The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-25

my opinion as you have to yours, sir.
Mr.. Talbert and George Tillman
faced each other in the aisle and their
fingers shook in one another's faces.
Talbert almost screamed his remark
and the thing looked pretty serious.
Mr.. Tillman quietly replied: "Of
course you have, but still I have
right to my opinion"
Tillman: I have made a great
many speeches in the county advocat-
ing this new name, and speaking of it
as Butler.
"Talbert went on to say that he hon
ored the name of Butler as much as
Mr.. Tillman did.
MIR. Tlllman: Why don't you vote
for the name then; I want to do honor
to the dead as well as the living.
Talbert: Tell me, didn't you draft
that ordinance calling it Butler.
Tillman: Yes I drafted the ordi-
nance. I honestly believe that the
majority of the people of Saluda favor
the name of Butler, as no right-think-
ing people are ashamed of their illus
trious ones, born and reared among
them.
Talbert: Don't let me excite you,
sir.
They still faced each other.
Tillman: am not excited; I'm as
cool as cucumber.
Mr.. Talbert was standing with his
back to the president in the aisle foot
or two from his opponent. Mr.. Hen
derson suggested that they be required
to address the chair.
Talbert: How can I answer the gen.
tleman's questions with my back
turned2
Talbert: Did any of the committee
men who came here ask you to put
the name of Butler in2
Tillman: Many of them did, but the
most of them, on the contrary, asked
me to put the name of Tillman in.
(Applause.)
AN OFFICER CALLED IN.
Just here the passages between the
two men became so warm and they
appeared so much excited that the
president with his gavel prevented any
one from hearing what was said. The
president called to the sergeant-at-
arms to 60 over and preserve order.
Governor Evans exclaimed: The gen
tleman will not interrupt the speaker.
The sergeant-at-arms will see to it
that ne does not.
The debate was continued at some
length.
BEN TILLMAN SHEDS EEARS.
Col. R. B. Watson then got the
floor and ne was particularly heavy
on Uncle George. He said that in
1892 Mr.. Tillman ran for Congress and
was defeated. He had the greatest ad
miration for Mr.. Tillman. He thought
him the highest type of a man in
every sense of the word. But since
his defeat he had nurtured and eulti-
vated his wrath and now came here
to pour his vitriol forth. Mr.. Till
man had, he understood, told the
committee that unless they gave him
Butler as the name, he would defeat
the county. 1t seemed that he desired
to wound the people of the Saluda
section because they defeated him and
to wound his brother.
Just here, those who were watching
Ben Tillman saw him shed several
tears. He wiped them off with his
hand first and then took his handker-
chief.
GEORGE TILLMAN AGAIN.
Mr.. George Tillman rose to a ques-
ton of personal privilege and went
for Col. Watson with gloves off. His
sarcasm was terrible. He said thatthe
gentleman from Edge6eld, his col
league, had said that he was his dear
friend, his warm friend thatI was the
most honest politicianhe ever saw, ,and
said other things about me that almost
made me blush. And then this
dear. dear friend of mine proceeded
to let me down by saying that after |
was defeated in 1892, I got mad and
nursed my wrath and was trying to
take revenge now. God save me from
such friends. That is the meanest
thing any man ever said about me.
There isn't a nigger in Edgefeld who
has such a low opinion of me. Al
though be ought to have worked for
me in that election, for reasons 1 need
not mention, yet if he ever did,
neither nor my friends ever heard of
| it before. I don't want him ever to
call me friend again, unless he rises
on this floor and apologies. 1 don't
want man that has such vile opin
| ion of me to ever call me friend or to
speak to me. Is it wounding my
brother, as the gentleman says, to
wish that he will make as able, honest
and influential Senator as Senator
Butler? I hope that have got some
little character to lose, some reputa-
ton for telling the truth. I don't ex-
/ tpect to get the name here, but in JUS
| tice at least refer it to the people. I
am satisfied that majority of them
will vote for Butler. But here the
master pulls the cord. -.
Talbert: Can you find any man on
the committee here who wants the
name of Butler2
Tillman: Yes, plenty of them. We
came here to do the States business,
but it seems to me there are some
stormy petrels on this floor and in this
State that will never permit peace and
harmony. We have spent two days
here now debating this one word.
Mr.. Tillman went on to say some
thing about an hereditary prejudice
that existed between one of the bygone
Buffers and Mr.. Watson's grand