The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-07

In his double character as prosecu-
ting witness and attorney against me,
| Senator Tillman is reported as saying
before your committee that / have
voted for the Republicans 'in impor-
tant matters" and that he has seen me
comforting with Republican senators.
! AS / will show by the records he him
| self frequently voted with the Repub-
licans lin important matters" as all
other Democratic senators have done
| from time to time. 1t is frequently
| necessary, proper and courteous TO con-
! fer with members of the opposite party,
| as he knows, and as every man of
practical sense knows. These express
| ions of his are attempts to take adVan-
| tage of credulity and ignorance. 1 do
| not think there is a man in South
| Carolina so ignorant as to be really de-
| ceived by them. He cannot put me un-
| der suspicion as he has put himself
| by his own acts. l have not in public
| Office refrigerated from a, perhaps
honorable bankruptcy to dishonorable
| and unexplained wealth. He and
have drawn the same salaries, but I
have found it impossible to save dol
| lar from mine. l have never, however,
truckled to corporations with the fawn-
| ing of a tanned spaniel made speeches
against them, then voted for them, and
accepted favors as ne has done. have
agent of a newly created whisky trust
with it's rebates of $50, 900 to $4,000 a
year, none of which ever reached the
state treasury. / have never had the
handling of a state bond refundins
scheme with $4,000 of commissions
never yet accounted for or explained.
A year ago Senator Tillman went in
to North Dakota and made speeches
advocating the reelection of a Repub-
Mr
Tillman and this senator were promi-
nent in preventing, by filibustering tao
tics a vote on the subsidy bill. The
newspapers said that Mr.. Hill, head of
the Northern Pacific lobby against the
subsidy bill. gave Senator Tillman's
friend and associate a Tip" which paid
him $3.50. 600 in the stock market. Birds
of a feather, gentlemen of the commit
tee, always flock together.
TilIman Not a Democrat.
Has Senator Tillman, prosecuting at
torney against my Democracy, ever
failed to abuse Democrats and Demo-
cTacy? Do you know that in the last
two Democratic national conventions
he has supported the nomination of Re
publicans? In 1896 he favored Senator
Teller for President an old line Repub-
lican and one of the bitterest foes of
the South in reconstruction days. He
had himself appeared before the con-
vention as a competitor Of w. J. Bryan
and been ANONYMOUSLY showed under
In 1900 he was for Towne. also a Re
publican for Vice President. Is he the
man to be supreme arbiter and judge
of what is Democracy in South Caro-
lima?
Give the Young Men a Chance.
In the Senate have labored, as the
records will show. to broaden the pros
perity of the country, TO promote the
interests of my own people. to spread
civilization, to enlarge and increase op-
portunity for our young men and to
stimulate enterprise. His whole polti-
cal course and method have been to
tear down, to abuse and oppose, to
blight and restrain, to bite where he
dared and to fawn where he feared or
sought favor. 1 shall ask the people
to contrast the records and shall claim
my right as a free man, a born and
reared Democrat and a Senator from
South Carolina, to do il regardless of
the orders of twenty-one members of
the executive committee. / shall ask the
people to decide between the man who
has tried TO help cotton factories, open
highways of commerce, and to so COM
mand the Democratic party as to COM
mand for it the confidence and respect
of the business and laboring elements
North and South; and that of the man
whose conduct and record has been to
sink the party to disrepute and impo-
tence. / shall ask them to say whether
they prefer the Senator who has tried
to retain for South Carolina the honor
and dignity won by long line of il
iustrious sons and glorious deeds. or
the Senator who has postured as buff
foon and bully and who proclaimed on
the floor of the Senate that he repre-
sented a constituency of ballot box
suffers and murderers who wanted
their share of the stealage.
He is now in a Northern state hold
ing up our people as negro murders
and ballot box thieves.
Tarin Subsidies and Expansion,
lou have undertaken to condemn and
eXpel and depose me, not only without
hearing but without evidence. Upon
what ground are my good faith as a
Senator and my fidelity as a Democrat
assailed? Is ii on the tariff? None
of you of the committee can prove TO
the people that the Democratic party is
free trade party. II has opposed a
tariff for protection only. but as early
as 1877 we had a protective tariff. and
We have never in the one hundred and
four years since known free trade Gen
Hancock, the party nominee for Pres
ident in 1880, regarded the tariff as a
local question. Samuel ]. Randall, for
years the party leader and speaker of
the House, was a protectionist. In
every Congress where the question has
been presented numbers of Democrats
have voted against and helped to kill
free trade. l have contended that
Southern products should be put on
equality with others, and in 1897
fought to have rice, pine lumber and
cotton protected. The cry of "Repub-
lican" was raised against me then, but
the people before whom the issue was
squarely put, Endorsed me by an over
whelming vote. Are you now undertake
ing to reverse that verdict?
l have favored ship subsidies. 1t is
a great question and one, l submit, on
which the people of this state are COM
petent to pass after hearing full argu-
ment. The subject has never been dis
cussed before them. although it is of
vast Importance to the prosperity of
this state. The purpose of the subsidy
! is to develop the building and opera
ton of great fleets of American ships.
1t touches the interests of our seaports,
| of our lumber industries, of all our
manufacturing enterprises and our
great agricultural products. 1t is a
| question on which some. of the ablest
Democrats of the House and Senate are
divided. / most humbly submit that 1t
! is not in order for twenty-one members
/ of YOUR committee 10 rule that the