Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-03-04
TILLMAN AND HIS CRITICS.

Striking Speech in the Senate.
Senator Tillman Of South Carolina
has written the following letter to The
editor of New York newspaper;
"My uniform rule has been to treat
criticism with silence. | break that
rule now for a purpose, and that is to
challenge those who have found SO
much TO condemn in my recent speech
in the Senate to trial before the Jury
of their readers in which can have at
least show of justice. The New York
Times editorially terms me "a filthy
baboon; )" the New York Post, "a pc.
litical anarchists the World has used
the word "blatherskite;" tn Phlalel- |
phia Record calls me "the chef Of an
archists," and the st. Paul Globe says,
"Thls fellow brings to the Senate the
unsavory record he made in his State,
character tattooed with dishonesty"
These are few Of elegant phrases
employed by the polite editors Of some
of the leading newspapers as applied
TO myself. They have not read my
speech-they dare not publish it in
full, and basing their criticisms upon
few garbled extracts in which / use
strong language to express Indignation
and contempt, they ask the people to
render a verdict against me as u coarse
brutal, ignorant blackguard
II my language was unpalliament
airy, why did no Senator call me to
order2 II the charges were untrue,
why has no Senator answered them
and why do my newspaper critics not
attempt to answer them? Is it unpar-
liamentary and indecent to tell the
truth? Are we sunk to that low state
that ialsehood and treachery and Off
cial dishonesty can not be mentioned
without calling down an avalanche of
abuse and SANDER? What other Sen
ators have whispered among them
selves l have spoken aloud, and in
plain words. What a majority Of the
people have thought and felt, | have
uttered.
This is the sum Of my offending,
and the hireling editors and reporters
who now degrade the so called freedom
of the press to so despicable level
may flatter themselves that they ere
ate and control public opnion-but
the thousands of letters that have
poured in on me from every quarter Of
the Union and mostly from the north
and from men in every pursuit in life,
have given me assurances that the
scales are falling from the eyes Of the
people, and that the truth bravely told
has sweet and wholesome sound.
The American people, as whole,
the great common people, love the
truth and love their country They
despise traitors, thieves and towards.
II is large mass to move, but the
leayen is. at work, and the issue Is
joined and the result will be known on
election day. SO far as | am indiv,d
ually concerned, | care nothing for the
abuse heaped on me, and thank my
critics for directing attention to my
utterances When my assertions and
arguments have been disproved. | will
apologize. Until then decency de-
mands that men who abuse me for
speaking the truth SHOULD let their
readers see it and Judge for them
selves or reserve their epthets for men
Of their kind, who dread the truth aud
love cowardce.
l have never shrunk from the lash
lngs OF newspaper scribblers in the
arena Of State politics, and | will not
begin to do so in the broader field to
which my commission from the people
has transferred me. II it is TO be the
fate of this great Republic to sink to
the level of Rome when the Praetor-
ian Guards were sent to put the en-
perorship up to the highest bidder, il
Congress is to become or to remain the
cowardly tool and purchasable agent
of the wealthy, if the Federal judiciary
are to undermine and destroy the con
stitution, as foretold by Jefferson, if
our liberties are to be lost through SUI
pine ignorance and venalty, |, as a
sentinel on the watch tower, holding
sacred trust, can not be charged with
having assisted my country to its de-
graduation by not giving a note OF
warning"
How's This!