The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-09-06
TlLLMAN SPEAKS
At the Lancaster County Farmers
Institute.
WHAT HESAYS OF TOBACCO.
He Speaks on the Practical Work.
ings of Clemson and
Winthrop Col
leSeS.

The initial meeting OF the Farmers
Institute for Lancaster county under
the supervision Of the professors OF Glenn
son College, was held at Heath Spring
on Wednesday 23rd instant. There
was large gathering from all sections
Of the county. the crowd being estimat-
ed from one thoussnd to twelve hundred
people.
Ex-Representative R. L. Hicklin pre-
sided and introduced the speakers. Col.
J. e. Sellers Of Marion spoke frst-his
subject being the culture Of tobacco.
The Colonel has had wide experience in
the raising of tobacco in the Peedee
section of the State. he thought the
soil in the Heath Spring section would
make good tobacco but he cautioned
the farmers not to experiment on too
large a. scale. He said the crowd pres
ent was the largest Of the fourteen meet
ings he had addressed in the State.
Senator B. R. Tillman was next In
troduced by the chairman as the great
commoner whose name was household
word in South Carolina" The Senator
was interesting throughout and held the
close attention Of his large audience for
an hour and ten minutes. He was calm
and dispassionate when advising as to
best methods of farming and in general
matters, but when he would touch on
no1;t;cy he hecsme yerv much auimat-
ed, and as remarked by drummer on
one occasion "his one eye would blaze
like the headlight of locomotive. "
The subject assigned him was "the
practical workings Of Clemson ana Win
throp Colleges" he said he would not
stick close to this subject as everybody
correctly informed ought to know the
workings of these two great institutions:
He said that Clemson, Winthrop and
the dispensary were his three children
conceived and brought forth, by the Re
form movement-that his enemies were
constantly trying to undermine and de.
stroy them, believing that thereby they
would bring about his political death:
He said that Representative Smith OF
Sumter county had jumped on the col
leges in general and him in particular.
That while in Sumter he had made two
speeches, one in the forenoon and one
in the afternoon. That he had made a
nice pleasant speech in the morning.
Some people did aot believe he could
make such speeches but he could. In
the afternoon Mr.. Smith made speech
announcing that he intended rubbing
off some Of the butter ex-senator Ao-
bott had plastered on his back in his
speech of introduction. He said he had
no objection to the butter being remov-
edin gentle way, as DR.. Abbott had
rather gone beyond the proprieties OF
the occasion, but instead Of removing
the butter gently, Mr.. Smith had used
a curry comb and had raked his hide
and besides he had attacked his little
girl Winthrop who was near and dear
to his heart. Mr.. Smith claimed that
too much money is wasted on the two
colleges, that instead it ought to be dis
tributed among the free schools all over
the State. Senator Tillman said that
was impracticable because all the mon
ey would not run the free schools more
than few weeks. And besides better
teachers were needed for the free
schools and that Winthrop and Clemson
vould furnish them. He said that these
two colleges and the Citadel and the
South Carolina colleges we're dong a
great work. In reply to question he
said that Clemson did turn out some
dudes but it was the fault OF the girls
who were constantly lunning after them
being attracted by their gay uniforms
and brass buttons. He said that Mr..
Smith claimed that Clemson and Win
throp we're for the gicl mans sons and
daughters. This he claimed was an ap-
peal to ignorance and prejudice, because
there was no boy or girl in South Caro-.
lima who with proper application and
pluck could not graduate at either one
of the colleges. he instanced the case
of a poor boy who made his way through
Clemson by working near the college
during his vacations. He advised the
farmers to educate their children and
to learn them that they had to sweat"
to accomplish anything in their Life.
He said he believed money spent for ed
ucation would bring in large returns.
That he had endeavored, when mem
Der Of the constitutional convention to
make the poll tax three dollars, so that
the Negro should be made to bear some
of the expense for educating bis chill
dren. That he also favored three mill
tax for schools. Senator Tlllman then
gave an amusing account of his expert
ence in tobacco raising Said he had
been too smart and had bit of more than
he ;ould chaw. That he had planted
twelve acres instead Of three or four.
That he had to water the whole crop by
hauling water in barrels. Some one IN
the crowd remarked that barrels must
be plentiful in his county. He said no
he had gathered together some kerosene
and molasses barrels and few whlskey
barrels. That his experience with his
tobacco this year had been somewhat
toug::, but that he was bullheaded
enough to go through with it Just like
he did with everything else. He said
the farmers were jogging along like their
daddies, with rock in one end of their
sack and pumpkin in the other. That
cotton was not profitable; it was the
crop of the Negro and the lazy white
man. He urged the farmers to wake up
and be free men and to quit the lite OF
seryitude to the mortgage and the agri.
cultural lien. He advised every farm
er who was unmarried to get him a
wife; that man who couldn't get
%ife vas worse than fop-eared dog
and should be drowned in the Catawba
river. touched on the Negro Ques-
ton by saying that he had spoken on
the subject in North Carolina had ad-
yised the people up there to solve the
problem with the shot gun: tie was
asked his opiniOn Of the Philippine