The sun., 1893-07-09
GOVERNOR ONE-GALLUS BEN.
IKE CAREER OF THE FARMER GOV
ERNoR OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

South Carolina Is phenomenal. and tn
history OF tho Governor who brought
all about reads Ike o political romance
Tho now dispensary law that turns tn
Btnte into huge barroom and the Gov
cYnor into It's head bartender Is but an inclden
and an episode in what has bcen going OF
there for tbroe years. The political revolution
ts without an American parallel. and it's natur,
has boon such as TO make II all the moro re
variable that It has taken place in the South
-and In South Carolina, above all. Things are
topsy turvy there. The bottom is on top and
tho top is at tho bottom, Tho people In
the towns and those others who represent the
element that was dominant there for two
centurles are absolutely staggered. They arc
like men OF sea without rudder or compass.
They were dazed when they we're flung out OF
control by an underground agrarian movo-
mont within the Democratic party. and now
that this socialisic pocke ct flask law is In force
they are in worse mental straits. They meet
and stare at ono another and depart without
action or agreement. They call the present
rule communism, and speak OF their rulers as
''the proletariat." They ask ono another how
st can be-in South Carolina where thore has
been no hint OF discord or rivalry among the
'psople except as oil have fought In one band
against negro rule.
And In the great granite State house sits
stern. hArd-headed man. with q jaw that
might be made OF iron. who says: Il am in
politics at tho bidding Of $1,000 farmers, and
lam hero to stay"
. Tho State has 100. 900 white voters. and the
majority which Gov. Tilman speaks Of as
5000 farmers is formed OF the people OF the
country districts who oppose the people Of tho
towns and cities and refer to them rs capi-
taiists and" aristocrats." They call them
selves Democrats. but are such only inasmuch
as oil white men aro Democrats where there Is
any fear OF negro domination Tho immense
negro population has forced together thou
sands who might otherwise be Republicans as
well as those whose opinions class thom with
the Independents, Greenbackers, Popuists.
and Prohibitionists. and yet all call themselves
Democrats The result is that tho So called
= Democracy Is not homogeneous and really
contains several parties within the party.
The race issue weds them all together
IN name. and few mon dare to break
loose from any movement calling itself Demo-
cratic for fear Of social ostracism and the seri-
ons charge OF endanGering white rule. The
State has small urban population. and the
farmers are In q majority in every county ex-
cept Charleston and Richland. Richland. con-
tanning the State capital Columbia. has it's
people about equally divided. OF course this
calculation excludes the negroes who. from
having been long tricked and threatened and
counted out at the polls. have ceased to vote.
and apparently could not be induced to do 80
on any terms that would be offered to them.
Tho uprising Of tho country people. the
formation Of an underground socialistic party
among them, and tho uses to which dema-
go2ues have put this state OF affairs. all had
their origin in hard times and those. in turn.
/, were due to that old curse OF the South. lack
OF fdiversiflcation in farm products. Limiting
tho production OF soil as rich as any In the
country to the mere production OF cotton had |
it's worst consequences when cotton fell in |
value The merchants and manufacturers |
suffered with nl the rest, and very hard times
came upon the State. Within two years n |
great change for tho better has resulted from
altered methods OF farming and from great |
economy on the part OF the farmers. Corn and |
oats are boing generally grown in greater |
OF less quantities on the plantations. and some |
little meat Is being ralsed. The planters arc |
forced to buy less. and are the more nearly |
! sseIi-supporting. The situation is very far !
from what 1t should be. but 1t Is improving.
and already within year there has been
suggestion OF an improvement In the political
sttuation. as was shown in two ways. First
the vote against Tlllmans second term was
heavier than that against his first one. Second.
the Farmers Alliance has been losing strength
until to-day 1t has put hall the IN ON bership It
boosted In its prime 1t Is not an agreeable
thing to indict the intelligence OF great mass
Of Americans. but the manner in which these
farmers live. their stubborn refusal to profit |
by their mistakes In farming, their small sup
BORT OF the newspapers. their love Of Indor-
ground and secret politics, and their gullibil-
ity In the face OF political heresies. all rate
them where they belong. Low in the scale Of
progress.
II was In 1856 or 1896 that Tillman began
his attacks on the Democrats. He appointed
himself q leader OF the farmers movement
long before the Farmers Alliance was promi-
ry Snd tIo
Ts the ani dvney
raysd the farmers against all the other. clti-
ssms,%bsIsd sa, ,a t6as @ iso% ieSS & to iss5 tie
saler.ap Sy tSo Tos siHeen ysass
? Se ed
,West. and went without political agitation or
Ss TSs resss
l tass when he Tillman began his public career. In
Gogy; Tillman saw by the census Of 1880
Pa ts the wSs TRFs ssSns 81 Ter s Is ss
general information. except a meanly clrcu.
sp sso than Mhin ths
ysee issue, He was farmer down In bloody
EuEeneld,' and an unsuccessful farmer at |
that. for though no owned two plantations his
brother was obliged 70 lit the MORTGAGES to
enable him to pose with clean title to land as
He did not make any notable headway until
sss Fsrmsrs sGs Annfe tb made If great And sue
Eaised the price Of the baGcing that was used
heavily In the cotton n-growinG Industry. Eyory ,
daily newspaper In the State and all the lead
Ing Demo moerats supported and encouraged the
Of the Alliance gave 1t n proud consciousness {
g dits great strength. TiIimnn had early be.
ence made the nCht for low-prced jute and
began tn feel it's strength. 1t then had an on. ,
rolled mem bprship Of forty thousand persons.
AZ nrst ,rillmnn put mp candidates Of his own :
choice; Kept his personal ambition In the back I
grOund and felt his way. :
: In 1883 he wont upon the stump. following
Sohn Potter Richardson. the straight t-out DEM
a~r-1Sa Governor who was running for roelec-
tton. Ho was uninvted hutton the other hand,
ne was not interiered with He spoke after .
Richardson on every stump. ile is a clever
ghrnss maker, and gliD and earnest speaker.
m hn mr. ist "a | a