The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-11
SENATOR TILLMAN AT OMAHA.
HE TELLS ABOUT HIS "PLAIN
TALK" WITH BRYAN.

And How He "Set Them Crazy" when
He "Pitched Into CIeveIand"-The
Crowd Proposed to Sing "Dixie" in
! His Honor, but Luckily, Got stuck
! on the Words and Sang ''America"
/ Instead.
! Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Tillman
has returned to Washington from atten-
dance at the jefferson Club banquet held
in Omaha, Neb,, last Monday night. In
view of the conflicting statements sent
East relative to the strained relations be-
J tween Senator Tillman and the Democrat
, ic leader, William Jennings Bryan, the
| South Carolina Senator, with character
! istic frankness disposed of the reports in
this way:
Il have filed no plea for political sep
aration from Mr. Bryan" said the Sen
ator when interviewed on the subject this
afternoon at the Capitol
my relations with Mr. Bryan are not
strained in the least, and l had a very
| plain talk with him on the political situa-
ton. 1 told him as 1 told the people at
| the Jefferson banquet, that it is too early
for me to commit myself to any candi-
date, or to any specific platform which
might be binding in 1904. l don't think
was misunderstood on that subject, for
have a way of trying to express myself
clearly when l have anything to say.
don't believe the gentleman at the ban
quet in Omaha misunderstood, and l don't
| believe Mr.. Bryan misunderstood me. IN
| fact, he seemed to be impressed with my
! views on the subject from the fact that
when he reached Chicago he stated there
| that he intended 10 take his place as pri-
vate in the Democrat ranks and fight for
the principles of the party as long as he
| lives.
| Il cannot" said the Senator "be re-
sponsible for the imaginary statements
which newspaper reporters make concern
| ing the attitude towards Mr.. Bryan in
! the future. l do not regret going to
Omaha, as some of the newspapers have
stated. On the contrary, l am glad |
went, because 1 had a royal good time. 1
could not have received greater ovation
than that which was given me at the
! banquet at Omaha. 1 gave them my
IDEAS of Democracy right from the Shout
der, and they whooped it up for me in
great shape. I set them crazy when 1
pitched into Cleveland. l wish you could
have heard them shout when l tore him to
| pieces, and the rest of that gang, who
worship at the Cleveland spring, who
want to reorganize the Democratic party.
but go to the polls on election day and
vote the Republican ticket. l did not
pose as leader of the Democratic party. /
told those people out there that l did not
claim to be a leader of the Democra tic
party, but l told them that l did repre-
sent the sentiments of the Democratic
party of South Carolina
Il told them l had been three times
elected to the Legislature, twice to the
Governorship, once to the United States
Senate, and have been indorsed for re-
! election for another term in the Senate
without opposition, and that my COM
mission would be due in a few weeks.
Representing the Democracy, I did not
mean to commit myself to any man or
any platform at this stage of the game.
| but / assured them l had rather fight and
| go down year after year in defeat than
surrender my principles to such party
and to such a leadership as that Cleve-
| land crowd
you should have seen that crowd shout
and yell when I uttered those senti-
ments," continued the Senator enthusiast
tically. why" he added. they jumped
up and shouted and yelled like so many
wild Indians. Then some fellow pro-
posed that the whole company should Join
in singing Dixie" in my honor They got
stuck on the words, as a matter OF fact
| they did not know them, so they compro-
| missed by singing America &"