The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-07-18
THE FARMERS COMMITTEE.

He FAhMEhO -OUAMll / EE.
4 MEETING IN COLUMBIA TO PRE-
PARE FOR THE STATE CANVASS.
Captain Tillman Appointed to Attend the
Different Meetings-.Other Matters Con-
sidsred.
COLUMBIA, July l0.-This evening Was
the occasion of the meeting of the e1-
ecutive committe of the State Farmsrs'
Association. There were twelve or
fifteen prominent members present.
Among them were Capt. Tillman, a. 3.
Thomas, D. K. Norris, E. T. Stack
house, j. ". Beasley. Several persona,
not members of the committee, bnt In
sympathy with them, were present. Oss
Of these was Capt. Sigh, OF NewberTy,
who was invited to attend the secret
meeting and took advantage OF the in.
vitation. ::
The committee met at 9.15 in the
Grand Central Hotel. President Norris
occupied the chair. It was understood
early in the evening that the object OF
this meeting was to formulate some plan
OF aggressive campaign.
The first question taken up Was
whether the Association should make an
aggressive fight and put canvassers in
the field, who would attend all the Con-
gressional district meetings and make
opposition speeches to the Governor
and Lieutenant Governors. Capt. Till
man did not advocate this. He said that
while they had good sound men on
their side, they had not the ''gift Of the
Dlab," and the politicians would t'get
away with them.:' Mr.. Tillman further
believed that Combine existed be-
tween all the present officers to pool
their strength and stand or fall to-
gether."
President Norris called upon q num-
ber of those present to make reports
upon the following questions:
Chow is the farmers movement In
your county?
"Do you think that you can control
the delegates to the State ConVen-
tion," &c.
These questions we're answered By
about halt dozen Of those present.
Mr.. Tillman reported Edgefeld IS
uncertain, but he thong 81 that he could
vote the delegation from that county for
any one the Association should dssignste.
About this time Capt. Tillman took
occasion to state that he had no selfish
motives in this fight; that all he wanted
vas to "whip out this gang, "alluding to
the present State officers.
Before one question had been settled
the Agricultural College was introduced.
Mr.. Tlllmsn wanted men sent to the.
next Legislature who were heart and
soul with them and who would pull the
annex to pieces. If SUCH men we're not
there, the consideration of the Clemson
beouest would be postponed Until the
annex had grown and taken root, and
then the farmers would be given high
school in place of college.
a resolution was offered making it the
sense of the committee that fight be
made for the Offices of Governor and
Lieutenant Governor. It was unani-
mously adopted. All local farmers club
will be requested to elect delegates to
the county conventions, who will send
farmers movement men to the State
Nominating Convention.
Mr.. Tillman considered it more impor-
tant to elect legislators in sympathy with
them than to elect Governor Of their
choice. The Legislature could carry on
their work, while the only advantages IN
electing Governor would be the pres
tige of the thing.
President Norris was opposed to going
into sction and fighting the battle solely
on political ground, and he thought it
unwise to have candidates openly IN the
field. After the impression was made
and their delegates elected, then they
could decide upon candidate.
Mr.. Tillman said that if they were
going to talk about not going into poll
tics, they had better bundle up and go
home.
Mr.. Norris thought thatif Mr.. Tillman
was going to canvass the State, it would
look better if he was not candidate.
MI. Tllman then branched off upon
the Legislature. The farmers must sup
port no candidate for the Legislature un-
less he be in favor of giving the Agrieul-
tural College the Hatch fund, Land scrip
and phosphate tax. He thought in time
that this college would absorb the agri-
cultural department.. II thepeople were
not shown that they could get the far
mers' college without additional tax they
would never get it.
In speaking OF the present system OF
government Mr.. Tillman said that he had
heard that negro lunatics sent to the
ASYLUM were worked like slaves and were
never turned out when they got well but
were kept there to work.
One of the committeeman protested
against this, and hoped Mr.. Tllmsn
would be careful in bis public utterance.
MIR. Tillman replied that he had not
been caught in lie yet, that Mr.. Haskell
spoke without striking to the records,
and it was bad rule that did not work
both ways. If he canvsssed the State he
would confne himself to the increase in
expenses of S240, 900 since '79 and to the
Farmers College, and he was not afraid
to meet any man in the United States on
these subjects. Ee did not propose to
give any of the reasons for this addition
al expense, but would leave the burden
of proof to the other side. he was con-
fdent of being able to carry several
counties on the question of the reduction
of salaries.