The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-04-13
A DESERTED TRIBUTE
FROM SENATOR TlLLMAN 7C TO T1E
LATE SENATOR EARLE.

An E,oq7e 1t Ert .sy OF tAs re sEd Char.
scersrtie Dead Statesman an IatoI-
es,inS Ee.l.al CT Rist ,Ttcsl ESsn's /"
South Cs: o Ian
Below will be found the full text Of
Senator 7 llusn's tribute 10 the mem
ory of the lste Senator Earle dsliVtIel
in the UuNed Sta'eS Serat':
Mr.. President, in rising t2 al sress the
Senate on this sad occasion shall depart
from the form Of eulogy which Is customary
can not speak OF Senator Earle from the
standpoint of personal friendship, can not
from extended personal observation and ex-
perience pay tribute TO his character and
virtues as a man aud as a private citizen. l
can no, speak of him even from the stand
point o politica friendship. While We both
entered this Senate as representatives OF U,
Democracy of South Carolina and he had
publicly announced his purpose to cooperate
with me in the Senate if elected. We were
not friends in the common sccep:atioa OF the
term, nor were We political allies. what
shall say, the 'efore, in honor 0: my dead
colleague will be more worthy OF acceptatlon
and carry more weight 5y reason OF toe an
tagonisn that existed between Us as rival caa.
did&tes for the governors5jp in le.o, ana
later on because felt lnv duty to iecd al
the help could TO the gentleman wao op-
posed him in his race for the Senate
Senator Earle and myself were never
brought into close contact except dUTlnS an
exciting political canvass, aat therefore
had no % portunity 10 Judge the man as he
bore himself toward his friends an0 nelsh-
bors But during that canvass / watched
him. and had opportunities such as no other
man in South Carolina or out OF 1t ever had
TO get an insight to his character and cor.
rect appreciation of his sterling worth and
brave, untiinchirg manhood during most
tryinz ordeal IL may not De OF interest TO
the Senate, AMI hsye almost doubted the
propriety of entering on this occasion into q
recital of events IN which | myself bore so
conspicuous part 1t IS NOT eso'lsm or
sny desire to inject my own personality into
the discussion of Senator Earles services
and merits. But if fail BY reason Of such
consideration to discuss the subject from
that standpoin', will fail to discharge my
duty as see it, and 70 one else can perform
that duty as well as can. Indeed, no one
can or will perform it at all. II / do not do
it, the fame and record Of the virtues OF the
dead Senator would lack that testimonial
which l alone can give here and which CIV
en- under the circumstances, can but help 10
link his name by stronger bonds to South
Carolina's history.
Senator Earle sat in this body very
short time The illness which resulted IN
his death seized him within thirty days alter
he took the oath of Office, and he disappear
ed from our midst to return no more. HIS
star had climbed me heavens until il had
reached the zenith and there shone with
CAIN and steady brilliancy. Suddenly Ike
meteor, it sank beneath the horizon anu
went out in darkness, leaving naugnt as q
remainder that it ever held placein the Sen
storial galaxy save the memory OF one short
speech Of two minutes. That speech made
its impress on the minds of his hearers and
stamped the new Senator as q good constltu-
tional lawyer and a man who would not
tamely submit to injustice or yield one jot
or title of the right Of the State and OF his
people.
But, as impressive as was his utterance
and as e oquent as was his plea, 1t only gave
promise OF career that closed all 100 sud-
denly and sadly. Senator Earle Will not De
remembered for what he did here. his
record IS not a senatorial one. His reputa-
ton must rest upon his actions and utter
ances while ne was an officer Of South
Carolina and before he was sent here as her
representative. Realizing this in the fullest
degree and anxious as / am 20 give that part
.ha when
will tend to perpetuate tis memory, must
follow the course have marked cut, even
though it deals with occurrences IN which
myse f acted 81 important part.
a brief recital OF historical events IN NY
State will be necessary for 8 clear under
standing of the causes which led up TO the
most exciting and Intensely bitter campaign
that has ever convulsed any State IN this
Union There arc people in South Caro!ins,
where most Of Senator Earles friends 1--we,
and where his good name and the honor
due him will be most cherished, W1o Will
not thank RE for this exposition, and who
will severely censpIe ne for making 1t, oUt,
as have said once before, am not seeking
The plaudits ofanyone or trying to DO any
thing except TO discharge solemn duty TO
the dead man whose one striking character
istic was devotion to duty. Il IS simple
act Of justice TO him without caring for It's
effect On me- l know if he were alive, he
would do as much for me. Indeed, ne DID,
in 1892, by writing letter Tor publication,
do such an act Of justice for me which made
him very un popular at the time. -,
Tie real friends of the dead Senator Will
see the Justice of this view Of the matter anu
will thank me for giving prominence 10 tha'
part Of his career which Is the lasting oasis
Of his fame. 1t IS not as a Senator that ne
will oe remembered, nor is his record as
judge and attorney general, honorable and
worthy though IL be, his highest claim 10
remembrance His candidacy for governor
IN 1890 and the fact that he so bore -hlnseH
in that campaign, IN which ne carried only
4counties in 50, that six years later he
won the Senatorship BY a popular vote given
largely BY the very men who howled him
down in lS90-tbis is the mans claim TO
Immortality, ami shall tell the story as
briefly as can and as l understand It's
phases and facts, concealing nothing and
anxious only to state the truth as under
stand it. DO this knowing that there are
men who will be ready to dispute the facts
and also deny the conclusions. That lsa
right shall not attempt 10 deny to any man.
Those who hear and read what l say mus.
determine for themselves the tru,hfulness
and impartiality Of the story.
Up to the period OF reconstruction South
Carolina never had real popular govern
ment. 1t was so in form only. The State
was settled first along the coast, as were
the other colonies, and up to and succeeding
- al l@N.a N
Its people resided in the tier Of counties bor-
dering on the ocean. These people were
largely the descendants Of the Huguenots,
who fed from religious prosecutions IN
France, and Of the English, who had been
sent over by the lords p-oprietors. The
Piedmont or upper portion Of the State, had
been settled during the first half Of the
eighteenth century BY a large influx Of
Scotch-Irish, German, and Dutch settlers
from Pennsylvania. There were also settle