Birmingham age-herald., 1894-07-20
MONKEY AND PARROT Is a Description of the Scenes at
 Charleston. BUTLER AND PULLMAN
Have a Grand Old Time-Some One Will Be Killed
 Yet.

stand; others were ready for action. The powder was all ready for he spark, but fortunately the intense political feeling did not result in bloodshed. How narrowly the tragedy was averted may not have been realized by those who were responsible for the strained conditions. It looked awfully ugly for a moment or two. When Edge field men get mad and look as if they are able to act something is very likely to hap pen. Imagine powder magazine With fire creeping toward it, every one momen- tarily expecting the explosion. The crash is expected, but when the flames go within few feet of the magazine they stop; the denger is over and one breathes easy.
 So it was today at Edgefeld. The fric- tion of the excitement went up to the verge of blaze and then, for some reason, things went back to their normal condition. No one can ever want to witness another such meeting. It was the most aggressive and aggravated of the twenty one already held. Political passion was at dangerous heat, and all over a few petty offices. ct there ere men in that audience, who, at the drop of hat, would have shot to kill their political opponents. campaign of education. It shows, or at least it ought to, that it is useless and senseless campaign. It is tearing off of the scab from the fast healing political wounds.
 
 thought there was nothing unusual about their meeting, that is their privilege, but if men say and do what was done here to- day there is preponderance of clrcum- stantial evidence to give Edgeheld the palm for getting closer to the verge of po- litical battle and avoiding it than any other place in America.
 It really looks as if old Edgefield can avoid such crises with the facility that she can provide candidates. For dozen of- fees she now has five candidates in the field. There were at today's meeting one. plain, every day fight, the other nearly tragedy. For neither of them could the speakers be held directly responsible. It was just the passion in the crowd. True the lie was passed, but that had been done before without occasioning such scene.s Just here both Governor Tillman and Senator Butler ought to be commended for their efforts to quiet things. In word here is what the trouble was about:
 General Butler had remarked that about the only horse he had ever ridden, besides that of democracy, was tho old horse he WAS on in that very grove when he met Chamberlain and his republican myrmi- dons, and how he had helped the people secure their liberties and political freedom.
 Then Henry Towns cried out: ''Yes, general and rascals burned your house for it.'' There was tall, lank man standing |. few feet from General Butler on the stand. He was MT. John Atkinson. He had several times put in word or two cried: "He denied all that in Washington, though" (probably referring to the Ham, burg rot.)
 General Butler did not recognize tn speaker, but, quick as flash, he turned in the direction of the voice and said: ''lt is lie. don't care who said it; say it's lie.'
 MT. Atkinson did not reply. He tattooed on the reporter's desk with his umbrella, but made no sign of answering. The scene that followed was terrible. It was serious. 1t was desperate. Men rushing up towards the stand wiSh their hands on their pistols. Others cursed and the danger signal was out. There were a hundred women within few feet of the stand, but. that made no apparent difference. Fully dozen of each faction, Tillman and Butler, made for the stand to join those already there. Henry Towns and Charley Hammond were the first to mount the stand. Towns turned on the accuser, Atkinson, and cried ont, ''It is a lie and that man knows it.o
 General Butler tapped him onlthel shoul- der and said: ''Henry, I'il take care of myself; get down fro the stand.
 s'But the lie has been giyen," replied Towns.
 ''That's all right. For Gods sake let's have no trouble,'' said General Butler.
 MT. Cogburn and some one got into loud dispute. Then MT. Hardee. a friend of Governor Tillman, had some words. Said one tc the other. stNow look here, put up that pistol, for you ain't the only one with pistol. When draw mine Pm going to use it. Governor Tillman was asked to have his friends accede. His pis. tol was put up. Jack Biadon, lion in determination, forged to the front and had tilt with Cogburn. But these are mere incidents. Add dozen or more of them and there may be something like picture of the situation. General Butler urged his friends to get off the stand. He pleaded for quiet. Governor Tillman, perfectly cool, asked all who were really his friends to be quiet, and after great deal of per- nnetGd Butler continued with his speech.
 From then on Ieveryone was on the qul vive, but fortunately all passed off quietly As soon as Butler resumed his speech, he took occasion to say: ''Whoever states at any time on any occasion to anything that depied my participation in what was done in Hamburg telis-I wont gay lie, because there are ladies here--but that which is not true.'' General Butler also ~ took occasion after the serious incident to say, in a decidedly vigorous way: 'When blistered him, his myrmidons praying like meaningless donkeY5 tried to drown my voice with their wild talk aud yelling. Common jackasses can bray, but It takes man of sense and prudence to convince the judgment and rot arouse the passions of the people. That sort of treatment don't intiinidate me- have seen too much of the real dangers to be throttled in my free speech by 8 lot of blatant, wild jackasses. love free speech-too much and will fight for it.
 The Hamburg affidavits were produced and read, and were received with dread. Governor Tillman, on this line, took oeca. 6ion to say he would meet anyone wb0 toid him personally that he was not at Ham burg, and wanted to make an issue of It..
 Perhaps the next most important happen ing was tho position and proposition o1 the secretary of state, Tindaii. He boldly