The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-05-15

81 ~ernment-7AS Lively Meeting.
Intaccordance with the arrangements of
sthe State Executive Committee Of the
Farmers Association, the Tillman Cam
spaign Was regularly opened in Anderson
last Saturday, and our people have had
the opportunity Of hearing and seeing the
leader of what is termed the "reform
movement"
Capt. Tillman came to Anderson Fri
5 day afternoon on the 9. & G. train, and
was met at the depot by the reception
Committee, accompanied by the Young
America Cornet Band. Taking carriages,
land preceded by the Band, the party
drove to the residence of Gen. W. w.
Humphreys, whose guest Capt. Tillman
was during his stay in the city.
- Col. j., II. Earle, of Sumter, South
Cardinals efficient and able Attorney
General, came in on the same train. He
was also met at the depot by party of
friends and driven to the residence of his
sSbrother.in.law, Mr.. J. S. Fowler, on
Wtitner street. As is generally known,
sCol. Earle came here in response to an
Invitation to meet Capt Tillman on the
6 stump The following day.
The committee of arrangements had
done their duty in making preparations
for the meeting, and for several days pre-
ceding Saturday it was generally estima.
tied that the occasion would attract per-
haps as large crowd as was ever seen in
Anderson.
The site selected for holding the meet.
3 ing was in the grove, between the @. & G..
depot and the residence of DR.. W. 81.
:Nar(lin, where a substantial stand had
sbeen erected and large number Of seats
arranged.
Saturday morning dawned bright and
cleal-just such day as farmer would
desire to put in a good dsy's work on his
farmland by 8 O'Clock it was evident
that. TIPS of us who had predicted the
presence of very large crowd were go.
Sing to be badly disappointed. On the
streets we noticed familiar faces of citi-
zens from all the surrounding Counties,
q butthe crowd in attendance was no larger
than ne usually have on any Saturday
when farm work is not pressing.
1t was after i o'clock when the Band,
followed BY carriages containing the
1 speakers and committee men, reached the
stand, around which a crowd had already
gathered.
During the morning number OF ladies
had tastefully aud neatly decorated the
& stand with flowers and evergreens. Over
\ the atand were the words, in letters made
4:of evergreens: "Tillman and Reform" /"
When the 7peakers and committee ap-
pearsd upo1 he stand, there was loud
f Earle" which vas followed
immediate by still louder "Tbree
cheers 70, Ben. Tillman." Seated upon
the star ere Col. Earle, Capt. Tillman,
zMr. G. Shell, of Laurens, Measrs. D.
K. Nor. "A. G. Lstimer, W. A. Neal,
r. +. Smith, R. B. Dean, B. G. Martin,
NJ. b. Williams, J. W. Bowden, ]. W.
Simpson, Thos. W. Martin, G. F. Tolly,
and Rev. q. B. Smith. Around the ta.
..bles, which were on the stand, sat the re-
presentatives of the Press, as follows
NJ. L. Tighe and E. P. McKissick, of the
lNleaos md Courier, A. B. Williams and Q.
IS. Smith, of the Greenville News, D. G.
OUTS, and J..W. Gibbes, of the Charles
ton World, NJ. G. Casey, of the Augusta
Chronicle, @. Wardlaw, of the Columbia
Register, and representatives of the local
papers.
Tie meeting was called to order by Mr..
a. G.. Latimer, who announced that Rev.
O. 3. Smith would offer prayer. Mr..
Smith prayed most fervently and elo.
quently for the prosperity of the Nation
3 and the State, and that God would bless
this meeting and the gentlemen who were
to speak.
At the conclusion of the prayer, Mr..
Latimer stepped forward, and said this
meeting had been called in the interest of
I: the farmers movement; that the creator
( of that movement was here to tell the
people of the reforms demanded, and he
: hoped the speaker would have close at.
tention. He then introduced Capt. B. r.
Tillman, who after leisurely arranging
his manuscript and papers, spoke sub.
stantially as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Fellow-citi-
zens of Anderson: need not tell you IT.
gives me pleasure to meet the citizens OF
q any County of South Carolina, and let
YOU look me in the eye, for I've got but
!. one.
Judging from what you have seen IN
: the newspapers, T am sure you are sur
prised to learn that this little insignii-
cant fellow is Ben. Tillmar. I've no
doubt you expected to see something
with horns and hoofs. and, yes, tail, too.
81 have some peculiarities. am left
) handed, and all that you have seen as
]! coming from me in the papers was writ.
ten with this left paw (holding up his
left haud.) lam one.eyed. and will tell the
truth. But for my peouliarities, I would
Z not be here. am not responsible for my
peculiarities. God has made me so. In
z telling the truth I have to say some
. hard things, but I can't help that All
reformers have to say hard things. l have
! had more hard things said against me
than I've said against others. If I've
used the pitch. fork, it was because they
didn't come at me with the other end. l
am talking in self-defense. but will talk
as mildly as possible. I am trying to
reform myself. This I promised to do
when the March Convention nominated
me. 7 promised that the leopard should
change his spots if possible, but did not
promise to clip his claws. expect to
fight and scratch for the truth yet.
+ am here as candidate for Governor.
They call me an Office seeker, but have
higher mission than that. I am here as
the representative of principle, the ex-
ponent of a policy, and that policy is fair
play among Democrats and an honest
and economical Government. 1t is said
that the Farmers Convention was called
fnr the eYpress p11rpOSe OF nominating me