The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
BEN TILLMAH,s COLLEGE.
Commencement This Week Mt tho Institu-
tton or which He IL Dictator.

ton or which He IL Dictator.
NJ COLLEGE,, S. c., Dec. 3.-This week
Clemson College holds its commencement exer-
discs. The college is only four years old and
owes Its birth TO Tillman's need Of n stepping
stone to the farmers confidence in days when
he was casting about for practical
against the existing regime. B. r. Tillman. Jr-
is ono of the graduating class-.he frat class to
be graduated since the college opened its doors
and the Senator remarked In his usual pic.
turesoue language TO q man in Columbia re-
Gently:
Yes, I'll have a damned ignoramus on my
hands soou.r
This remark must be taken with q grain of
salt, however. Everybody has q good word for
young Bon. Tho girls say hes just the incest
boy" and his classmates have not stopped talk
ing yet about his address on THE Scholar in
Politics."
Clemson College. with its long brick barracks,
has played an important part in State politics.
1t was the first link forged in the chain of cir
cumstance that led to the Senate chamber.
The late Mr.. Clemson. John Q. Calhoun's SON.
in-law, who left this landed property to South
Carolina for an agricultural college. named in
his will certain life trustees. and the Legisla-
ture was to appoint certain others. Mr.. Glenn
son knew b. Il. Tillman as one of the better
class of farmers over in EdEeheld, and named
him as o life trustee. Tillman interested
himself in the matter when he organ
lied the Farmers Alliance and called on
others to come out from under the iron
heel of the aristocracy and make them
selves heard. The money accruing to the State
from various funds for agricultural experiments
was monopoliZed BY the South Carolina College,
In Columbia. he told them. That was unjust
The poor man could not send his son to Column
bia. neither could he send him to the Citadel in
Charleston; those institutions were dude ac-
tories" Let the farmers get together and build
acollege OF their own among the hills OF the up
country, where merit and industry alone would
count. The State had just won n lawsuit with
Mr.. Clemson's heirs; Tllman would sec to 1t
that the Legislature made the necessary appro-
priat.ons, and that the building OF the college
The farmers listened with bated breath to the
plans mapped out for their benefit, and were
tuition where their boys might be educated for
nothing. Meantime Charleston was Mortified
cradle of ali the vaior and chivaIry she sent
to tho war. md Columbia thrilled with
s soSs5 Carolina c. the Ct1 olisRa' But hs"p edw G the , eIe
detrimental station is no longer identified with
Column bia, but forms one Of the cluster of build
irRs about the younger rival. and the gray
uniformed cadets who drill on the Clemson
campus nre as fair an imitation of the despised
farmers boys who tocked to the farmers col
lege AS soon as it's doors were opened have gone
hou.c abaiu. haNIbs uEoppeu ohe Wy u u
ranks when they found that there was real
studying to be done and that genuine tuition
fees must be paid.
They might just rs well not bother; honors
will come to them without education" re-
marked a Columbia woman the other day.
when | went to pay my taxes In an up
country town the Treasurer spclt Anna Amer"
Clemson College j. u vantage ground where
the old order and the new come in constant
juxtaposition. Built on the rise OF ground
fronting John G. Calhoun's country homestead.
are ever in contrast with the ante-bellum type,
as calm and dignife6 and stable a. the unpre-
t%entious, white pillared mansion itself.
When the Colonies and Captains and Honor
ables gather to award Donors to South Carolina
youth the hotel up on the hill houses q unique
collection Of sentiments and personalities.
They all partake of turkey and roast pig to-
Rether. and perhaps. in side rooms aud isolated
barrack quarters, pledge one another's health
In whiskey that did not zone from the dispen-
sary at Pendleton. four miles away. The heights
ofsky to be seen from the hotel windows. White
scoopeu mountain wagons come down bringing
apples and chestnutS TO the boys on the college
campus. II Is too far for these wagons to reach
Clemson before dark, and after dark u fashlight
sometimes discloses plethoric-lookinE jugs and
am tinted bottles. disRorGed from beneath
the round-c heeked apples on top. Families
dwelling in peace and plenty on the banks of
the seneca are not in touch with the State Dis
pensary. They may yearn for whiskey for the
Christmas eggnog. They may need It to build
not buy a drop from the lawful depots even II
put to much personal Inconvenience. Blind
Tigers" both stationary and Derambulating,
are q necessity in the neighborhood.