The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-13
TILLMAN Is A FIGHTER.
ENTIRE STITE or SOUTH CAR0LfNA
UNDER MS CONTROL.
He IL seif-Educated, Natural Dictator
and Overrides Both Friends and Foes
When They Oppose Him.

NEW YORK. October Elm a careful
~ prepared letter on Senator '1llman
and the political situation in South Car
DINA, the World to-day says;
This ancient and peculiar Common
wealth is at THIS moment under the dom
ination OF the most notable and eXas-
peratlng leader The South has produced
since the war With one or two excep-
tons he is actually debating the terms
Of the new constitution TO the conven-
ton that has been sitting in the fomous
old State House
Benjamin Ryan Tillman is the abso-
lutte ruler Of the State. overriding all
other authority and trampling down
friends and foes alike when they oppose
his will.
When Tillman enters the United States
| Senate next winter that august body
will receive "A shock, for this is no sing
songy whiskerando like Mr.. PETER, but
the incarnation OF agricultural socialism
armed with lightning that can blast and
scariiy. There Is not man on the foor
Of the Senate to-day III to cope with
Tillman when his Oratorical bowie-knife
H. out. He thinks I'm pictures and has
nmblc wit. Even the unterrihod John
i. ingalls, would have a hard time OF 4
with this one-eyed leader Of the agra
rian revolution who has smashed the
saloon power. overthrown the heirs u
the old-time oligarchy Of landed propri-
ctors. humbled the pride Of cities ana
towns and let loose seas Of reckless rhct-
oric. onCulfed the traditions OF South
Carolina in a flood Of Greek. Latin. slang.
profanity. crankncss and common sense.
lie towers IN in the South.
The Sergeant-atArms Of the Senate has
my sympathy. but the Senate itself Eas
a stirring experience in store for 1t.
TILLMASs DIE IL THEIR ROOTS.
The Tllmans OF this generation have
r.Cstly died in their boots. one OF the
Senator's brothers was killed IN the Mex
lean war, another died from wounds re-
Ceived I'm the battle Of Chickamauga and
two others were shot dead in personal
encounters. The whole family IS hign-
strung and full of grit. "Uncie' George
Tilman, who served I'm Congress for
fourteen years, Was actually turned out
Of his scat for daring TO oppose the VIII
Of his brother. To day you may see the
two brothers graphing with eacn other
IN this curious convention which has
met chiefly to provide Tor the permanent
dsfranchisoment Of the negro race and
to recognize the Socialistic principle OF
State ownership CT saloons in the Con-
stitut.On.
Senator BENJAMIN Ryan Tillman was
born forty-eight years ago on his faith
er's plantation, ut Chester, in Edgeneld
county ;. G. Shortly afterwards his
father died, and his mother. assisted by
her elder sons. conducted the hilly cotton
farm on the edge of CheWs Creek. They
had a hundred slaves when the war
broke out. Mrs. Tilman was an intelh-
gent. not TO say brilliant. woman. tor
plain planters wife. During the war
young Tilman went TO school at Liberty
Hi. thirty miles from home, under the
tutelage Of George Dolphin, a teacher
and linguist OF local renown
his THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE.
The lads thirst for knowledge and MS
indomitable will were displayed In his
18th year. He knew that NJ sixteen ne
must enter the Confederate army. Ills
brothers. then serving in the field, wrote
back. urging him 10 get good founda-
ton Of knowledge. for tho war might
last so long that he would never have
another opportunity for education. Nhen
school hours were over and supper was
eaten young nllman would carry light
Cd pine-knot into the woods and, lying
down in the leafy solitude, would pom
der over Greek roots and Latin conju-
cations by the dim, pickering light. lie
was a lank sicwy, silent and dictatorial
youth. expressing his opinions I'm snort,
sharp and sometimes furious sentences
brookng no contradiction and forgetting
nothing that he ever learned.
now Hf INJURYD HIS EYr.
The heat Of the pine blaze injured his
left eye and an indiscrcet plunge I'm cold
water brought on a Dulpy tumor For
nearly two years young Tlllman was an
invalid when be was well again the
war was over and his eye was gone.
From that time on he laborcd TO improve
his mind He was an omnverous stu
dent. reading without system, but gath
ering together am array Of facts and
ideas. ancient and modern, which as
tounds those who hear him in debate
to-day. lie was a great hunter and FISH,
err. ON the plantation he was "a steam
engine i'm brooches"
Although he IS the most remorseloss
enemy Of negro suffrage in South Caro-
lima his whole history is fun of acts OF
generosity towards his black farm Ia
borers.
Before twenty he married and he has
now six children. one son is az Clemson
Agricultural College, on the old Calhoun
estate. to establish which the Senator
made his first entry into public life. and
his eldest daughter. Miss Adie TiIlman,
is studying at the fIollins Institute. Nir-
ginia-a bright, prc.ty high-spirted girl
His son Henry. 10 years Old has inherited
a.. ro,bo,ss extraordinary memory