The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-09
WHY TlLLMAN CHALLENGED.
What Ex-Presfdent Harrison Said In Re-
ferring to Him.

w ASHlNGION, aug. Eo.--lne DemO-
cratic congressional committee furn-
ished the Southern Associated Press
with the folio wing telegram today ad-
dressed to ex-President Harrison:
Hon Benjamin Harrison, New
York City, N. Y.
II have just spent a week in Penn
sylvania speaking to many thousands.
Your speech in New York last night
attacks me specifically, and would
be pleased to meet you in joint debate
before northern audience, preferably
at Indianapolis. ''B. R. TILLMAN.
The Columbia State says consider
able interest is being taken in the open
challenge of ex.P President Harrison by
Senator Tillman to meet him in joint
debate. Tillman said he suggested
that the debate take place at Harrison's 8
home purposely. At the same time
he has no idea that the challenge will
be accepted, Notwithstanding the fact
that Harrison has dlgnifed him by
specially referring to his name in his
New York speech. Thus, Tillman
SAYS, he cannot say that he can refuse
to debate with him. There were two
passages in Harrison's speech upon
which the challenge was BASED. One
reads thus:
''They denouuce in their platform
interference by Federal authorities in
local affairs as q violation of the Con.
stitution of the United States and as a
crime against free institutions. Mr..
Tillman in his speech approved this
declaration. It was intended to be
words o direct condemnation of MIR.
Cleveland as President of the United
States for using the power OF the exc
cutive to brush out of the way every
obstacle to the free passage of the mail
trains of the United States and the in
ter-State commerce. And, my friends,
whenever the people approve the
choice of a President who believes be
must ask Gov. Altgeld or any other
governor of any other State permis.
sion to enforce the laws of the United
States we have surrendered the victory
the boys won in 1861" (Great ap
plause.)
The other reads this way:
Zone of the kindest and most dis.
eliminating critics who ever wrote
with foreign pen about American
affairs, Mr.. Bryce, in his American
Commonwealth pointed out this dan
ger that the Constitution did not fix
the number of the supreme court
Judges, and it was possible for a reck-
less congress and a reckless executive
to subordinate and practically destroy
the supreme court by the process ]
have just described, and the English.
man, after speaking of this, says:
What prevents such assaults on
the fundamental Iaw?~ Nothing but
the tesc 81 the people, whose broad,
good sense and attachment to the
principles of the Constitution may be
generally relied on to condemn such a
perversion of its powers
Our English friend did not mis-
Judge, I think, the sound good sense
of the American people when an issue
like this is to be presented. Whatever
the question is, whether Mr.. Bryan's
view or Mr.. Tillman's view of the Con-
stitutional question shall prevail or
that of the august tribunal appointed
by the Constitution to settle it, the
courts are the defense of the weak.
The rich and powerful have other re-
sources, but the poor have not. The
high minded, Independent judiciary
that will hold to the line on questions
between wealth and labor, between
the rich and the poor, is the defence and
security OF the defenceless."