The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-05
TILLMAN'S PRIMARY TALK.
TIE THINKS "UNCLE GEORGES" PO-
LITICAL FACE BADLY MANGLED.

rolls His Washington Friends How
His Dispensary Hobby Was Vindi-
Gated by the Primary Vote - En-
Route to Massachusetts to Make "a
Labor Day Address to the BE-
uighted Constituents of Senator's
Hoar and Lodge - Will Give Them
some ExtempOraneOus Hot Stun.
senator TiIIman's Tribute to Sec
rotary Alger.
Washington, Sept. 4.-Senator Ben Till
man. fresh from political vindication
al the primary elections in the Palmetto
state. drifted into the war department yes
terday on his way to Haverhill, Mass,
where he is slated to deliver a Labor Day
GRAFTON on general topics. The senior SEN
ator from South Carolina was very en-
tbusiastic over the success of the dispens-
arv candidate for Governor, and for the
time being he made the occupants of
Adit. Gen. Corbin's room forget that there
Is a controversy going on between Sec
retary Alger, Gen. Miles and Gen. SHAFT
tar as to the mistakes of the recent Gu
ban war.
Senator Tillman was attired In a rusty
black alpaca coat, no vest, a negligee shirt
considerably travel-stained, pair of dark
trousers braced up by pair of yellow
galluses, and a tan-colored straw hat,
absolutely destitute of all shape. His gen.
eral make up was more like that of a
Trough Rider" than a senatorial toga.
Gen. Corbin's room was filed with con-
gressional and military visitors. who en-
joyed the breezy, rough and tumble way
in which the knight of the pitchfork"
tossed off his political experiences in South
Carolina, in connection with request for
the mastering out of the First Regiment
of South Carolina Volunteers.
Having made his request, some one men
toned the primary elections held in his
state last Wednesday With his charac-
terstc vigor and plain, but unpublished
diction, he proceeds to relate how his pet
dispensary system was INDICATED at the
primaries by the large majority rolled up
in favor of the reelection of the present
Governor. Ellerbe. One of the most inter
esting incidents of the fight in South Caro-
lima was the entrance into the contest for
the governorship of former Congressman
George Tillman. an elder brother of the
senator ''Uncle George" as he was IA
miliarly called during his long service ia
Congress, made his race in opposition to
the dspensary system and also against
local option. When some one asked the
senator about the fate of Uncle George"
he replied: "Oh Uncle George ran his
nose up against the dispensary grindstone
and got tangled up with the anti-local
option movement, and the result was that
his political face was badly mangled."
The conversation became general and
it drifted off on to the subject of political
elections in South Carolina. Senator Till
man recalled several incidents of the days
of recons truction, when military rule pre-
vailed. He related how the crafty South
Caronians outwitted the military author
tiles and frequently rolled up immense
white majorities in districts where the
colored voters outnumbered the whites
three to one. His good-natured frankness
while relating these incidents kept the &C.
cupants of the room in continual good hu-
NOR. He said he was going up to Massa-
chusetts to talk to the benighted consti-
tuents of Senators Hoar and Lodge on the
subject of honest government, free silver
and any odd topic that might suggest itself
after he reached there When asked If he
had prepared a set speech for the benefit
of the "Haverhillians," he replied: ooh,
no. l don't prepare my speeches. When
get before the plain people l always man
age to give them some hot stuff before l
conclude. I can always find something in
teresting to say on questions of national
policy and good government
The senator paid generous tribute to
Secretary Alger by saying that he could
not sympathize with the newspaper at
lacks made upon the Secret ary of War.
Taking everything into consideration, the
haste with which the war was brought on,
the inexperience of the enlisted men as well
as many of the volunteer officers, and
worst of all, the terrible climate they had
to endure in Cuba, to say nothing of the
unprecedented hot wave which has pre-
vailed all over the United States since the
later part of June, il is not surprising
that there is a great deal of sickness in
the army. He added that his experience at
the war department. since the war com
menced has convinced him that Secretary
Alger and his associates have done their
level best TO provide for the comforts and
the conveniences of the soldiers who went
TO the front, and those who were forced
TO remain behind at the various encamp-
ments. He predicts that after this spasm
of excitement about the sufferings of the
volunteers passes over, it viii be found
that the Secretary OF War had the inter
ests of the soldiers at heart as mucn so as
those who are now criticsing him.
Much interest is manifested about the
navy department in The controversy ana
apparent CRASH between commodore wat
son and Lieut.. Hobson over the feasible
iIy of attempting to raise the Crstoacl
Cox n. The commodore, who is the COM
handing officer of the squadron, has ad
Vised against the attempt as useless; Hob
son, who has his heart in the work, be-
heves it can be successfully done and has
urged the department to allow him to
make the trial
The commodore states that the storms
mat have visited the Cuban coast since
the great battle in winch the Colon was
Ia'd Tow have so beaten heI as to mel.e
the chances decidedly against the success
OF the endeavor Hobson differs with him
The department IS inc4.Led to take The
commodore's estimate bat among the de
partment officials there are many who be-
heVe that on matter OF naval constrcc-
ton and especially upon this question,
Hobson estimate is OF great deal more
value than that of his superior officec. IN
coed it can be said trGtlIully that there