The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-06
HIS TONGUE OF FIRE.
Wonderful Tillman Holds South
Carolina in His Hand.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Under His Lash.
GLOOMY AND SAVAGE
This One-Eyed Man Looms Up
Among Men
Like an Eyangel an POrtent of
Revolution.
GLOOMY AND SAVAGE

uantS or the arlStOcratlc element OF South
Carolina Democracy are raging under
the lash of Senator Ben Tillman's fearful
tongue lGshings at the constitutional con-
vention. He linked the negroes and the
aristocrats together and excoriated them
in one breath. Senator Tillman's unparal-
leled indictment of the negro race in
the convention was addressed to the
north as a defense of what South Car
olina proposes to do in order to maintain
white supremacy, in spite of the con-
stitution of the United States. But the
most astonishing thing about this great
speech was its frank admissions.
"Do we intend to commit fraud under
our new suffrage plan?" he said. II
deny it. Fraud is illegal; we do not
propose to do anything Illegal. But the
understanding clause will for two years
allow the white registration officer TO de-
eide whether an illiterate shall vote or
not We intend no fraud-only unfair
ness, as it were; simply Partially or dis
elimination; nothing more. No white
man will lose his vote. That is what l
meant when l said l would drink from
the poisoned chalice for two years and
then throw it away forever"
There is not another man in the south
who would make an admission like that,
but then there is not another man in the
south like Tillman. While ne was
pouring out his soul he seemed to efface
friends and foes alike. and there was but
one voice, one face, one mind, and one
all-controlling. threatening eye.
"Ahw groaned Mr.. Smalls, the negro
s.you crack your whip and lash the con
vention to show that you own it, but for
Gods sake leave US poor negroes
aloneg'
The negro delegates seemed to shrivel
in their seats when he attacked them.
Tillman looked like some figure risen
out of the savage, confused past, with his
cOrpse-H Ike visage and whitening tongue.
Tillman began with a description of
South Carolina when the negro was in
power. In eight years the carpet-bag
government collected $10.165 ia in
taxes, more than $4,000, 000 in excess of
the expenses of the government 4 bar
room was opened in the state house for
state officials, judges, senators, members
of the house, lawyers editors and citi-
somed out in $500 clerks, So
cuspidore, $500 crimson plush
sofas, sponge mattresses and ori-
entail pillows, $50 plush Gothic
chairs, $50 library tables $50 hat racks,
500 desks, $50 to $40 office desks, 500
wardrobes, body BRUSSELS carpeting,
finest Havana cigars, champagne, 5000
mirrors, $500 brocatel curtains, lambre
quins and $50 walnut and gilt cornices.
The cost OF printing the eight years of
negro rule was $717 589-more than the
printing bills of the state for seventy
eight years previous. Fraud reigned
supreme, checks were altered, bonds
were issued illegally, the honor and
credit of the state dragged in the dust.
"Why," cried Tillman, 'rhere are
South Carolina bonds quoted in the stock
lists of New York at one cent on the
dollar to the shame of this common
wealth. That was the result of the
negro domination. l went with the state
treasurer to New York two years ago.
in the hope of floating our securities and
we were logged by the agents of Henry
Clews, who said:
Pay these bonds that bear the seal of
your state OF you can have no recogni-
ton in our money-markets.'
Suddenly negro delegate. Mr.. Wigg,
leaped to his feet, aud declared that the
senator had mentioned frauds committed
by white men
That's all right, Wigg" shrieked the
orator. shaking his bony finger in the
air, 'just you wait and I'll find plenty
of wigs for you" Presently Tillman
denounced Ex-Governor Chamberlain as
prince OF scoundrels, and declared that
after his overthrow the aristocracy had
EOCClNEQ HIN WILL ODEu arms,
Judge Barker, of Charleston, denied
this, whereat Mr. Miller, a negro,
arose and with appraised hands said:
III swear that l saw the flower of
Charleston society - lawyers, doctors
and Misunderstanding with Cham
berlain in his private Car at a social
function"
SAY, grin, grin, grim" shrieked Till
man, turning on the Charleston dele
gates. 'Ph4riseesI' There was hush
in the house "In those days of viIIiany
and corruption and misrule," continued
Tillman, ''those who have passed away
never dared to leave their firesides with
out dread that whom they returned they
would lind some harm OF hurt to their
families, dared not go forth, when our
courts of justice were filed with bribery
and disgrace, when the judges were not
free from bribery. How did it come
about and who must bear the blame?
We are told that the negro did not do it
Oh, he didn't do it. But he was the in
Btrument with which it was DONE"
Turning to the negro delegates, "You
blindly followed and obeyed the orders
OF the freed mans bureau and ignored
the appeals of your masters, who had
treated you with kindness. l myself can
testify that appeal after appeal was
made by me. And by every white man
in this state TO the negroes on his planta-
ton to help throw of his burden of mis-
rule and degradation and to the last the
colored man blindly followed where
these white creatures ordered
''Was it not negro government? The
negro furnished the ballot, and that is
what we are here to deal with. The ne
groes put their little piece of paper in
the boxes that gave the commissions to
the white scoundrels who were their
leaders and the men who debauched the
state, and this must be our justification
and our vIndication and our excnsa tn