The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-31
How the Blatterer Used His Pitchforl<
in Strewing the Chamber with
His Mass of Epithets.
ELOQUENT BUT ILLITERATE
HIS SPEECHES MADE PASSABLE BY
KIND PROOF-READERs.
Personal Appearance While Talking
in the Case of ambassadors Bayard.
specia, to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 3O.-Batterer Till
mans blackguardism was commented on
very severely to-day by some of the staid
old members of the Senate who have
viewed with amazement the Fastening de-
cay of that courtesy and decorum which
distinguished the upper branch of Congress
from the lower for many years. No one,
however, objected to the utterances of the
Senator yesterday when he was vilifying
everything and everybody, and it is not
likely that any rebuke will now be admin
istered. When Tillman stepped aboard the
cars at Columbia, bound for Washington,
to take his seat in the Senate, he told his
followers as the train pulled out that he
would take his pitchfork with him into the
Senate. He has kept his word, for the
speech delivered yesterday suggests the
pitchfork and it's environments. His ap-
pearance as a speaker in the Senate was
an advent. Never before in the history
of that rapidly degenerating body has such
language been heard. Never before in the
most partisan debate has a Secretary of
the Treasury been called dishonest" or
referred to as that Judas from Ken
lucky" never before has the chief magis-
floor of the Senate with using his high
office for personal gain or called be
sotted tyrant." Mr.. Tillman had before
him an audience such as never listened to
even men like Sherman or Morrill,. Almost
every member of the Senate was present.
Mr.. Sherman was the only absentee of
note. Curiosity doubtless drew them to the
Senate chamber when the man first be-
gan, but interest in his words held them
there. Some few of Them like Mr. Hoar
and one or two others, busted themselves
with letters or papers for a few moments.
but they soon laid aside all else to listen
to the wonderful torrent of words.
Mr.. Tillman is best described as the Dan
ton of the Senate. No one after hearing
him will wonder at his supreme mastery
over the illterate, hopeless, poverty
He has all the catch words of the Com
munist-all the fiery eloquence of the sand
lotter In appearance he is not unprepos-
sessing. Inc loss OF one eye does not
as he is generally pictured. He is tall, and
his black clothes not made by a
fermentation. His movements and his ges-
lures are not without grace. But even If
he were very Caliban, the mans voice
would still make him a master over his
fellows. Strong and rich, he uses it as a
meditation within the human range is his
at will. At one time his words rang out
through the chamber like a trumpet, so
that men at the other end of the Capitol
could have heard him. A moment later he
referred to Abraham Lincoln and his words
were whisper that penetrated into every
corner of the room.
His English is atrocious. The printed
speech that was handed out before he rose,
as his remarks" is brilliant tribute to
the kindness Of the. proof.reader, Mr.;
Tillman is not above "aginst" and ''sich,'
and his nouns and verbs are eternally at
war. Adverbs and adjectives are as one
to him. For Mr. Tillman Lindley Muir
ray lived in vain. Unlike Mr.. Butler, of
North Carolina, however, Mr.. Tillman
speaks with an accent that leaves one in
dering the Kings English or is talking the
South Carolina patois. AS to the merits
of his argument, it needs only be said that
the speech, If his vague ramblings can be
called speech, are such as might be ex-
pected from the Governor Tillman who
plowed up the lawn in front of the Execu-
tive Mansion in Columbia and sowed it in
corn and turnips.