The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-19

formulated plan for the attainment of
the gubernatorial seat. At about that
time he began to be known by his agi-
tation for a college for farmers sons.
The Clemson college bequest gave him
the peg upon which to hang his crusade,
and he gained notoriety rapidly.
His Uncouth Eloquepce.
After the Democratic convention of
1888 he dropped out of view until he
caused to be published in the Charleston
World a scathing attack on the men and
methods of the reigning regime. He fol-
lowed this up a little later by visit to
Charleston, where upon the steps of the
city hall he delivered speech, in which
Captain F. W. Dawson, editor of The
News and Courier and one of the most
prominent men in the state, was ar
raigned in unmeasured terms for his al
legged connection with the corrupt state
administration during the greater por-
ton of the reconstruction era. Captain
Dawson was hastily summoned from his
Office a couple of blocks away and re-
piled to the attack of the farmer; but,
fine speaker that he was, the torrent of
Tillman's uncouth eloquence had been
too strong to be diverted by the cogent
appeal of man fairly taken off his feet
by the suddeuness and violence of the
assault, and the next day found Ben
Tillman more popular than ever with
the agricultural element and that large
body of voters found in every commu-
nifty who are, on general principles,
"agin the government.
The rough Edgefeld agitator again
relapsed into long periods Of coma,
which were broken only by occasional
communications to the press until early
in 1890, when a document, purporting
to have been issued by the Farmers as
ISOLATION, was published broadcast
throughout the state. 1t was signed by
George W. Shell and was afterward
generally referred to as the Shell mani
festo. It was a bitter arraignment of
almost every branch of the state govern
ment and created a genuine sensation.
In it call was issued for convention
to be held in Columbia in the latter
part of March for the purpose Of sug-
costing a state ticket to be adopted or
rejected by the regular Democratic con-
Vention to be held in August.
Shrewd and Ambitious.
In the March convention Ti11man
said, as innocently as though he had
been praising George Washington, that
he was the only man with brains enough
to lead the farmers to victory who was
also willing to do it. The vote was final
ly reached on the question of making
''suggestions - At the close of the roll
call the Tillmanites who were in favor
of nominations had been beaten by two
votes. Here it was that John Laurens
Manning Irby, delegate from Laurens
county, snatched Wade Hampton seat
in the United States senate out of Till
mans temporary defeat. Being inform
ed by friend who was keeping tally
that his side was beaten, he rushed bout
the hall like mad, succeeded in getting
a couple Of friends to change their
votes, and Ti1lman was declared the
Suggestion" of the convention for gov
ernor. The campaign that followed
against Earle was very bitter, and the
good old state was rent in twain po1iti-
cally, but Tillman got the delegates
from every county but five, and then in
the election defeated Judge Haskell, the
independent candidate.
All this may look like accident to
casual observer, but to anybody who
probes beneath the surface there will
appear the we'll laid plan of an excep-
tiona1ly shrewd and Unfortunately ambi-
tious man. A short time after Tillman's
election as governor asked him why
he did not try for Wade Hampton s
seat. His reply was characteristic Of
the man. It was in substance as follows:
81 have been telling these people for
months that I am the only man fit to be
their governor in the present crisis, and
it would look rather inconsistent for
me to eat my words by asking them to
send me to the senate and have another
man for governor. Still, I'd like to be
senator, and I believe I could get it,
but if 1 should happen to fail. where
would I be?'' After long pause he
added, "Butler's term will come to an
end some time, and I'll succeed him
just as certain as you are sitting there. "
And he did.
Tillman is man with a remarkable
flow of vigorous, though frequently
coarse, language, and he is the most bit
ter invectivist have ever listened to.
AS stump speaker to crowd of farm
ers 1 don t believe that his equal exists
in this country. He is only moderately
we'll educated, but assimilates knowl-
edge SO rapidly that he is today much
better equipped than many others who
have been in public life for a double
decade.
But the greatest admirer in the world
of Tillman is-Tillman. In fact, he is
such an egotist that he firmly thinks
that every man he meets is his mental
inferior. This disease-for it is species
of monomania-Ieads him to seek noto-
riety in the most unusual ways. It must
be admitted that he has never found
himself anywhere so echpsed by asso-
citation that he has become nonentity.
Tillman has been broadly accused of
disloyalty. AS usual, the charges have
h0o11 II Ia 10 love Il
until death to his political faction be-
hc, Of