making any. The Ae,cs
and Courier Will if it continues its present
bombardnent. give me an opportunity to
use much Of this ammunition, so may say
1t is well to be prepared even if it was not
necessary to shoot. But desire to make o
prediction right here, and that is that the
farmers Of the State will ratify most if not
all the acts of the Convention, and time will
show whether it was Farmers Convention
or Capt Yllmans Convention. lean tell
where the shoe pinehes. 1t was Farm
ers' Convention" and was thoroughly rep
resentative body, and every one knows it,
but it nearly kills some people because it
agreed with Farmer Nnman."
The insinustion that the Convention was
drunk on Friday evening. as shown by the
use Of the words staggered II" was un-
worthy the brilliant young gentleman whose
full and otherwise full and accurate record
Of It's proceedings is worthy of all adm!ra-
6on. I hope for his own sake that it was
typographical error. and that he wrote OF
meant '.strsggled in, for 1t cannot be shown
that there was any drunkenness. IN. G.
g." WAS very mad about the Citadel being
abolished, on paper. but this was an ungen-
ero1s way to get revenge, and the accusation
only recoils on the accuser, if he so intend
ed It.
One more mistake il the report of the
proceedings and viii pass on to the edito-
EisIs. Ihad nothing to do with the ap-
pointment of the committee of seven to
memorable Congress. did assist Mr..
Tndal in making up the executive commit
tee at his request, as it was to he supposed
Twas better cognizant Of what men were
best suited to carry out this because it is so
iadustrieusly tried to be shown that the
Convention was an assembIage of puppets
in my hands, which is totally untrue.
The first objection raised by the Ne,rs and
Culrser against what it terms the 'Tiliman
platform is the appointment Of commit
tee to propose bigs and wait on the Legisla-
ture next November and urge the passage so,
90 to change these resolutions into law
The 'tmodern 1oses' wrote his resolutions
70 cover all the points he wished to make,
end gave no thought to the ''stone tablets
of his ancient prototype" If copld have
done this with less than eleven resolutions,
I would have done so. do not feel that I
ON ordained to lead the farmers "out of the
wilderness" but I sincerely and honestly
believe the reforms embodied in these rcso-
lutions would go far towards helping to ad-
vance our agricultural interest; so believing,
should be less than man not to boldly
urge their adoption.
This committee, representing the large
and respectable body Of farmers who recent
y met and authorized it to present these
matters to the next Legislature, will exercise
great influence, even il that body shall be
Of men other than farmers. We will, if we
can, send men to the Legislature to "take
It" But it is surely permissible to show the
justice and e1pediency of our action. One
simple fact will show not only why this is
necessary. but that The Ns,oS and Courier is
as ignorant on many OF these questions as
the members OF the General Assembly
are likely to be. It says:
'The proposition to have the secretary
commissioner chosen bya board Of agri-
culture, which itself shall be elected by the
delegates to q class convention, to take the
place and assume the duties Of State offic
ez, was assuredly not well weighed before it
was promulgated and adopted. Such q
proposition, we are sure, will never find fav-
or in South Carolina Legislature, even
though it were composed entirely Of farmers.
"Let not the shoemaker go beyond his
last" The Ne,es and Courier, too, better stuck
to free trade" and let agriculture alone.
The legitimate duties Of this officer wonld
be the encouragement, protection and ad-
yancement of our agricultural interests.
The collection Of the phosphate royalty
should be given to the comptroller general,
and in all humility ask, why may not the
farmers Of Sonth Carolina be allowed to
control that department of the government
which they alone support, which is, or
ought to be, devoted entirely to advancing
their interests? This method of choosing
the secretary, has existed in Ohio since 1877
The same system Of agricultural admins
eration exists in Maine, in Connecticut, IN
Indiana, in Illinois, in Iowa and many 9TH
er Northern States
If The Ne,es and Courier can tell us why
she agricultural societies. free from political
influences, cannot SELECT Il better board than