The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-06-27
a WAR OF WORDS.
7ILLMAN AND BUTLER LOCK HORNS
IN DEAD EARNEST.


ter-Great Excitement and Some Fear
that Trouble Would Arise, But Forum
ately Everything Passed off PeacesblY.
LANCASTER, S. c., Jane 21.-The
meeting at Chester yesterday was red
hot. and It is wonder that there was
not serious trouble. Governor Tlllman
was the first speaker. He said be was
glad that his term as Governor was
nearly out. He said he had a hard and
stumpy road to travel, but that he had
cleaned out everything in the road fol
the people, and that he was there ask
ing to be sent to the United States
Senate. The Governor said the farm
ers were being legislated into the poor
house by the national government
Things in this State were kind OF
straight now, although they needed
some changes. He told the people to
watch the legislators. He said that fol
thirty years the laws of the national
government have been made in the in
terest of the classes against the mass
es. Most legislation IS aimed directly
at the farmer. The result is few
millionaires and sixty million paupers.
He said the people had been bambooz'
led and had sent men to Congress who
sold them out. The Governor said
that if he were sent to the Senate he
would try to turn things upside down
The Governor said he wanted TO 60 to
the Senate because he wanted to do
something for the starving and down
trodden farmers. A majority of the
Senator'S now in Congress worship
money and bow down to the golden
calf. Lots of them were millionaires.
The people sometimes tore things up
side down in the House of Representa-.
tives, but the money power is en-
trenched in the Senate. Monopolies
and trusts control everything. He
went on to say that trusts and
combines buy Congress and buy Legis-
latures in some States to elect Senators.
They have invaded South Carolina
with their money and are trying to buy
you. He spoke of the Rock Hill Coxey
army hauled free by railroads and
Jumped on the Richmond and Danvil1e
Road again. He told the whole free
excursion plan to the delight of the
audience. He said the blame for it lay
among four-Butler, Cleveland, ,whiskey
or railroads. He said it may have made
Butler feel good to hear his friends
cheer him, but it made Tillman feel
bad for Butler. He said: 81 would beat
Butler if I went back to Columbia and
never opened my mouth. (Cries of
"Yes.'O but l want to get out with the
people" He said Butler had not got
ten rich in the Senate, but had rubbed
up against pillionaires so long that he
half way believed himself to be one
and was incapable of representing the
people. About this time there was a
Single cheer for Butler. The Tillman'
ties yelled: "That's mighty weak"
Tillman brought up Buffers sup
port of the nominees in 1890 and spoke
some about Hampton. Butler had re.
sented in plain terms the rising up OF
the people and said that it would
amount to chaos. From that chaos the
Governor said arose Clemson and Win.
throp, and by it railroads and CoosaW
were whipped into submission. Butler
is not in sympathy with you. He has
been away from home too long. AS to
what Butler had done he had distribu.
ted few seeds, which Butler himself
admitted were of no account: He
read Buffers letter to the Democratic
Executive Committee and said it was
ambiguous. He said he would leave
it to the committee to do what II
pleased. He was willing to abide the
result of the. Democratic primaries
When he got ready to leave the party
he would bet tWo-third5 of the party
went with him. cloud applause.)
A BITTER SPEECH.
Senator Butler was then introduced
and spoke substantially as follows
"Whep l began this campaign l an
nounced that I intended to say nothing
that would provoke trouble or excite
ment and Governor Tillman,i in his first
speech, said he wanted issues and pub.
lie measures only discussed. Yet at
Yorkville, where he had the reply, he
put an insult upon my character that !
permit no man living to do without
resenting. (This provoked some con,
fusion and the crowd began to look out
for squalls.) Gen. Butler raised his
voice vehemently and declared he pro-
posed to have a hearing and II he pun
ished Tillman he must take his punish
ment like a little man. Governor Till
man charged or rather IN a nleaner
way than that, byinslnuatloD, lnnuedo
and suggestion, that l had q corrup'
ton fund from Wall Street or else
where with which to buy my seat into
the Senate. | say in reply that he OF
any other man who says 50 is an lnta'
NOUS liar. When he has charges tc
make against me as man or as a Sen
ator, let him come like man Of cour'
age and truth and specify, and not in
dulge in the innuedo Of blackguard
The man has never lived (Voice: "Tell
it.") and never will live who imputes
dishonesty to me. Governor Tillman
may 90 to the Senate, but ne shall not
go there slandering me. Let him &c
on his own merits, and not by mlsrep'
resenting and vill;fying better men
than he is. He thinks I am not ir
sympathy with the people of this
State.
Voice: Were you at Brandy Sta
tion?"
Yes was, and am here today, and
I will be with the Governor evsry day
l trust I have not got some of the de-
fects Of his character whereby be &C.
cuses a man behind his back and the
next day denies he said It.
Referring to the Governors remarks
about the Coxeyites at Rock Hill, Gen
Butler pointed to some one in the
crowd as one of the Coxeyites who
came from Edgefeld, and said that the
Governor would no more dare to say tc
that man that he was tramp, if he
were on equal terms with him, than he
would undertake to fly. Tillman had
insulted these men bacause they had
gone to Rock Hill without his con
sent. He had been bossing this State
so long that he thought he had a right,
title and interest to do it. Regarding
the Governors remarks concerning his
not having spoken in the heated cam
paign four years ago, Gen. Butler de,
clared that Tillman did not tell the
truth when he said the committee had
invited him to speak in the canvass.
He said: II was Systematically ignored
Gen. Hampton was invited and went
to Aiken to speak and Tillman's myr'
midons howled him down and tried tc
81 did NOT on tT