The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-10
.DEMAGOGUE
T|LLMAN.
Vented His Venom on Men
of the New York
Delegation.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND
ASSAILED.
People Leave the Coliseum
Rather Than Listen to
His Cutlery.
BLUSTER AND INSULT HIS
WEAPONS.
His Speech Worked Great Injury TO
the Cause He Desired to
Further.
BLUSTER AND INSULT HIS
WEAPONS.
His Speech Worked Great Injury to
the Cause He Desired to
Further.
THE CArI's HEADQUARTERS.
GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL,
CHICAGO, H., July 6


CHICAGO, III, July 8. J
! Pitchfork Tiilman of South Carolina
became to-day the evil eye of the Demo
! from which il will take many years 10 re-
cover. He has become the tagathi, the
| bad medicine man, the eviI-omened totem,
casting shadow upon the once brilliant
prospects of that historic party which lost
its power and its prestige when its ablest
! leaders were turned down by loud
mouthed iconoclasts.
| Illman's speech to-day was a rare speci-
men OF demagogism. He some time ago
achieved some reputation by g violent,
virulent, ungentlemanly and unstates-
manIike attack in the Senate of the United
! States upon the Democratic party, and
/ has made since then several other speeches
! OF an 1nce ndiary tenor. His language was
/ of such grossness that the ears OF the
groundlings were tickled, and he became
very popular with the corner grocery
| Ioafer element OF the Democratic party in
+ the South.
/ Tilman is not IN any sense man OF
/ large caliber. He is simply demagogus.
4 He is trimmer, whose harsh, high voice
/ echoes the execrations of the disconnected.
and whose aggressive and unintellectual
countenance is seen in the van Of every
lawless mob.
/ Much was expected OF him to-day when
| he appeared upon the platform for the
/ purpose OF advocating the adoption of the
silver plank, and he was greeted with en-
l thusiastic cheers from the West and South
as the champion, for the time being at
least, of the cause Of the white metal.
/ II was expected that his address, foreible
and characteristic of an impulsive man,
vibrating with a certain Overwhelming
energy, would be something which the
| people away from the scene OF hattie and
with nothing bnt the cold type before
them could read at their leisure, digest
and approve. 1t was expected also that
in Senator TIllman the Sunny South, the
| land of chivalry, the home of gallant men
and fair women, would find an advocate
worthy alike of her people, her cline and
/ her glorious history.
But what a disappointment it was.
! Instead OF the utterances of q well-bred.
| high-minded gentleman, a scholar, a
statesman, poet, such as the South in
her palmy days used to honor. the con-
vention was treated 10 a stump speech By
q man whose ideas might well be voiced
from the top Of a -four barrel in front OF q
crossroads GROCERY.
Magnanimity is OF the statesman. No
brave soldier will strike the fallen foe.
But magnanimity was not TilImans. He
not only struck the PROSTATE foe, but
gloried in the act. The greater part OF
his speech was a coarse and uncalled-for
attack upon his colleagues from New
York, who through rain and shine,
| through peace and war, through victory
and defeat have stood shoulder to shoulder
with him and his, lighting manfully, fol-
what they considered to be the glorious
cause of Democracy. Instead of soothing
the iacerated feelings of minority, sin
cere in their political belief; instead Of
extending to them the hand of brother
hood, he spoke such words to and concern
ing them as were calculated to repeI them
from the counsels OF the party. He ieered
coarsely at the men from New York
spoke slightingly of their political his
tory. of the sacrifices and heroic efforts
| they had made in the past, and, like a
ward heller, crowed exultingly over their
defeat. Then, with the note of a dema-
gogue, he committed the objectionable
| impolitic, understandable and ungentie-
| manly act of assailing in National
Democratic Convention the President
whom the Democracy CT the United States
placed at the head OF the Nation.
| Here his boorishness became so appar-
ent that he was Kissed even by the South
ern delegates, and when he, plagiarizing
| from Colonel John P. Irish, remarked
smartly that there were only three things
in the world that Missed, viz: the goose,
the serpent and the man, he was Kissed
again. The egotism of the man was ap-
parent in every sentence that he uttered.
Whenever there were two roads, one lead
ing TO reconciliation and harmony in the
party, the other to insult and humiliation,
Senator Tillman, with the instincts of a
political ruffian, took the road that led to
insult. Every word uttered by this fiery
demagogue served as a wedge to split the
Democratic party wide open.
After TIllman had been speaking about
thirty minutes he was Kissed by the mag.
unanimous men of the North. the noble
hearted men of the West, the chivalriC
men OF he South, and ignored by the men
Of the East with that silent contem pi
which is ever the shield against that which
is beneath reply. Nevertheless, he pro
ceeded with his vituperation.
The respectable element of the conven-
ton, which numbers more than two-thirds
OF that body, ceased to pay any attention
to him. their disgust was exhibited by
their inattention. They turned and con,
versed with one another in loud tones
Many left the hall, preferring bite OF even
Chicago sandwich to remaining and
listening to the Tiilman flow of words. In
fact this inattention was so marked and
the hubbub of conversation became sc
loud that both the sergeant-at-arms and
Acting Chairman Richardson felt Obliged
TO show the speaker the courtesy of rap
ping their gaveIs and imploring the con
vention to give the cheap South Carolinar
a silent If not respectful hearing.