The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-02
Gov. TiIIman,s History.

For several years Benjamin Tillman has
been practically supreme III South Carolina.
1t is concluded that a man must have
great strength of some kind to make him
self the ruler of a State and to hold his
power for considerable period. Both the
size and picturesqueness Of his figure have
Increased in the public eye because he is so
different from other famous men of the
State. In former times the celebrated pub
lie men Of South Carolina were noted for
culture Of mind and courtliness Of manner.
In nearly all cases they belonged to old
families Nowhere in the United States,
not even In Virginia, did birth carry so
much distinction. The autocracy Of South
Carolina formed close corporation and
selected men from its own ranks to fill all
the offices. They were polished men of the
world. The war took their money. but when
the day of the carpet-bagger passed they
gained control Of the State and used ii
much in the old way.
When T1llman came forward first as
political figure he was received with little
consideration. He had little education.
Nea.1y all the South Carolinians had been
educated In the Northern universities or
abroad. They liked to put a Latin phrase
now and then in their speeches. They
were very partial to Scott and Bulwer.
Tillman undertook to achieve political sue
cess on lines entirely new. He never made
political speech till 1885; then he bitterly
in the hands of the Democratic party. He
sought popularity among the poor farmers,
and he was successful. He spoke ungram-
and often they were forcible He denounced
the planters, who had ruled for nearly ,wo
hundrsd hot years, as as a close ana .aristScratic
squeeze out of the poor class all it could.
In time party grew up around him which
was called after him.
In 1890 he was nominated for Governor
against the regular Democratic candidate,
Judge Haskell. Then Tillnlan began a CAM
paign which made him famous and said
things which attracted comment all over the
United States. Here are some OF them:
Il would rather go to hell with my fol-
lowers than TO heaven with the other
crowd"
I deny that all men are created equal
II. as Governor, would lead a party to
lynch a niger that would assault white
woman"
These expressions were forcible and were
usually received with yells of applause. He
was frequently borne off on the shoulders of
bis followers. They called him Our
Savior" Tillmar had been ridiculed by the
old element but soon they became alarmed
at the strength he showed. The Farm
ers Alliance movement came along and
he was reelected two years later. His sec
ond campaign was as picturesque. In a
speech at Aiken some one in the audience
called for Sheppard, his opponent. He
finger, said: 'If Ii does you any good to
yell Sheppards name like cur dog, why,
lawyers, who, he said, can ruin any coun-
try. In one of his speeches he said: 81
wish the whole ticket was lawyers l can
whip a whole cowpen full of them" OF
another political opponent named Murphy
he said: IF he does not have a greasy row
between here and Greenville 1 am Mig
ger"
He did not spare his own followers either.
for on several occasions he referred to them
as 'jackasses." Six well-known citizens of
Marion signed paper on July Is, 1890, GER
tifying that Tillman had spoken of the citi-
zens of Camden the "blackest, rottenest
set that God ever made" In a speech al
Florence he was reprimanded by the Rev.
Richardson, an influential Baptist minister,
for replying Not = Bit to an opposing
speaker who asked him to correct a state
ment. But his popularity was not dimin-
| ished by any of these things. In his prog
resS he made a speciality of the race ques-
| ton. One paragraph was:
1.-The whites have control of the State gov
ernment and intend to keep 1t. The intelli-
| gent exercise of the right of suffrage, at once
the highest duty and most sacred privilege
| of the citizen, is as yet beyond the capacity
| of the vast majority of the colored men,
| We deny that all men are created equal
| 1t is not true now and was not true when
| jefferson wrote it,
Governor Tillman is tall and smooth
| shaven. He wears his hair long. One eye
| Is out. He wears frock coat, black trous-
| ers, a shoestring tie and a black slouch
| hat. He has a good voice.