The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-07-18
Hon. George D. Tillman
Declines to be Candidate for
Governor.

CLARK's HILL. S. c., July y, 1894.
Editor Register: l ask space in your
paper to publish this letter. | am not
a candidate for Governor, and as l am
tired Of writing separate private letters
TO that effect, l hope this public re-
spouse will suffice for reply TO uumer-
Gus unanswered solicitations from strong
men of all political factions, more or
less. residing 10 nearly every county 10
the State, urging me to enter the guber-
natorial 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 for
Governor, only one Of which | will men.
ton, deeming it all sufficient.
am not one Of those who seem to
think that Edge6eld 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 Edge6eld man should run fer Gov
ernor in the pending canvass. Edge
field may produce all the Caesars and
six-seveaths Of the thirty-four other
counties may furnish most of the un-
derlingers Of South Carolina, still | can
not divest myself Of the belief that a
NJ majority of the other counties likewise
have good material. Some of them an
abundance Of it, for making Senators,
Congressman, judges, Governors, or
State House officers.
Remembering the many high places
Edge6eld men Gncludiug myself have
filled since 1876. and considering that
she now has a United States Senator,
a Congressman. a Governor aud 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 aud still another candidate for
Railroad Commissioners, If | were to
come out fer Governor also I fear thou.
sands of modest men would marvel a,
such audacious impudence.
This geographical argument in favor
Of assigning honorable civil distinctions
to different localities, is something akin
to just proportion or rotation, is
unually all powerful and it cannot be
long ere most of the uuderling counties
of the State shall assert their natural
sentiment of self-respect and reciprocal
equality in awarding political honors
Hence. | do not care to provoke toe
much the fatigued indignation Of the
supposed uuderlings, who. sooner or
later, according to the Law of all reac-
tious, shall surely combine to retaliate
against Edge6eld. aud when that revul-
sion comes, as come it must, or else all
history is lie, generation or two will
likely have to pass before another Edge.
field man shall be able to get any posi-
tion outside Of his county.
/ other words, | cannot stand for
Governor DOW, because have toe
lively sense of the indeceDcy of a 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.
sincerely thank my many Jealous
friends 10 all parts of South Carolina
for their generous confidence and cordial
assurance of support, and deeply regret
that I cannot comply with their wishes
at this time.
G. D. T1I1MAN.