The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-09-24
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION.
FROM sALUDA TO BUTLER.
THE ENTERING WEDGE OF THE
TlsOUBLE.
George ID. TilIman's Onslaught Upon
His Brother-The Fight Over the
Printing

necessary preliminary matLers, whic
having been finally gotten into shape
the convention sottled down to activ
business.
The features of to-day's proceeding
we're the formation OF Butter Count
out of portion of Edgefield and th
speech of g. ID. Tillman ON the ques
tion of naming the new county, al,
the settlement Of the printing matte
by awarding the contract to Mr.. q. A
Calvo, the State Printer. Over eacl
OF these three matters q hot fight wa
waged-and the discussion of them tool
up the whole day IRON ID O'clock I,
nearly 3.
After the ordinary preliminariel
the committee on rules made u repor
amending rule 27 In reference 10 print
Ing resolutions presented in accordance
with the will OF the convention. The
only change OF Importance permits 9
measure to be amended on the third
reading by majority vote instead o
by a two-thirds as originally provided
Senator Tillmau moved to change
the calendar by which the county
government resolution of Mr.. Prince
was placed ahead of the Butler County
report. He said that it would be- dis
tinctly remembered that the resolution
OF Mr.. Prince was the last thing con-
was made that Saluda County be first
taken up. It SCENE d as II nothing
could keep off the Butler County mat
ter, and that the convention was in for
the preliminary skirmish.
The committee having under consid-
Grafton the Saluda County resolution
had two reports, a majority report
signed by six members and u minori-
ty report signeo by i've. There was a
squabble among committee men as to
whether the minority had not taken
advantage OF the majority and put in
areport without proper authority, and
upon this difference there ensued de-
bate charactt rized by considerable
warmth at times and covert insinua-
tioIs about bad faith. The-.uI,t, -zity
reporSAfecOmmsnded the formation of
tho county under the name of Butler.
A long debate ensued, in which Geo.
ID. Tillman, Frank b. Gary, II. r.
Hemphill, Geo. Johnstone, r. b. Wat.
son and others participated, the main
effort OF those who were opposed to
the majority report being directed to
recommittal of the report, which
was proposed by Gen. Hemphill. No
one opposed the formation of Saluda
or Butler County, but there was fight
against making 1t an exception.
Mr.. B. II. Tillman asked to be allow
ed to make few remarks before the
matter was disposed Of This conven-
tion had met to make a new constitu-
tion, not to form new counties, but
Saluda was an exception. There was
absolutely no opposition to it's forma-
tion, and he could not see why itshould
not be formed. He moved the previous
question. Mr.. Parrot asked him to
withdraw it and not shut Off debate.
Other people suggested the same
thing, whereupon Senator Tillman
said: "All right; don't want to shut
my friend of, but would rather hear
him vote no than 10 hear him talk"
(Laughter.)
The vote was then taken as t,
whether the general resolution provid-
ing that no new county should be
established should be taken up instead
of Saluda and 1t was agreed to, but
the discussion continued, nevertheless,
as to the merits and demerits Of
Saluda.
Senator Tillman offered as a sub
stitute to the resolution that no new
counties should be created, unless de-
legates from ell the counties affected
were unanimous, but on q viva voce
vote this was lost.
Mr.. Derham offered an amendment
to the resolution by adding provided
this does not apply to the proposed
Saluda County"
Mr.. Hemphill moved to lay the
amendment on the table.
The roll was called and the motion
to lay on the table was lost by vote OF
82to 81.
Mr.. Wilson suggested that the pre-
vious question be called. The house
had enough and as there seemed to be
disposition to load the Derham re-
solutions down the matter was pressed
and Mr.. Princes resolution that nc
new counties be created by the conven
tion was finally adopted with the
amendment excepting Saluda County
as the convention seemed to think that
Saluda County was creased and READY
to be rushed through, and 30 it wa!
given. q fine chance to go through
especially as all other new county
schemes were cut Off.
Then came up the report of the com
mittee to change the name to Butle
County, as unanimously reported.
Mr.. R. B. Watson moved to strik,
out the word Butler" and inser
"Saluda." While yielding to no man
he said, in admiration for the service
of the Butler family, yet he though
the name OF the county ought 20 b
Saluda. 1t was what the people @
that section wanted. 1t was nam
that section had borne for many year
and was q distinctive one.
1t was at this juncture that Ex Cor
gressman George ID. Tillman made b
odds the strongest and most torciblt
vigorous and eloquent speech of tn
session. He said that he had not III
dertaken to act without authority, 8
he had consulted about fifteen me
from that section, who had the ma
ter In charge, and they had all agree
that the new county should be calle
Butler" 1t was only very, very r.
Gently, he said, that this prelude
had arisen against the name But)e
and he did not understand 1t. Itwoul
be- very manly and generous to call I'll
new county after its distinguished son
the Buffers.
1t was about one hundred and fif
years since Col. VIM. Butler, with h
wife riding on his horse behind hir
came from Virginia to live In Car
lima, He fought for his adopted Sta
In tho Revolutionary war and did mob
service. Col. VIM. Butler and b
family have not only illustrated II
manhood and ability OF their count
but, he might add, OF Carolina. Th
represented much of the genius of Il
State.
DIR. Butler was the father of Ge
=, Calbraith Batter and who was hims,
q member OF Congress, and the deug
ter married Cen. Waddy ThompSS