The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-12
4 SECRET CONCLAEE.
Meeting of the Executive Committee ofthe
state Farmers AssociatiOn-Mr Till
inan to Take the Stump for the
Farmers Movement Candidates.
[COiunbia REGISTER, 1tth.l


the Edgefield Sachcm and his bi" chiefs
were again upon the war path and
bent on holding pow-wow.
Other arrivals We're MrS<rS. II. Il.
Thomas of Wcdgcticld, J. w. Hr;,>!y
of Lydia, f.. T. Stackhousr Of Little
Rock and ID. X. Norris Of Penrlleton,
the latter the President of the Stat..
Farmers Association.
All these gentlemen were naturally
glad to see ] newspaper man but en-
ctedingly careful not to communicate
to him the slightest information
Many delegates from the up-c"untry,
on their way to attend the big Farmers
Alliance meeting at Florence to-day,
Were in the city, waiting for the night
train, and with all due respect it must
be said it WAS generally difficult, if not
impossible, to tell them from the reg
ular Tillmanitcs, with whom they free
iy mingled.
1t soon became known That the oh
jcct of the presence OF Captain Tiilnam
and his associates IN the city WAS to at
tend a meeting Of the Executive Conn
mittee of the State Farmers Associa-
ton, but when and where it was to held
and its purpose were all made matters
of secrecy. This is an aye in which it
is difficult to keep matters Of this kind
secret, as the following report of the
proceedings of the meeting may testi-
fy:
The meeting was held in 4 rear bed
room Oh the third floor of the Grand
Central, and the number present thcrcat
was a'jou, - bakers dozen, including,
besides the gentlemen whose NAMES
have previously been given, several not
members of the committee, but invited
in us being in sympathy with the
movement. Senator Sligh, of Pros
perity, was one Of this number, and
took about as prominent Il part as if he
had been bona tide committeeman.
The room where tine meeting was
held, being at the end Of the corridor,
was isolated from other occupied rooms,
and Captain Tillmar took up his sta
ton in the open door to secure the
double end of keepingIoH intrudcrs and
getting the lions share of fresh air.
President Norris called the meeting
to order and presided over its delibcra-
tions with his usual urbanity.
The understood object of the meet
ing-to arrange plans for carrying on
all aggressive campaign-proved cor
rect The first matter touched on was
whether the association, as such, should
take an aggressive part in the coming
campaign and make a systematic call
vass, as it were, putting speakers in the
field, would attend all the meetings in
the Congressional districts, and make
speeches in opposition to the views of
the Governor and Lieutenant-Govcr-
nor.
This was not advocated by Captain
Tillman, who said that while they had
many men of good, sound sense among
their number, they did not have the
gift Of ga1," and he feared the poll
ticians would "get away with them" "
He also expressed belief that q ''com-
bine" existed between all the present
officials to pool their strength and stand
or fall together.
Several gentlemen present were called
on by President Norris to make reports
on the following questions:
How is the Farmers movement in
your county?
Do you think you can control the
delegates to the State convention" etc.
These questions were answered gen
orally to the effect that the movement
had gained and was gaining strength,
and that there was good chance to
control the delegates, by the half dozen
responding.
Edgefeld was reported by Captain
Tillnan rs uncertain, but be rather
thought he could control the delegates
from that county for any one deter
mined on by the association. He took
occasion to state that he had no selfish
ends in view in this fight, that all he
wanted was ''to whip out this gang
alluding thus euphoniously to the pres
ent State officers.
The subject of 4 separate agricultural
college was broachcd. Captain Till
man wanted men sent to the next Leg
islature who were known to be heart
and soul with them on this question,
and who could and would pull the
annex to pieces. Unless this was
done, he warned them the consideration
Of the Clemson bequest would bc post
poned until the annex had time to take
root and grow strong, and then the far
mers would be put off with high
school instead of a college.
4 resolution was unanimously adopt
ed by the meeting as the sense thereof
that fight should be made on Cover
nor and Lieutenant Governor.
All the local farmers clubs will be
requested to elect delegates to the vari-
Gus county conventions, who will vote
to send farmers movement men as
delegates to the State Nominating Con-
vention.
Captain Tillman's idea was that it
was more important to elect members of
the Legislature in sympathy with their
movement than to elect a Governor OF
their choice. The Legislature could
carry on the work they wanted done,
while all the advantage of electing 4
Governor would be the "prcstige"
gained.
President Norris did not approve Of
fighting the battle on a political basis
solely, and thought it would be unwise
to openly have candidates in the field.
After the impression was made and the
delegates chosen they could then decide
on a candidate.
Captain Tillman thought if there was
to be any talk about not going into
politics, then they had better bundle up
and go home.
Mr.. Norris thought it would look
better, if Tillman was going to canvass
the State, that he should not be a cam
didate.
Capt. Tillman took a turn next at
legislation and said the farmers must
support no candidate for the Legisla-
ture unless he was in favor Of giving to
the separate agricultural college the
Hatch fund, the land scrip and the
phosphate tax. He thought in time
the college would absorb the Agricul-
tural Department. Unless the people
were shown that they could get the
agricultural college without additional
tax, they would never get it.
Captain Tillman i'll his remarks
charged that colorcd lunatics were
badly treated and not released, but
kept to work after they were cured. y
of the committee objected to