The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-17

to Gratify...He will go into Office
With Clean Hands...Wil Uphold
the Credit of the State...And will
Pay CrditOrs in Full-.-Thanks TO
His Friends.
vention: After your arduous labors, lasting
as they have during the whole day and far in.
to the night, 1t is natural to suppose that y0n
are fatigued. have had some sleep. and do
not myself feel any fatigue, but there has
been so much speaking, and have done SO
much of it, that am tired OF that sort OF
work. l will therefore. be brief. >.
There are some few points that | deem II
necessary TO discuss on this OCCASION. You.
or the people Of South Carolina through you,
haye conferred upon me the highest honor
If have any, is swallowed up by the feeling
of responsibility which rests upon my head
tonight. Cheers
have just passed through one OF the most
momentous and exciting campaigns that this
state has ever witnessed, in some respects.
doubt If any state in the Union has ever been
SO stirred from centre 10 circumference as
South Carolina has been during the past Tour
months.
Now, gentlemen, there was cause for this,
and it is perfectly idle to pretend that TINS
feeble entity has been the mover. was
merely the engineer upon the engine which
had received its steam from other sources
Most OF you have heard me at some point III
the campaign discuss the issues which have
been presented 10 Lle people, anu "HdlcN Ci
have been the heart-burnings and the labor
and they have been great-I say Tonight that
what has been accomplished in South Carroll
na-not In my elevation to the governorship,
for that is notnipg-but the principles involr-
ed In the victory achieved by the people,, as
serting the right to govern themselves anu Sc
lect their own officers in their own way, Is
worth II all. (Cheers.)
We tonight have formed a new epoch in
the history OF the state. and trust that when
IL shall come to be written the new departure
a Sopl ,.vI1I 1nEN1 n6 nnl
to by our posterity as marking time when
every man can refer to with gratitude and
qualification. (Cheers.) OF course 1t is dill
cult for me to separate myself from this fight,
or from discussing 1t from the present condi
ton of it. Somehow or other II has seemed q
centre TO swing around me as a pivot, So
much so that the whole state has been dirid-
ed into Tillman and anti-Tillman. For II
while there was an effort made TO divide into
Democrats and Til llmanitcs, but, thank Cod
those who started that have surrendered 1t,
We have been all along, and the bitterness
that has been injected into 1t. the passion and
partisan feeling, Is largely due to the hssump-
ton OF certain men anu CERTAIN 0rsahs hoamln wnn
they dared to discuss questions OF public poll
cy and assert their freedom. lCheersl
it has been the custom for all Democratic
nominees for governor, or rather 1t would be
considered the proper thing to do, to thank
the convention for the honor conferred. TO
mark the Specification of your act tonight,
to ensure the cnanRe lndt mas Oten accOin-
plished, you came here, and came here not
to receive this honor at your hands, because
the people had told you before you left home !;
you knew and they knew for whom they
were voting tor governor, and you have come
here merely to ratify their will. / thank
those OF you my personal and my political
adherents for your support, FOR your help,
and it has been given with unanimity which
should command any mans gratitude, and
think your masters are the rank and file OF
the Democracy of South Carolina, henceforth
and forever, the true and only masters in
this state.
know and feel that with my bluntness,
my frankness-my brutal bluntness you may
call 1t, perhaps-I am hated worse than any
have told the truth, so, help me God as
thought II was true, and therefore have en-
gendered enmities and faced opposition such
as never met any man in this state before.
Fellow citizens, have no feeling OF graft
fed ambition. l have the qualification Of
knowing that the people OF South Carolina
have vindicated me, have vindicated my mo
tive and by their endorsement have put to
flight and stamped in the earth the lies and
slanders that have been heaped upon me.
[Cheers.l
TCapt. Tillman became very much affected
at this stage Of his speech, and tears were OBJ
served to drop from his eye.l
Compared with my competitors, the two
honorable and distinguished gent emen who
opposed me, one of the most accomplished
LAWYERS in this state, and The other most
distinguished soldier, what was there about
me, If it was not the principles represented,
to bring about this change?
presume. for IL IS natural for men to have
ambition. that many Of you would like to be
In my place. ANY man who assumes the
mower and is q true man and loves the stale
meet great responsibilities, and my feeling to-
night is that my peaceable days are gone:
You have put load as OF milestone, as l
feel 1t, upon my shoulders.
T "a We made no pledges In Ibis canvass.
have made no promises. or very few, and
say to you, and through you to the people.
me- 1t shall be exercised without fear. favor
or affection 10 the best nterests aud glory Of
South Caraliua, and thut in the future. what
ever may come, shall 90 my duty as see ii,
and hope that you and the people will never
be ashamed of having gone into the field and
taken a new, green and inexperienced man,
and In some respects with regard to govern
ment, an ignorant man and put him at the
head Of your affairs [Cheers.J
feel, my friends, that have been educat
ed In large degree by the canvass l have
made Few men in South Carolina have pos
sessed the advantage OF such a canvass. |
have in the last ninety days canvassed
among 5000 OF the white Democrats of this
state. have talked TO them face to face and
felt their pulse, and believe know some OF
their Inspirations and aspirations.
We have a good, grand country; 1t has glo:
rious possibilities, and If we, as brethren, will
unite, lay aside ourbickernss and our con.
tentions, and put away things which are Of
no moment, press onward and try to bring
about new feeling and progress and enterprise
in the state, quit trying to rebuild on Its Old
pedestal, recOlecting that we are In the Nine
teenth century and must keep up with the
procession, and old South Carolina with her
varied product. her climate, her geographical
position, should, and soon will, occupy place
second to no state In the Union. lCheers.
feel that 1t will be necessary briefly III vim
dication OF myself, although. as have said,
the people have Vindicated me, but for out
side consumption, away from South Carolina +,
TO say few words about the canvass and 1t,
results.
Possessing as they did the press OF South
Carolina almost solidly, wiring dispatches to
the Associated Press, Northern people and to
the world, with columns OF editorials in the
that was a slanderer. T. demagogue, a dyna-
miter, a red-Republican and other things, the
United States tonight stand aghaSt, feeling
somehow that you have gone into q sort OF
French revolution, 81 Sansculotte, who Is GO
iny in the governors chair backed by b horde
of ignorant people. You know it's lie The
Intelligence of this State-a large majority Of
The Intelligent men OF the state are at my
back ICheers.l If we haven't got the polish
nnd the brains, we have at least got virtue
aud simple citizenship that only wants good
government.
began this campaign on high plane.
wanted to conduct 1t upon that plane and dis
cuss the issues on their merits. what ala
have to contend with? You all know 1t was
forced almost 10 a personal. issue, lorced 10
the point of my having to defend myself
against the accusations OF having s!andered
South Carolina, when would have cut my
throat rather than state anything to bring
her good name into diScredt. Because crit
;.Isoa nd dared IN criticise men who were In