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

greater portion of mis- yesterday g
speech to the ministers of the 90 ospel
Those who dared to diff-r with his
senatorial msjesty we're handled
without gloves
With mingled abuse and fl ppancy
and perversion Of scripture, be cue
ceeded in tickling the ears of q con
siderable portion of the crowd. and
got mary a g ff.w as his reward {;
but 1t Was such reward as no Uni.
ted States senator, nor any other man
of the ability or official position of
the speaker, ought to covet
lie did not because he could not.
refer to any prohibition sermons
anywhere in the State prior to his
Bennettsville speech. nor to any
attack made by any one of the
preachers upon him prior to tha,
date
Knowing tha: it was his insulting
and contemp'uous language used
against them that called forth the just
Indignation of zoe 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 against being "coerced
by the preachers" and sgains,
"priestcraft
How much foundation 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 q
breath or seen sign of any effort OF
the kind Because they or some of
them, resented his BennettsvilIe
charge-which be positively resffi N
ed here-he makes all these Charges
that they have gone into politics snd
are trying to cOerce their me mb4rs 10
the exercise of their right of suff xge
And after all this he has the face e.
claim that Dr. Gardner owes him can
apology" because fo,sooth he said
TiIlman tried to cast contempt UPON
the preachers.
The senator went further still yes
terday and charged the preachers
who preach or otherwise advocate
prohibition with being dishones. and
unfair. He said 4: "lf the preachers
were honest ard fair" they would do
80 and so-shat is. shey would preach
the gospel according TO Tillman. aud
not according to their owu under.
standing of it and then be went on
to tell just what the Bible does teach,
be being the interpreter and Judge,
90 he had right to do, and as every.
one else has right to dv-even the
preachers themselves.
Senator Tilmsn may not be aware
of bic own defects in this regard ;
but the plain, unvsrnished tru b If
be has 90 long been dictator in South
Carolina that be considers it a per.
sonsl sffront. one that cannot be tol
Grated. that anybody ehould differ
with him.
We have no doubt in the world
that If the preachers we're subser.
Went TO him and agreed with him, or
even ifthey kept their mouth shut, ne
would have, theoretically at least,
that respect" for them which he so
loudly protessed en- the stand; but
the fact is he has no respect for any.
boy, be he preacher or layman or
what not. who differs with him, differ
be ever 90 respectfully.
Taken all together, the senator's
speech was one that does him no
credit, though it was very sdroi.'y
put in order to catch the unthinking
multitude. We cannot think he
made any voters for either the die.
pensary or for his candidate. He
succeeded in "whoopipg up the
boys;' but the more thoughtful por-
tion of the crowd who favored the
dispensary did not approve of his at
tack upon the ministers. and the por.
tion that was opposed to the dis
pensary we're driven still further in
their opposition than ever. He pre-
sented no argument to convince any
one.
As to the hand primary. that
means nothing 1t was not to be ex
pected that people who were for pro.
hibitlon would go poking up their
hands at his dicta.ion. They will
raise their hand on the 28th when,
they put their ballots in the balIo,
box; and the number Of them is 90
ing to surprise NJ, TilImaD, as we'll
"a 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
meetings. .-GreenvilIe News
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