The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-02-17

: TIE PITCfF)RK. Sl
A STORf CONCERNING THe
CCMiJS2LE "EEN"
The Washington Special Tells Of His
Many Powers And
virture.

The Washington Special Tells OF HIS
Many Powers And
Virture.
Senator Tillman few years ago
stood on an improviscd platform in
the rotunda of great Denver hotel.
The six-stor,ed galleries that rose
from the marble floor were literally
jummed with an enthusiastic andi-
ence. as WAS the floor below. The,
incident thea occurring WAS us
unique as the public man those thou
sands had swarmea to See and hear.
A handsome girl, clad in a frock
of red white and blue stood by the
stalwart man in black, over whose
presence all were shouting. The
girl held Il farm implement in her
hand. The tvnes were Of solid sill
yer, Colorado's production. A rim
of gold connected it with polish ned
oaken handle. Sixteen to one" was'
thus embodied. AS the Senator re-
ceived this significant gift-"Till-
mans piichfork," as the crowd cali
ell it-he shouted so that all heard
his words above the was of cheers
81 will nsc it there, pramise ycu."
"rhere" meant in the United States
Senate. and he has kept his word.
Senator Tillmau is as effective
and unique man as that Chamber
has ever seen, and since the civil
war closed it has had parson Brown
low. Gen. "Bllly" Malone, "Ben"
Hill, Riddleberger and genial "Joe"
Blackburn among its members. The
South Carolinian comes of the Pal
metto stock that produced Marion
and Sumpter, Us well as John e
Calhoun. He is thorough and
worthy representative of that midi
sidualized, brainy, courageous state.
hood clan that smacks of the soil
from which he and they have sprung.
The ex-governor belongs 10 the
small-planter class that titled Blue
Ridge Piedmont sands, and helped
to make white mans country
thereof. He has their character
istics to the full, and intensified too.
What he represents in politics is
the square and Democracy of the land
tillers provincial, perhaps at times,
but sturdy and patriotic always,
doffng hats to no man rs u superior,
and houcs,ly idolizing thomas JEFF
ferson and Andrew jackson, while
while never. forgetting the sons of the
palmetto. 1t may seen curiote
evolution to many thatbroad nation, l.
ism and sound Democracy cometh
ont of South Carolina, but it is
nevertheless true and senator Tillman
is PROFESSIONALLY its leader, because
he is himself possessed by it.
The South Carolina Senate: is a
man of the people-tirst and fore
most of his own people. He repre-
sents them, and not the "smooth
Ephrahims" of the city marts and
the CORPORATION board. His pitch
fork is at work also on the political
muck heap just as the farm tynes,
when we'll handled, find employment
on the barn yard. Sugar trust bond
deals, tariff swindles, fads, false
hoods, and shams, down to the
mockery mis-called civil service. and
the hoary Executive Sessions-he
has thrust his weapon into them all
and set their hideous contents
cs.wling in the open day. When
the South Carolinian came to the
Senate, flushed, with his coagenial
task of worrying and defeating the
Bourbons of his state, whiskey ven-
ders as Well as courtly lawyers and
commercial planters, he was looked
ut askance and talked of as a GU
riosity. That day has gone by.
Senator "Ben" Tillman is a power