The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-07-04
cure this supremacy was by constitu
tional convention.
EVANS AND EIIERBE SPEAK

latipe story that he (EVans) is the
choice of Tillman for GoVernar and
that Tillman is in a quiet way working
for Evans. General E!lerbe said: "Fbe
Governor has said, in an interview, that
he is hands off in this fight aud that he
has no choice. Here is Governor Till
maD;ssk him if any Eaan is his choice
say that it is unfair to me and my
friends to be circulating this story in
the hope of winning on it." General
Ellerbe proceeded to crit!cise his
friend Evans for his tardiness 10 get
ting 10 the Reform cause, telling SONS
things, as at Sumter, highly amusing
the audience. General Ellerbe next
charged Evans with having voted
against the salary reduction lu 1892.
THAT is not so,' said Evans.
"I will prove it you" said Ellerbe,
and he read from the records where
Senator Buist, the Charleston anti
Senator, had moved to Indefinitely post
pone the salary reduction bill and
where Evans had voted with all the
anti-Tillmanite lawyers for postpone
ment. Euerbe also charged Evans
with having voted against the farmers
college in 1883. General Ellerbee told
what his (Ellerbe's) record IS on salary
reduction, showing where he had asked
to have one of the clerkship of his Of
fee abolished and had always been in
favor of all around reduction of sala-
rieS.
Continuing General Euerbe said:
sMy friend (Evans) lntlmates that
there has been State House ring and
that Governor Tillman broke that ring.
I will ask my friend to specify, to name
the men who composed that ring. Sen
ator Irby wrote a letter charging that
there was ring. Fellow countrymen
l have never heard anything in the
State House for Irby but expressions
of pity and sympathy. Irby charged
that caucus of ring Reformers bad
been held at Wright's Hotel. 1t is fasle.
The caucus, If it can DE so called, was
st Governor Tillman's house and the
Governor was present. General ELL
erbs told who were preseRt.) No one
was discussed rs candidate for Gov
ernor at that time. I repeat, and l
want it distinctly understood, that as
far as I know, there is no ring in the
State House. I want my friend to
specify, and ask him to do it. am
running on my record and I am not IN
any ring. My friend ought to do the
same thing and not tack himself on
GoYerner Tillman'S coat tail. ] am as
good Reformer as Governor Tillman
or any body else, and Governor Til!man
can and will tell you so.
The speaker was frequently encour-
aged by remarks from the audience
and was at times literally applauded.
He devoted the remainder of the time
to telling what had been accomplished
BY the Reform movement and discuss
ing national issues. He concluded be-
fore his time was up, and cloud be-
tokened a shower.
Senator Evans had been speaking
only a few minutes when rain began
falling. Tae chairman adjourned the
meeting to the court house, half mile
away, where the speaking was contln-
-ued. Senator Evans resumed his
speech. employing his time IN answer
ing the accusation of his friend Eller-
be. He rid,culed Ellerbe in good ma.
tured way, making the crowd
laugh. He told jokes on his friend
and these almost amused the au.
dience. Senator Evans said be
was willing to answer all charges. He
did not come in this race TO attack fell
low Reformers, but had been jumped on
and would defend himself. If Ellerbe
started out 70 prove that he lEVans)
had not been true to Tillman and Re
form, he had hard and stumpy road
to travel. He would not notice every
thing, because he was not shooting
grasshoppers. Ellerbe says he has done
lots fer Reform, but he has been well
paid for 1t. He is a Reformer, but 1t
looks like he has been one for revenue.
Senator Evans says be had been a Re
former since 1886. At that time he
wrote an article in the Augusta Chron.
icle. He read this article. 1t was a de.
feuse of the Reform movement then be-
ginning and the right of farmers to
organize for political purposes. The
article also defended Tillman, then
starting his agitation. In 1888 he was
elected to the Legislature by the farm
ers of Aiken and was twice reelected,
each time on the Reform platform. Two
years ago he was sent to the Senate by
farmers by q thousand majority. The
people had never regarded him as
coat tail swinger.
To the charge of having voted against
Tiiiman for the Agricultural Board. ne
said it was an attempt to shelve I'LL.
man, who had afterward ceDsured his
friends for nominating him. He had
voted against the agricultural college
as charged, because the bill for 1t car
ried an appropriation which would have
increased the taxes of the people one
fourth of a cent. This was not in &C.
cordance with the Reform platform and
pledges to the people. Later he had
fought for Clemson College because the
bill was different.
81 am not Tillman's candidate OF any
bcdy's candidate" declared Evans
'Any man who accuses me Of disloyalty
to the Reform cause l will tell him be
lies, but nobody is going to do it. What
is the matter with Billy (referring tc
Elerbe)? Is it that he has got a big
fat Office and wants another? It looks
like he is swinging on TiIman's coat
tail. Lam 60 coat tail sTinger."
Evans told good joke about boy
who had one potato, but wanted two
and said this is Ellerbe, who has one DO
tato but wanted two. Lsughter.) He
ought not to jump on me because
want potato.
About the salary reduction vote, be
said he cast it because the FIRST bill did
not cut salaries equitably. He also
said that Jim Norton, Ellerbe's clerk
had gone to him (Evans) and begged
that salaries be kept as they were, as he
and other clerks couldn't live. He salc
Norton had put up poor mouth. Sen
ator Evans declared that afterward he
had voted for salary reduction bill
He had voted in 1858 to cut the salary
of legislators to 81 per day. He saic
that every Reform measure has been
put in his charge to pull through the
Legislature. To hear Ellerbe talk, he
said, one would think that Ellerbe hac
dene everything and that Tillman hac
not existed or taken part in anything
Senator Evans said he had been a Re