The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-12-04
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 1895.
InhOspitable Treatment.

Inhospitable Treatment.
We would not be disagreeable or nnparlia'
mentary in our remarks, but on last Saturday
evening the Atlanta Journal. under the mead
Ing OF Carolina Hosts Co." that newspaper
according to our way Of thinking, violates al
the rules of hospitality and kindly leeiihs
Heretofore that paper has been so clean, anu
so far removed from doing an improper thing
that we were surprised at its treatment Of
Senator Tillman and Governor Evans. AS q
specimen remark, we quote the following
which, if not vulgar, approaches dangerously
near to an improper speech:
"Senator Tillman and Lieutenant Governor
Evans left yesterday morning at hali,pasl
eight O'Clock. They went over the Sonthern
sections. II has been rumored, but few be.
neved it, that both of these gentlemen were
indignant that green flags were hung OUT on
They wanted red flags to wave their departure
out OF the city. Some were crnel enough emo ga te so
suggest that part Of their shirts might nave
they were covered with the blood OF wal
thirty years gone"
It may be that Senator Tillman and GOV
ernor Evans were impolitic-and we admit
that they were-in their speeches, but we SUB.
NIT that in nothing that we have read nave
we seen 40 great departure from the pro
prieties OF the occasion as was contained
in the paragraph above quoted from tne
Atlanta Journal.
The facts are, that Governor Evans ano
Senator Tillman were the guests Of the city
They were representatives OF the people ol
sister State, who by overwhelming odds'
= elected these gentlemen to their respective
places.
It Is also true that the Atlanta Journal, II
representing the people of Atlanta, was the
host OF the occasion.
1t is also true that hosts as we'll as guests
should observe the proprietles.
In ability and private character the
maligned Carolinians would doubtless have
nothing to lose in comparison neither with
the stan OF the Atlanta Journal nor their
traducers at home. We believe that Till
man and Evans have said nothing in their
public career which is so Inappropriate or so fa1
removed from the facts, as the statements by
the Journal in reference to the flags of the
train.
Not satisfied with its own unjust, and evil
IDENTIFY unkind remarks, the Journal copies
an anonymous communication in reference tc
Evans and Tillman. That communication
according to our way OF thinking, should not
have been published in any newspaper, es
pecially as it had no name signed to 1t.
Senator Hampton in Cincinnati in 1850
made a speech which, we think. was just as
Objectionable as those of Tillman and Evans
in Atlanta last week, but we heard very little
criticism Of 1t.
General Gordon, not so many years ago,
made his famous "Black Jack" speech at
Greenwood in which he gave offense to a
large majority Of his hearers. but our news
papers did not manufacture or copy reports,
which "few believed" in order to place him
in wrong light before the people, either OF
Georgia or of South Carolina.
The Journal may have thought TO please
certain Carolinians by its attempt to ridicule
or misrepresent Tillman and Evans, and there
is no doubt whatever that there are some peo.
pie here who will enjoy anything that may
be said against Tillman, but there Is sense Of
fairness existing in the hearts Of at least a
portion OF their political opponents.
Governor Evans is President of the State
Convention. Senator Tilman was lately
elected Senator almost without the show OF
opposition. Webelieve that it is true, that no
man in that Convention has made one-tenth
the impress on the constitution as was made
by Tillman, and yet when he goes abroad the
Atlanta Journal publishes the notice above in
reference to him when he departs from the
city.
If it he boasted that Tillman is losing his
hold on public favor, history would be only
repeating ITSELF In 1916, excepting possibly
one thousand, Hampton had the cordial sup
port Of every white man In the State. And
yet Irby beat him for Senator in 1890.
Tilman has never had the support Of more
than sixty.five to eighty per cent. OF the peo-
pie.
All the liquor element may be said to be
solid against him. All the former or
old line orthodox office-hoiders are
against him. All that portion Of our peo.
pie who think they should govern the State
by divine right. and hold office forever, are
against him; and then, the little bootlicks OF
all those classes are against him.
or course the old ofice-holders and the sa.
loon element will never forgive Tlllman for
= taking office and then closing the bar-rooms.
In closing the bar.rooms he did more for the
sobriety of this people than every
man who has held Office since the
war. Does anybody doubt that If Till.
mans enemies could get In power the bar
rooms would be open again in SouthCarolina
and the gilded palaces for the unwary, as well
as the dark alleys for the ensnarement of the
weak, would allure victims and open pitfalls
to destruction. We believe that three-fourths
of the opponents Of Tillman would reopen
the bars, and we believe that much of the op-
position to Tillman is based on the hope that
we may again have free liquor in South Caro-
lima to debauch and ruin her people.
Ever since Tillman appeared on the scene
we have heard a great deal about "the best
element" not supporting him. Who are "the
best element ?" Is it the bar-room crowd, or
Is it the great mass OF the people who propose
TO shut up the saloons? Each man can an
swer for himself and choose his own com
pany.
We do not admit that 1t is within the power
of Tillman to disgrace South Carolina, even II
he were so inclined. We can only be dis.
graced by our own acts. or by the approval OF
disgraceful acts by others. South Carolina re-
pudiates Tillman's ill-manners. Nobody en-.
dorses that. We are all sorry that he made
the mistake, but we do not think his action
excuses the action Of others which is equally
reprehensible.