The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-15
TILLMAN BECOMES CONSERVA-
TIVE.


The Significance of His Speech at
Gaffney-The Revolution He Great
ed is Going Backward.
Special to the News and Courier
There is a great deal more impor-
tance TO be attached to Senator Till
mans Gatfney speech than its bearing
on the county proposition. His posi-.
tion is of decided Importance for q
variety of reasons, especially rs there
are SO many new county propositions,
and in all of them there are many who
have inexplicable faith in Tillman.
Not only did Tillman discuss the pros
and cons of the new county matter,
but he could not help branching out
and talking about State politics, the
dispensary, and himself.
1t was somewhat significant to hear
| Iillman argue something like this !:
THE Reform party has kept things
alta fever heat in South Carolina for
six years it has kept the pot boiling
and stirred it with a long spoon. The
revolutionary reform may have been
more radical than was really neces-
sary, but opposition led to, perhaps,
imminent. 1t may change existing re-
forms. This will involved continued
agitation. Lets stop agitating and
settle down to something other than
politics. 1t is time to call a truce
Now 1T is somewhat out OF the usual to
hear Senator Tillman talk about hay-
ing enough OF political agitation or
ever recognizing the possibility of a
reaction.
This reaction seems to be more in
VOWED in the dispensary matter than
anything else, and Senator Tillman
takes the position that the dispensary
had better be left alone and that it is
better than any license system. But
In his public speech he charged that
the trouble was that the law was not
being properly administered and that
there seemed to be something in the
charge of incipient rottenness," not
only In the dispensary, but in county
affairs and for such conditions he CEN
sured the grand juries.
This. is the first speech, other than
free silver, that Senator Tillman has
made In some time and is all the moro
important. Strange to say in his
speech yesterday he did not mention
free liver Or anything about it in any
shape, form or fashion. So much for
the speech.
There has recently been considerable
discussion about the possibility of re-
ducing the Congressional representa-
tion from this State on account of the
light vote cast in the last Presidential
election, and the restrictions to the
franchise that exist and are operative
in this State. Somo outside papers
have started the discussion, and seem
to think that there is something in the
possibility.
Senator Tiliman was talking about
the matter while on his way to Wash
ington, and one thing is certain he is
not giving himself much concern about
1t, and is OF the impression that moth
ing will come out of the agitation and
| talk. He thinks that some Republi-
cans may want to make capital out of
such proposition and would like to
go for the South in a speech on such g.
subject, but he has little idea that
such plan would or could be carried
into operation. 1t would, he,said, take
regularly passed act Of Congress to
reduce the representation from this or
any other State as Is contemplated.
| The House Of Representatives., he said,
might pass all the resolutions and do
| what it pleased about the matter, but
without the consent OF the Senate it
would be without effect. 1t will take
an act regularly passed by the House
and Senate and approved by the Pre-
sident to reduce tho representation in
tor Tillmap thinks that it would in any
event be impossible for such PROPOSE
tion, and he thinks that when it comes
! to such a question that Senators like
| Cannon, Dubose and Teller and that
class would stand by the South in any
such fight. In the opinion OF Senator
| Tillman it Is a free silver alliance that
will act on the defensive on all PROPOSE
tions that might hurt the prospects Of
free silver.
Senator Tillman also talked about
the interview Of Senator Chandler, in
which he favored u commission to K
into the po. sibilities OF bimetall n
and the like. Senator Iillman sntd
that he had no objection to such a plan,
| as the sooner it was shown that this
kind Of physic would do no good the
better 1T would be. He has but little
idea that anything will come out Of the
proposed commission, but wants it APP
pointed, so 1t can be shown as quickly
as possible that there Is nothing to be
hoped for in this direction.
Senator Tillman says that he would
not be in the least surprised II the Re.
publican party did not provoke fight
with Spain just for an excuse to get a
large standing army. He Is OF the
opinion that when the array is once in
creased there is but small prospect OF
its being reduced, as the Republican
party wants to increase the army, not
80 much because Of tho fear Of foreign
war, but because Of the possibility Of
local conflicts between capital and
labor, and 1t will be, he thinks, the
purpose OF the Republicans to increase
tho army and keep it increased so to
put down riots that are anticipated.
The additional troops that he looks
for have to be kept somewhere and
they might as well be stationed al
Charleston as anywhere in the coun
try, and as there are no troops nearer
here than Atlanta there is all the more
reason for such disposition Of tho
troops.
"A woman In Milpitas, Cal, Is sale