The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-09
THE WINNsBoRo MEETING.
a Sample Account of n Days DoinSs
Au0uStd Chronicle.

Aiken hotter Wnnsboro hottest.
That Is the. record Of to-days campaign
meeting Mt Winnsboro, the holne Of Gen.
John Bratton.
At no meeting of the past series has such
bad blood been displayed, or n elimination OF
such desperate character threatened.
In short, there came within n pins point OF
being riot which, If developed would have
cost possibly fifty or one hundred men their
lives.
NOT ONCE, BUT OFTEN.
For five minutes or more, OH three or four
occasions, II looked rs though bloOdshed
could not be avoided. The people were Wild
and one side was as much to blame rs anOth-
er, and the whole thing came up as uneXpect-
edly as a thunder storm on a summer day
There " ere no extra influences TO aggravate
row.
NO BARS OPEN.
TO keep down such an Objectionable feature
the good people Of Winnsboro took the pre-.
caution to have the bars closed, and whiskey,
for one time at least, apparently was not TO
blame.
The crowd was variously estimated at from
500 TO 1900, and prior TO the meeting was SO
quiet and orderly that every body thought the
meeting would be without incident. and the
newspaper correspondent acting on this idea,
assured the local telegraph operator that his
| work would be light. About 9 o'clock q
mounted delegation from Gladden's Grove,
said 10 number about sixty men, rode into
town,
BEARING A BRATToN BANNER.
Mr.. ]. G. Mobley was in command OF the
troops and drew his men up in front of the
Winnsboro hotel where several cheers were
given for Gen. Bratton. This was answered
In good natured way by Il Tillman contin.
gent said by some to equal in numbers one
half the entire crowd and by others one-third.
This good natured rivalry between the two
! factions continued to the music OF the local
band until the speaker began, when
THE TUG OF WAR CAME.
| The speaking took place in grove about
| one mile from WinnsbOrO,
| The stage was beautifully and artistically
decorated, and on the centre of the platform
was a large rustic chair garlanded with flow
Gen. Bratton. but the "Od Roman" was too
modest TO sit In 1t and turned H. over to Coun.
ty Chairman Gaillard. Ger. Bratton spoke
first, Gen. Earle second and then Capt. Till.
man. The latter was carried to the platform
on the shoulders of three stalwart young men.
Just before the speaking began one Of those
"erroneouS' characters so common to this
campaign, approached the stand, and after
thereon. sad "Hello candidates! I hope the
Lord will take liking to you ALL" This
seemed 10 have loosed the flood gates of ap-
plause, and from then on the airwas constant
ly He'd with shouts.
When Gen. Bratto faced the audiedce he
was vociierously aprauded. Then came re-.
spectful silence, which was not extended to
any OF the succeeding speakers.
GEN. BRATToN's SPEECH.
and to the point
He opened his speech by assuring the audi.
ence that he could not appeal to their sympa-
thy or sentiment. He then proceeded TO ana
lyze the political situation Of the State, and
pointed out the oppressive tariff laws Us the
cause OF existing evils. Capt. Tillman's meth.
DDS were condemned by him as undemocratic
and he warned his hearers OF the caln nifty
In the ranks of the Democratic party.
| Gen. Bratton's speech was manly and dis
passionate When he retired from the stand
he was
LITERALLY APPLACDED.
During Gen. Bratton's speech the Tilman
con tinsent had concentrated on the left hand
side OF the stand, and as soon rs he was
through began to call for their candidate.
Gen. Earle, however,. was introduced and
spoke for an hour and a qaarter. The first
part Of his speech, barring some Interrupt
| tions, was listened TO with toerable attention,
but the latter part was
DROWNED BY YELLs.
Capt Tillman's friends would cheer him and
the anti-faction would try to drown them out
with their yells for Gen. Bratton or Gen.
denounclng the charges made by Capt. TIL.
man against the State government and con.
demning the methods OF this campaign. His
speech was frequently punctuated with such
cries as 1--WE don't want to hear from you .
"sit down, let Tillman speak," "you can't
change US, we are going TO put TIlman in,'
etc.
SHARP DEBATES.
During his speech several sharp colloquies
occurred between him and Capt. Tillman.
| Capt Tillmans structures on the Agricultural
Department were reviewed by him at length,
and he emphasized each charge by calling on
| Capt. Tillman for the proof He said he had
an indictment to prefer against Capt Tillman,
and that was that he had slandered the State.
ARRAIGNING CAPT. TILLMAN.
He then read a communication ftom Capt.
fTillman to the Cotton Plant, four years ago in
which he said the State was permeated with
political leprosy, and that there were rotten
ness and corruption in the government. He
took issue with Capt. Tllman's explanation
OF the language used in the letter and said his
words were downright slander which could
not be evaded by such explanations.
Gen. Earle's speech was an arraignment
from beginning to end.
IMPATIENT TILLMAN MEN.
During the latter part of Gen. Earle's speech
there was great impatience manifested by
Capt. Tillman's friends and they did their
best TO cry Gen. Earle down. Nobody hears
you," cried one. "Run him out boys" said
another. Beyond these Interruptions, howev-
er, no special incident marked the speech of
It was While Capt. Tillman was speaking
that the music began. He stood before the au:
dience possibly five minutes before he was
permitted to open his mouth. AS soon as he
could make himself heard Capt. Tillman said
people of Fairfield county.
TAUNTING CAPT. TILLMAN.
A man in the audience cried out-"Yes, and
I hope 1t will be the last time" Capt. TILL
man replied that the next time he came 1t
would be as the Governor Of South Carolina,
and those who didn't like 1t could not help
themselves.
Here the confusion again became so great
that the speaker had 10 cease During q lull
Capt; Tillman said they would not let him
hnnuncn lynn hn N
would carry the county.
Gen. Bratton advanced to the front and beg.
ged the crowd to give the speaker a hearing,
and II he could convert anybody for Gods
sake let them be converted.
CAPT. TILLMAN SITS DOWN.
For several minutes Capt Tillman was al
lowed to proceed with his speech, but he said
something that again put the crowd to yell
ing, and all efforts to silence them were in
vain.
retiring from the stand unless the disturbance
ceased. Some one in the crowd told him to
sit down and he din sit down. This produced
in front OF the stand seemed to have been
transformed into maniacs, making the air
hldeous with yells and groans, and there was
At last twenty or thirty Tillman men mount
ed the stand, and pushing every obstacle out
Of the way, pressed toward Capt Tillman.
CAPT. TGLLMAN MUST SPEAK.
They lifted him bodily from the seat and
carried him In their arms to the edge of the
platform, where they swore he should be per-
mitted to speak If their lives paid the forfeit.
1t was picturesque scene. The reporters,
numbering nearly a dozen, stood on table,
note books in hand and recording the excit-
Ing incidentals as they evolved from the lip
and movements of the angry crowd.
A dead calm ensued, however, in which
Capt. Tlllman replied to the arraignment of
Gen. Earle. He proceeded uninterrupted for
several minutes. when there was commo-
tion in the crowd fronting the stand.
THROAT CLUTCHES AND CURSES.