The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-22
TILLMAN IN KENTUCKY.
South .rolina Senator Makes Sps ech at
Lexington.

South Carolina Senator Makes a spe ech al
Lexington.
LEXINGTON, KY, April 13.-United
States Senator Tillman had an ovation
st the auditorium where he appeared
to make a speech on the currency
question and its relation to the presi
dental contest. He was introduced
by Rev. w. T. Bowling.
| When Senator Tillman arose the
audience cheered for several minutes
He began his speech by saying that he
was ashamed to appear before such an
audience after he had been heralded
by the newspapers as such a terrible
creature. He paid the usual compli-
ment to the Blue Grass region, but he
said he found the Democracy OF Ken
lucky much more rotten than he
thought he would. They were like a
LIT of sheep without a leader. The
NEIL who had been trusted by Ken
lucky Democrats in the past had de-
serted the party and stabbed Kentucky
candidates in the back.
Referring to the defeat of Senator
Blackburn he dramaticall ~ exclaimed :
'You are betrayed, bambeozled and
debauched by theml"
These same men, he continued, now
pleaded tor harmony, as if there could
be any harmony among Kentucky
Democrats. They were in same fix as
those of South Carolina. They would
have to repudiate old party leaders
and take up silver men-'and they
must be honest, too"-and send them
to the state convention, for it would
be an everlasting disgrace if Kentucky
Democrats should instruct for Carlisle
for President.
Mr.. Tillman denounced as untrue
the report of an interview in which he
was quoted as saying that all the old
leaders in the silver party ought to be
thrown overheard, including Joe
Blackburn. He declared that Black
burn was true Kentuckian and had
not betrayed his fellow citizens for q
mess of pottage. He was for free sill
yer when he was elected. said the
speaker, and he is for silver now.
This elected the widest cheers.
II am charged" he went on, with
being no Democrat. but I have been a
Democrat all my life, as my father
was before me. 1 have always advo.
Gated Democratic principles, and have
never advised any desertions from the
party. But if Cleveland or Carlisle
are to set the pace for Democracy, I
am no Democrat.
Senator Tillman scored Breckenridge
saying that he was glad that the la
dies of the state had given him his
walking papers. He said he pitied
Henry Watterson, as q man who had
done so much for true Democracy
but who had to accede to the
wishes of his master and turn traitor
to his party.
81 had rather have taken q knife
and cut my thorat," he exclaimed,
than to have remained longer in the
employ of such scoundrels.
He advised his hearers to organize
and 90 to work and be true Democrats
and not Sherman and Carlisle Republi-
cans. He saide that the press of coun-
try had sold out bag and baggage to
the money power for the purpose of
keeping the people in bondage.
In referring to the silver question
he denied the statement of Secretary
Carlisle that law does not affect rates.
He denied, also, that there is more
money in the country now than ever
before. He said that when the popula-
ton was only 3l,000,0 900 there was
as much if not more. money in the
country than there is today, when
there are 10000, 600.
In conclusion, Senator Tillman said:
IF you send silver men to Chicago
we'll force honest men to leave the
Republican party, and we'll tell the
Democrats who are against US that
we'll vote for no man for president
who is not for silver"
At the close of his address Senator
Tillman was presented with q Ken.
tncky cob pipe, made by M. A. Nc
Murry of Nicholasville. The presenta-
ton speech was made by J. A. Parker,
editor of The Free Republic, a free sill
yer paper of Louisville. The pipe was
made in imitation of the serpent on
the South Carolina flag and was trim
med with silver.
In accepting the pipe the senator
said that for once he would like to be
smoker, so that he could have nice
smoke OF tobacco from a Kentucky
cobpipe; but, he added, the pipe of
peace could never be smoked in Ken
tuckey until the Democrats redeemed
themselves by coming out solidly for
free silver.