The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-02-27
TiIImanS Plan Presented.
The Senator on the Conven'
ton Question and Unity.
His Remarkable Plan for Bring
ing. the White People Together
What the Conservatives
Are Ofered-Swaliow it
if You Can.

Ex-Governor Tiilman has so long
been the chief figure in active poll
tics in South Carolina that it would
inded be strange if he were not tine
director general of all plans for the
campaign to elect delegates to the
State Constitutional convention. The
State has already announced that he
was present at the conference with
ultra Conservatives the other night
when the matter of formulating some
kind of a plan for the election of
delegates was under consideration.
and further that he was here during
all Of the many political affairs of
the week. 1t was not thought that
he was going to have anything to
say, but he evidently came to the
conclusion that now is the time to
talk, and the Ex-Governor is out
to-day in an interview as to the
coming fight, and as to the scheme
for bringing the Conservatives in,
which makes pretty interesting read
ing, and shows what the dictates Of
the 'spowers that be" are in this
most important matter. What Till
man has to say is full aud there is 10
~mistaking the language he uses. tie
dresses up the scheme in pretty
style.
Senator Tillman had given most of
his interview before he left for Wash
ington, bat. not finishing what he
had to cay. he did SO between this
city and Charlotte. When question
ed directly as to what had been said
about the significance of his pres.
ence in Columbia during the gather
ipgs of so many politicians, he said:
Il do not know why my presence
here should put so many tongues to
wagging; ordinarily my rule has
been to pay no heed to such chatter,
but leave. people to find out for
themselves about such things"
When asked about the conference
with the Conservative leaders he
said 81 have no objection to letting
it be known why l agreed to meet
these gentlemen l did 50 simply
for the purpose of showing that !, as
an individual citizen and as a man
occupying a responsible public po.
sition, am ready and anxious to do
anything within reason that | can to
bring about a better state of feeling
There is a hackneyed phrase con-
%sincally appearing in the bitter auti
pap,rs-'The fillman lrby Evans
Rins-and the stock in trade of the
.1ecal@ilrants who have fought me
personally and the Reform party from
the very beginning is to charge all
the animosity which exists, to the
Vaccinations and influence of this
Ring Some of the loudest-mouth-
ed and most blatant talk along this
line has come from men who would
certainly never have been heard of i'll
the politics of the State but for the
Reform movement Now. fortunate
ly, I occupy a position which, in the
minds of all fair persons, should lift
me above any charge of sinister or
selfish motives in what | am trying
to do. l realize with painful GER
tainty the seriousness of the crisis.
which is upon US in State affairs.
The Constitutional convention has
been called in spite of the intense
opposition of almost the entire
Anti faction. There have been
charges of fraud in regard to the
vote on this question, but that is
neither here nor there. Fraud or no
fraud, and no one has produced any
proofs Of fraud, the convention is to
be elected and will meet next Sep
TENDER and the question now agi-
tating che mind Of every thinking
man in the State is as to how it will
be constituted, and what will it do
when it assemblies The distrust and
suspicion which has been industri-
ously fomented in the minds of the
factions. towards each other have
brought US 10 this deolorable o
dition that we must either shortly
enter upon a struggle for the mastery
of the convention, which will leave
wounds to rankle for a lifetime, or we
must come together. The present
unnatural aud strained relations must
cease, or we will commence a fight
which will leave one faction or the
other complete masters, with an in.
tensifed desire for revenge burning
in the hearts Of the victors, | wish
to avert such a struggle if possible,
and when | consented to meet those
who have prosecuted aud opposed me
with all the vigor and malignity OF
which they were capable, in effort to
devise ways and means for restoring
harmony, i gave an earnest of my
81 -.-lx --~@