The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-01
RAIN IN rkUQrIrp.
4 Red Hot Time in the south Carolina
Convention.

Convention.
COLUMBIA, :. c., oct. 3l.-Th.s morn
ing. after wasting about Al aour. the
convention once more took up the SUI
frage problem, and has been on 1t the
entire morning senator lrby got the
hoor and made a long speech, attacking
the committee. He used vigorous IAN
gu4ge. and was listened 10 very closely.
No one interrupted him. He was pretty
heavy on Senator Iiiiman and Others.
HIS speech was somewhat Sensational
MhcE the convention reassembled the
grad battle royal. which has been eX-
pected for months. was precipitdtsd at
the very outset. and South Gar pima
TWO United States senators locked horns
Tillman coming out the winner, so far
as the vote was concerned 1t was
pretty bout, and both the senator's dis
plaved great earnestness IN what they
sail And .hen followed the long-looked-
for speech of Senator Tlllman on the sur
frage problem. He spoke for over TWO
hours and a half, and presented the SIT
uation i'm South Carolina IN the greatest
detail He never spoke I'm his HE WIN
more deliberaton and vigor me nan
WAS wen-flled with spectators, and from
start 10 finish he was listened TO with an
absorbing interest. and at times a PIN
fall would have made great noise, so
intent were the people present IN their
desire to hear everything that was sall'
lrbv preciptatel the fight by moving
IN take ND the report Of the Educational
committee out of its order. disi-aclns
th. suffrage matter. lie explained why
Tillman. in hot speech, dehou'0eu
this as a flank movement 10 Keep nm
from speaking tonight. troy loih nm
he had not devoted that much thought
motion. and Irby denounced II as gag
law. which he would not submit to- A
roll-calI was demanded on lrby's mo-
ton. and it was killed by vote OF %
to So.
When Tillman spoke. he made the
speech Of his life. The first hour ana
a half Of Il was review grotesque satur-
MALTA. Of crime and ribaldry IN TINS state
under the Republican rule. lie gave q
mass Of facts and figures when, ne salu'
he intended to go to the WORD as
justification Of what this convention was
about 10 do.
That Government. while largely COM
| posed Of native and carpet-bag whites
he intended 10 go into the world as
was based on the black vote and sus-
tanned by it, and the purpose OF TINS
body was 10 eliminate that vote. as far
as the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments would allow.
When he began TO reply to the sensa-
| tional speech of his fellow-United States
Senator Irby, OF I.aurens. delivered this
| morning. fireworks began. Tillman was
saying that Irby had charged that Gov
| ernor Evans had violated the Consttu-
/ ton I'm an emergency, and that OH one
occasion, when this convention was
threatened by fierce opposition tN its
/ being called. lrby had failed 10 appear.
Irby started up from his seat and ox'
| claimed that on the occasion referred
/ TO he was detained at home by family
| reasons. and then went on 70 charge
! that at the crisis OF the last campaign
/ Governor Evans had disappeared, ana
| had reappeared when the fight was over
with the story that he had been TO see
! his girl and that he was afraid he would
! be called on 10 make pledges which he
| could not perform.
There was another sensational scene
| when Tillman turned to Mr.. Patton, on
| of the leading Conservative delegates
| from Columbia, and accused him of haV-
| ing drawn a cloak OF hypocrisy ana
| pharseeism around him in attacking the
| suffrage plan suggested by the slmittee
] OF which Tlllman Is chairman.
South Carolina legislative bodies fol-
! low the precedent of the British Parlia-
ment 10y allowing members to sit hatteD.
Mr.. Patton was just behind Iilman
with his hat on his head. He sprang
10 his feet. barring his head as he did so,
and challenged the Senator to MAKE gOou
or retract his words. Advancing TO
within arms reach OF the Senator, Pat
ton. levelling his finger straight at his
ANTAGONISTS face, declared that Whatever
might be said against him. no man could
charge him with hypocrisy, and that
no man should 10 il. Whatever sins
had been committed by the white people
of the State he was willing 10 bear his
share of.
Tillman said that last fall Patton had
mir n fnflqr1nh
Evans TO revive Republican supervisors
of election i'm his county for fear he
could not get TO the convention II they
were allowed 10 hold Office.
There was another sensation when Nc
Gowan. Conservative delegate from Able
Vile. participated in what is known as
the Tsilman-Barnwell conference of last
spring. rose. ard In one word charged
T1llman with breach of faith In having
repudiated the action OF that conference
Yet another followed when ex-Congress-
man Smali's cOiored delegate from Beau
fort. on a question of personal privilege,
made a sweeping denial OF the charges
against him made by Tillman, and urged
the Senator while he was applying the
lash 20 his own white colleagues, for Gods
sake "tO spare the six poor negroes"
who sat there in a miserable minority
and had tried 10 refrain from offending
anybody.