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

in his most sarcastic and impressive
manner.
He said the people wantd ethis coun-
ty. They had been petitioning for it
as far back as he could remember
The first communication he had ever
written in his life was a petition ask
ing for the formation of Butler coun-
ty. In all the petitions that had been
presented the name of Butler had al
ways appeared. He never knew of
petitions for Saluda county until now.
He had always been the pet of that
section because he had always cham
pioned the Butler county scheme since
he was 81 years of age. It i'll became
his colleague from Edgefeld (his
brother) after having defeated Gen.
Butler and having dispossessed him
of his Office, to assail man who was
down. It was not manly, magnani-
nous or brave. Doubly was this so
for him to strike Butler here where he
could not defend himself.
Slapping his own breast with great
force and displaying great earnestness,
he proceeded: "This breast never
could have done either of those
things.
Mr.. Tillman then referred to 76'and
went on to speak of Gen. Mart Gary,
saying: "My God, the man is not
living nor is he dead that has ever
had better or more exalted opinion
of Mart Gary than myself. We had q
large mass meeting in Edgefeld the
day after his death to pass suiteable
resoltions in regard to it. I drew
them up and made speech in which
I said that Gary had done more to
redeem the State in rs than any single
man in it, Hampton not excepted. I
said so then and say so yet. The
ingratitude of the politicians and
the manner in which he was
treated broke his heart. I don't
mean to cast any reflections upon his
family, but he left a large estate, yet
his grave, I am told, is there now
without stone of any sort to mark
it, all covered with grass. Mr. Till
mans manner was extremely touch
ing here.) On Saturday sald-fcr he
was my friend-that I tried hard to
have a marble monument erected to
him on the public square at Edgefeld,
with bald eagle ont top, indicating
the type of man he was. Other
schemes for perpetuating his memory
were also tried, as were also many
schemes to raise the money necessary,
but we found we had to abandon them
all till the prejudice on account of the
Cash letter and some other things he
had done had subided. He was born
sick, lived sick and died sick, yet
performed all the duties of the high
est type of citizen. The same prejud-
ice that now enlisted against Butler,
prevailed against him. [ for one am
willing to erect monuments to both
him and Butler by calling counties
for them.
But there were other Buffers be-
sides M. @. Butler. repeat he is q
splendid man, man of great ability, q
born orator. He has acuquired national
influence which took years of arduous
service to acquire; it was work to
make friends and divide our enemies.
He is a diplomatist of the first rank. /
fear that the Congressmen from South
Carolina will find out that it won't
pay to spit against the wind, for that
is splitting in their own faces. We
are in a hopeless minority in Wash
ington, and it won't do to 60 there
and talk about using pitchforks on
people. We are not a free people.
1t won't surprise me in the least if the
doors of Congress are closed on the
South Carolina Congresmen and its
junior senator. ...-
He referred to the force bill; told
how in 1880 it had passed the House
and lacked one vote of passing the
Senate, yet nobody in this State seemed
to realize how near they had come to
having the whole fabric of the
government, State and national,
revolutionized. I don't believe
that this convention is going to
act like a school boys debating
society and undo today what il
did yesterday, but believe that you
will act like bold and indepent men.
Don't be like the jumping of the
Punch and Judy show, jack responsive
whenever the master hand pulls
the cord. This is the way they are ask.
ing you to act. The gentleman from
Spartanburg boasted that there was
no leader here. The vote will show
whether there is or not. There is
nothing in this whole matter today
but bitter prejudice. Why defer this
matter2 That isn't the way grown
men do business If you consider ii
you will act exactly like a debating
society of small boys. 1t seems to me
that some of the leaders never intend
to let this prejudice drop.
BEARING WITH BEHRE.
Mr.. Behre, of Colleton, then took a
hand. He said they were sent there
as the representatives of the people.
The people desired the name of Saluda
and they should be allowed to say
that Saluda should be the name. Give
them the name they desired. He for
one thought that the movement need,
I'd new leaders badly. Always some
one was saying that they were sub
missive to the crack of the whips OF a
few leaders. Get new men and repu.
diate the charge. He stood there to
say that certain things that George
Ti1lman had said on this line met his
approval. He misquoted Mr.. Tillman
and that gentleman remarked II new.
er said any such thing" He had great
admiration for Gen.sGary though he
was a mere boy when Gen. Gary's
deeds were done.