The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-02-04
SENATOR TIHLMAN TALKS.
DELIVERS A HIGHLY DRAMATIC
AND SENSATIONAL SPEECH.
A Torrent of Invective--He Fearlessly
Arraigned Men in High Pla, es.

- i orient OF lnVeCelVe~-Be Fe&fIeSS4y
Arraigned Men in High Pla, es.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-The presen-
tatlon of committee reports on Cuba,
and a highly dramatic and sensational
speech from Mr. Tillman, the new Sen
ator from South Caroline, furnished
two stirring events in the Senate to-
day.
The majority resolution On Cuba,
presented be the Chairman, Mr.. Nor
gan, asks the President to urge Spain
to grant belligerent rights to the insur-
gents while the minority report offered
by Mr.. Cameron, directs the President
to take steps toward securing from
Spain the complete independence OF
Cuba. Both resolutions went to the
Senate calendar.
Such a torrent of invective has sell
dom been heard in the Senate as that
in the speech of Mr.. Tlllman. Veteran
member of the body characterized the
speech as one of the most remarkable
in the history of the upper branch Of
Congress. 1t abounded in statements
of a sensational character, aTraigning
President Cleveland, Secretary Carlisle
and other men in high places. There
was a directness of statement and a
dramatic manner Of delivery which
awed the galleries. The gestures of
the Senator were used frequently in
acting his words. At one point he
made a profound salute and tipped his
hat to Sherman, as the financial victor
Of a quarter of century. TIE galleries
were moved alternately to applause
and laughter.
Pausing for q sip of water, amid
rOars of laughter he remarked, Il sell
dom wet my whistle while [ speak;
still you can't run a wind mill on
water" The next moment there was a
hush through the chamber, as the Sen
ator applied such names as Judas" to
a member of the Cabinet or character
lied the President in superlative bit
terness.
At times the Senator's voice sank to
g whisper, as, for instance when he
gave warning of the approach Of a pop.
ular revolution and communism and
the marching on Washington of a host
with rifles in their hands. Again his
voice resounded through the chamber
and the outer corridors as he called
Senators and members towards, " for
not resorting to impeachment.
Mr.. Tillman began by saying that he
would use plain Anglo Saxon, the Ian
guage of the common people, for he
was n of them. He spoke bitterly of
the easy reading INDUCED in by Sena,
tors. He referred to the statement of
the Senator from Ohio Sherman), that
the SILVER question had been thrashed
out, saying: Yes, it has been
thrashe d by the spectators but not
by the farmers. He would thrash it
onoio ko hTnD ~ thu -LN1o 1V1ISook -
a p~itchfOrk, ready, if need be, to un-
cover the manure likely to be found.
"Mr. President" he said, cit is not
saying too much, and l feel warranted
in charging that the arrangement OF
our finances, and all this cry about
sound money and maintaining the hon.
or and credit of the United States, are
all a part and parcel of a damnable
scheme of robbery, which had for it's
object, first, the utter destruction of
silver as q money metal; second, the
increase of the public debt by the issue
of bonds payable in gold; and third,
the surrender to corporations the
power to issue all paper money and
give them a monopoly of that func,
ton"
Senator Tillman referred to the Sher-
man silver law in 1890, and in this con
nection said: 1.-THE silver Republicans
of the West who had deserted the sill
yer Democrats of the South, and &C,
cepted the compromise offered by Sen,
aGOr Sherman, may take warning rs to
what faith or trust they can put IN
any u~tterances Or actions of the Sena
tor from Ohio as to legislation in re-
gard to our finances. The time for
another Presidential election ap,
proaches. They must understand that
the election of any nan to the Presi,
dency who would veto a free coinage
bill means defeat. It means more; il
means continued disaster to our indus
tries and increased poverty to the
masses of our people,"
Under the Sherman law" he con
tinued, there was a diminution of the
amount OF free gold in a gradually de
creasing scale, bnt not enoughto cause
any alarm. During the entire year OF
1891, and the entire year of 1892, there
was approximately as much gold az
there was during 1894 and 1895.
eff the secret history of the year
1892 shall ever be written, it will dis
close the fact that, which cannot be
proven now, but of which I have not
/ the slightest doubt, that the gold ring
of New York, which embraces nearly
all the bankers in the Eastern and Mid
die States, and the stock gamblers Of
Wall street, controlled the presidential
nominations of both the Democratic
and Republican parties, and had an
understanding with the managers OF
both the candidates themselves in re
gard to which policy should be pur
sued towards our finances. They con
tributed money for the booming of Mr.
Cleveland as the only available Demo
cratic candidate, and they abused and
ridiculed every other Democratic as
pirant.
There was a plain evidence to show
that the President himself had weak