The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-04
TiIImnn in Straits.

/
Notwithstanding his promise to keep
hands off, in the matter of the selection
Of a United States senator to succeed Ir'by,
Senator Tilman has issued a manifesto
to his followers through which it is hoped
by the Tillman ring that Gov. Evans will
be safely landed, in the primary election
to be held next Tuesday The excuse for
the manifesto is a letter written to the
senator by a number of his lieutenants in
the movement" urging him to express
his preference as between Evans and
Earle, and thereby save 1.-THE movement
from defeat. The letter was written on
Sept. O. and Immediately found the answer
ready; and before many hours had elapsed
the printing presses Of the movement"
were at work upon an edition OF 5000
copies to be distributed through the mails
The managers of the movement" recog-
nlzing how desperate are their straits, are
moving quickly.
In the manifesto Tillman Yields the party
lash vigo. ously. He admits frankly that
the 'disintegration of the reform move.
ment is inevitable unless internecine strife
apparently regards the virtual reputation
in the recent primaries of Evans, by his
own faction, as against Earle, who does
not belong to 1.-THE movement as Inter
necine strife" which will strike most peo-
pie as decidedly ludicrous. Il regard the
election of Gov. Evans to the Senate now
as a political necessity" says the sena-
tor. And most people who are familiar
with the situation will agree that his
election is the most urgent necessity that
has even confronted the Tillmanftes since
they obtained control of the state; for, to
use the senator's own words, IF Gov
Evans is defeated it is the beginning Of
the end" of Tillmanism.
The writing of this manifesto, and the
frantic endeavor of the boss to drive his
rebellious followers into line, is a confess
sion of weakness which augurs we'll for
the state. For the voters of South Caro-
lima do not like to be driven. The majority
Of them have been following Tillman be-
cause they believed he was right They
fancied there was a bag of gold at the
other end OF the rainbow that he drew
for them in the political heavens, and that
they would get 1t by following him. They
have been following him for the purpose
of serving their own interests, not the in
terests of a political ring. The secret of
his strength has been that the people fol-
lowed him of their own free will, being led
to think they were conserving their own
interests. This manifesto will show them
that their own interests are a minor mat
ter with the managers of 1.-The movement"
whose purpose it is to use the people to
the end of perpetuating themselves in
power
Whether Tillman's manifesto will, like
a blast from Roderick Dhus bugle, be
worth thousand men" to the Evans
cause remains to be seen. 1t Is difficult
to believe that it will. For the Columbia
Register. the accredited organ of 1.-The
movement" says that thousands of re-
formers voted against Evans because they
were not satisfied with his explanation of
the charges against him." These charges
involved the question of whether or not
Evans used his official position to feather
his nest" as he expressed it on the stump.
A chain is not stronger than its weakest
link. political ring cannot be stronger
than its weakest component part. Till
man has said that Evans is an indispensi-
BILE part of the Tillmanite political ring in
South Carolina. That being the case, the
ring is no stronger than Evans, and ac-
cording to the Columbia Register. thou
sands of reformers repudiated him in the
election not long ago because they were
not satisfied that he was the right kind of
man to represent them in the Senate.
1t now remains to be seen if Tillman can
whip his followers into supporting his can
didate t.Ixlkl4