The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-18
DECLINES TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR
GOVERNOR.
Hon. George ID. Tillman Thinks Edgeheld
Represented Well Enough Without His
Taking Part in the Campaign,

Editor Register: I ask space in you
paper to publish this letter. | am not
candidate for Governor. and as I an
tired of writing separate private Letters
to that effect, | hope this public re
sponse will suffice for reply to num-
erous unanswered solicitations from
strong men ofall political factions, more
or less, residing in nearly every county
in the State, urging me to enter the gu
| bernatoriaI race.
To say nothing. of being very, very
busy with farming operations and re-
building my dwelling house which was
recently burned, many other reasons
concur to prevent me from standing fol
Governor, only one of which I will
mention, deemiug it all sufficient.
am not one OF those who seem tc
think that EdgefieId and four of its ad.
joining counties are the State of South
Carolina, and therefore it occurs to me
that the eternal fitness of things forbid
an Edgefeld man should run for Gov
ernor il the pending canvass. Edge
field may produce all the Caesars and
six-se>enths of the thirty-four other
counties may furnish most Of the
underlipgs of South Carolina, still J.
cannot divest myself of the belief that
a majority of the other counties like.
wise have good material, some OF
them an abundance of it, for making
Senators, Congressman, Judges, Gov
ernors, or State House officers.
Remembering the many high places
Edgefield men GncIuding myself) have
filled since 1876. and considering that
she now has United States Senator, a
Congressman, a Governor and Cir
cult Judge actually in office, while at
the same time she has two candidates
for the Senate, one candidate for Con-
gress, one candidate for Lieutenant
Governor, one candidate for Secretary
of State and still another candidate for
Railroad Commissioner, if 1 were to
come out for Governor also / fear thou
sands Of modest men would marvel at
such audacious impudence.
This geographical argument in favor
of assigning honorable civil distinctions
to different localities, is something akin
to AUST proportion or rotation, is usual
" all powerful and it cannot be long
ere most of the underling counties of
the State shall assert their natural SEN
timent of self.respect and reciprocal
equality in awarding political honors.
Hence, I do not care to provoke too
much the fatigued indignation Of the
supposed underlings, who, sooner or
later, according to the law of all reac-
tions, shall surely combine to retaliate
against Edge6eld, and when that revul-
sion comes, as come it must, or else all
history is a lie, generation or two will
likely have to pass before another Edge
field man shall be able to get any posi-
ton outside of his county,
In other words, I cannot stand for
Governor now, because I have too
lively sense of the indecency of few
counties, or few families, or the same
county, or the same family, at the
same time attempting to monopolize
the best offices of the State.
I sincerely thank my many jealous
friends in all parts of South Carolina
for their generous confidence and cor
dial assurances Of support, and deeply
regret that I cannot comply with their
wishes at this time:
G. D. TILLMAN. =