The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-08-15
Senator Tlllman's Speech.

Senator TiIlman devoted the
greater portion of mis- yesterday
speech to the ministers of the gospel
Those who dared to dif-r with his
senatorial majesty were handled
without gloves
With mingled abuse and fl ppancy
and peryersior Of scripture. be cue
ceeded in tickling the ears of con
siderable portion of the crowd. and
got mary gr f'.w as his reward
but it was such reward as no Cni-
ted States senator, 30. any other man
of the ability or official position Of
the speaker, ought to covet
He did not because he could not.
refer to any prohibition sermons
anywbere in the State prior to his
Bennettsviile speech. nor to any
attack made by any one of the
preachers upon him prior to tha,
date
Knowing :ha: it was his insulting
aud contemp,uous language used
agaips, them that called tortb the just
indignation of ,ne preachers whom
be had so sIandered, he still insisted
that they have "gone into politics"
and that they are trying to force the
people into voting their way, and be
warned them agains; being "coerced
by the preachers" and against
"priestcraft /"
How much fouada;ion there is for
the charges, we are not able to say
we have not seen nor have we, other
wise than in this speech, heard
breath or seen sign Of any effort OF
the kind Because they or some of
them, resented his Bennettsvile
cbarge-which be positively resfi u
ed he'e-be makes all these charges
that they have gone into politics and
are trying to coerce their members ID
the exercise of their right Of suff age
And after all this. he has the face t.
claim ;ba. Dr. Gardner owes him can
:, apology" because fo,sooth he said
! Til!nan cried to cas-: contempt upon
the preachers
TIE senator went further still yes
teraay and charged the preachers
who preach or otherwise advocate
prohibition with being dishones. and
unfair. lie said "lf the preachers
were homes. and fair" they would do
so and so-that is. they would preach
the gospel according TO Tillman. and
no: according to their own under.
standing of It; and then be went on
to tell juet what the Bible does teach,
be being the interpreter aud Judge,
as he mad right to do, and as every.
one else has right to do-even the
preachers themselves.
Senator Tilman may not be aware
of his Own defects in tbie regard !;
but the plain, unvarnished tru h if,
he has so long been dictator in South
Carolina that he considers it per-
souai ahront. one that cannot be tol
Grated. that anybody ehou'd differ
with him.
We have no doubt in the world
that if the preachers were subser.
Went to him and agreed with him, or
even if they kept tbei, mouth shut, be
would have. theoretically at least,
that respect for them which he SO
loudly protessed on the stand; but
the fac. ls he has no respect for any
boy, be be preacher or layman OF
what not, who differs with him, differ
be ever 50 respectfully.
Taken al! together, the senator's
speech was one that does blca no
credit. though it was very sdroi''y
put in order to catch the unthlnklng
multitude. We cannot think he
made any voters for either the dis.
pensary or for his candidate He
succeeded in "whoopipg up the
boys;;' but the more thoughtful por-
ton of the crowd vino favored the
dispensary did rot approve of his at
tack upon the ministers, and the por-
tion that was opposed to the die
pensary were driven still further IN
their opposition than ever. He pre-
seuted no argument to convince any
one.
As to the hand primary. that
means nothing 1t was not to be e1
pected that people who we're for pro.
hibition would go poking up their
hands at his dicta:;on. They will
raise their band on the 2Sth when,
they put their ballots in the ballot
box; and the number of them is go
ing to surprise als TillmaD, as well
80 good many other calculators
who are Judging by the noise that IS
made and the hands that shoot up at
his beck and call at the campaign