The herald., 1896-02-23
TiIIman of South Carolina, Who
Wars for the Farmer
MISSION IN THE SENATE
The Successor to Wade Hampton Ia.
vites 0dious Comparisons
He Proposes to Revolutionize Things and
Make the Country Dominate the
City-Some Odd Traits.

man. The nation at large had an op.
portunity to pass judgment upon the
man few weeks ago, when he emptied
foodgate of vituperation upon the
head of President Cleveland.
Tillman, from all standpoints except
that of long-distance study, is uncom-
Portable. AS study be is interesting.
What his precise object in life is he
y VIC 1ld probably have some difficulty in
exp. eining. He has made himself clear
IN twN or three points, the first of
which /, to annihilate Mr.. Cleveland
politically. He wants also to bore a
rew holes in the constitution of the
United States and limit the power of
the Federal government in dealing
with matters which he claims are the
exclusive right of individual states
He would also like to wipe every COR
poration off the face of the earth and
to pulverize the money kings Of the
nation. He is an odd mixture of Social
ist and Populist. For generations his
forefathers we're Democrats, but if he
had the power he would smash the
Democratic party to gain any one of
his ideals. He is Democrat on the
tariff question only. He is opposed to
protection because he argues that a
protective policy benefits the manufac.
turers and their employees, while it
makes the. farmers pay more for their
needs without compensating them in
any way. In other words, he says pro-
lection benefits the city at the expense
of the country.
This latter perhaps forms the key
stone of Tillman's plan. His is war
of the country against the town. He
is revolutionist, and would have the
farmers dominate the cities. He claims
that of the seventy millions of people
in the United States probably more
than one-hslf are farmers. This claim
he uses as a justification of his own
stand. He abominates the professional
mean capacity himself. He has the
country folk of South Carolina more
completely under his thumb than Tam
many Hall ever had the city of New
York. The cultured people of the
large cities in his native state despise
Tillman, and hold up their hands in
holy horror at the mention of his
name. Those of the old regime take
melancholy satisfaction in comparing
Tillman with Wade Hampton to show
the degeneracy of the times.
Tillman's career in the senate will be
worth the watching. He cannot be
suppressed unless his hot temper in
wolves him in O quarrel with man who
can shoot quicker or WELD knife
more surely than himself. This is no
idle provision, for sooner or later Till
mans propensity for personal abuse is
sure to involve him in many rows. Be-
sides he is fighter and comes of fight
ing stock. Two of his brothers died
with their boots on in personal encoun-
ters, a third was killed in the battle of
Chickamauga, and fourth was killed
in the Mexican war.
Tilman's left eye was knocked out
when he was a boy. Some say that he
lost it in row with his brother.
Others claim that in his boyhood he
was 80 studious that he was in the
habit of taking ''lightwood" knot at
night and going into the woods to
study his books by the Pickering flame.
Constant reading by this uncertain
light caused a pulpy tumor to form on
the eye, completely destroying the
sight. Tillman allows the world to
choose between these versions, for he
is silent on the subject.
Tillman is 49 years old and he has
been married twenty-nine years. He
has six children, three of whom can
be called grown-up. He is great be-
lever in the power of education and he
is giving his children the best that he
can. He was wonderful memory and
most erratic store of facts at ready
disposal. He reads all the time with
out much system, but he remembers
rubpt ho rooAo ia Par xr;+
most of the classics. He has a tumble
of ancient and modern knowledge
which he filings into his speeches with
reckless abandon.
Every time he makes a speech he
tries TO be quiet but sarcastic. But he
has no more control of himself than a
steam engine running wild. He be-
comes boisterous, and SARCASM gives
way to vituperation. But when he has
worked himself into perfect frenzy
his mind is clear, and the man who un-
dertakes to criticise him will be imme-
diately enveloped in a cyclone of ora
torical lightning. He often falls into
profanity, but it is picturesque profan-
ity. He doesn't swear like ordinary
people; in fact, everything about him
l5 unusual.
The day he was elected senator Till
man SRlu OF cleveland, "Wheu get
into the United States senate I'll prod
that old bag of beef in the ribs with
my pitchfork, and make him show up
something about these Wall-street
deals"
To mention Wall street to Senator
Tillman is akin to shaking red rag at
bull. He seems to believe that every
national evil is due to Wall street.
Doubtless he will pay attention to it
later on, as soon as he gets into his
senatorial stride.
Some people thought that Tillman
would be overawed when he got into
the senate. They argued that the
society of so many "big" men would
show him how small he was. But they
didn't know the man. Tillman's self
confidence is of the arrogant kind.
sielt-coniidencs does not describe him.
Ii il too mild. He seems to regard
himself as inspired to accomplish a
certain mission on earth. No matter
how big the odds may be against him,
he is never appalled,. He goes at every
thing in hammer and tongs style
which makes big noise and creates
lot of excitement, if nothing else.
lie is pledged to the farmers of South
Carolina to accomplish many things
while in the senate. 1t is not probable