Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-04-28
printed letters.

/
You mnsn't dodge behind Till
mans letters. Come up to the
rack. Here's the Comptroller Gen.
erals report. Here he cited fig
ures to show that expenses had
not been increased, as Sheppard
had declared, and showed where
this administration had been COM
PEELED to pay $4,000. for steno-
graphers which had been paid by
the Counties under the other Gov.
ernors. They tell you that Till.
nah has broken all his promises
Col. Orr says I never tried to keep
any of them. Col. Orr, inter
rupting: "No, I said you hadn't
carried them out" If you recol-
lect, 1 never said on any stump or
elsewhere in South Carolina that
I could do anything. [ A voice :
'Didn't you say the tail couldn't
wag the dog!" That was the adj
ministration I referred to, not the
Legislature. You never saw the
tail wag me-: But if this thing
should go by default, you'd see the
tail wag him [pointing to shep-
pard.] He's hanging on to Orr's
coat tails. When I made my first
inaugural I told the Legislature
they were elected on a platform de-
manding rigid economy, the abo-
lition of useless Offices, reduction
of Offices and payment of officers
according to labor aud ability
Did I break my pledges? A
voice: '"No. aDidn'tyou have the
Legislature? Yes; a Tillman
Legislature, so-called; but there
was lots of rotten driftwood in it
When the Legislature came back
a second time I asked them in my
message to carry out these pledges
They didn't, and these men say
/ broke my pledges.
The speaker then took up the
Coosaw case and showed how
unfounded are the charges that he
acted in an unbuslness>liko way
He then took up one of the charges
in Col. Orr's speeches. Orr said
he couldn't accept any office. A
voice: Didn't yon say so?"]
Yes, l said so: IN 1856 and 1888 and
wouldn't accept until the people
couldn't find anybody else. If
had refused I'd have been a coward
and there's no such blood in my
veins.
They charge that I have arrayed
class against class, father against
son and brother against brother
I know some families split over
matters of property, but if there
were no principle at stake,' nc
matter of conscience, nothing
between man and his God a
stake, would there be this division
Is this attacking anybody? Or
says I don't represent the true mer
and women of South Carolina. Il
you are not the true men and wo,
men of South Carolina l aon't
know who are. He says l want 6
Legislature subservient to me. ]
said I wanted a Legislature in
sympathy with me and subservient
to you. I stood by the platform
The railroad bill which they passed
was not in accord with that and
vetoed it, and then they said Till.
man wants to boss.
The speaker then showed how
the first Legislature wasted itf
time over trivial measures and he
had bills drawn up representing
his ideas and how the papers
howled about administration
measures. Who divided nsi
You. That is false as hell
You divided yourselves by
appealing to the negro against the
white man. Let's get back to my
Piedmont mutton. Orr says
didn't reduce taxes and couldn't
reduce them. If I couldn't reduce
them why in Gods name does hi
abuse me for not doing it?
The Governor then went on te
show how the Legislature hac
failed in carrying out reforms anc
confessed it's inability to deal with
pressing questions and explained
his reasons for his treatment o:
the bill to extend the time for the
payment of taxes; he explained
the free pass matter, and referring
to the charge that many outside
lawyers have been employed by
the State showed where in othe,
administrations $4,000 has beer
paid in the Chisolm's Island case
The Agricultural Hall matter wa
also taken up, and the speaker
showed where he had tried t.
protect the people. He then tool
up more of Colonel Orr's charges
and then referring to Sheppard
said: Indirectly he accuses me O.
dishonor. In his speech at Green
vile the other night he used Ian
guage, we'll hardly know word
to express my opinion of it. Z
voice: "Say d-n it and let it g
at that."] When I said I woule
rather go to hell with you than g
to heaven with the other fellows
meant every word of it, but I quail
fed it at the time and said that
meant it in a fgurative sense only
} He criticised that expression ant