The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-02-07
HON. Gf0R iE D.TlLLMAN
Died On Saturday-his Life And
I,abo s.

g. ca |. AESCSL, lo-o' dt Va : '~--'
EiZcc. Il QiS :.Ct. He was the sen CT
EcajaUtn Ran TillTGa, for whom
the sc.io. senator from this State was
namel. His mothers name was Miss
Sophia Hancock.
He received his first education at
huEe, but when quite young was sent
to the famous Agricultural ard Me-
chaa:cccl institution g. Penfeld Ga.
He a..;crward s,udied url&er a private
t.; =. at Greenwood. and thence he
went 20 Harvard where he remained
one year. He later read law under
Chancellor F. II. Wardlaw, and was
adr, s.oi to the bar in 1S47. The next
year he opened his law office at Edge
field court houSe where he continued
the practice OF his profession until
1860.
In 1862 he errHred the army Of the
Confederacy as private and mem
Der OF the Fourth regiment OF State
t;ocps. Afterwards he was with the
Se:ord South Carolina artillery which
Cid such noble service on Johns Is
laLi. He took lsrt in the battle OF
Ave-ystc-o and number VI artillery
duels in the lat ;er part Of the war and
surrendered under Gen. Joe Johnston.
For SIX years before the war he
served his district in the legislature
al a.. that time he was considered
ictp hooanSQ Of
his gres.: fight to aboLsh the parish
system. his edvo; acy of smaller coun-
ties and CT tae elett ton OF presidential
electcrs By the people. The principles
he advocated hen he later had the
pleasure Of sc;ing put into practice.
and in great measure because OF his
fight fer them.
IL 1864, while still in the army, he
was elected 70 the legislature, and in
1865 was chosen senator from Edge
fed county. In tbs year he succeed
ed in oyel:hrowiEg the parish system.
which was cfampiore1 by Gen. James
Conno- This fight was won by ma
iority OF one vote.
In 1865 Gel. Tillman waS sent to the
Con.a.tuticpal convention but the in
strunent prepared by this convention
WIS annulled by Federal baycnetsr
Thee same bayonets elected Col. Till
IN from his sea. in the State senate.
Soc2 after 1865. Mr.. Tillman went to
Central America, where he jol2oa Gen.
Walker ci Fillibuster fame, was
released after promising not again 10
me5Gle With The Institutions or gov
ernnent CT the country. He then re-
tu, Ced home aid again entered poll
tbs. He ran fer congress and un5uc-
&C, sfully contested the seat o. Robert
Sn-llls il the Forty-fifth congress. He
VS. elected to tie Fo:ty-severr.h cen
gress and took his se2., but was again
o:sted TO make room fer Smalls. He
finally secured his seat and in tee
Fitch and FiIty-firs. congresses he
was a noTSc. CT tie committee c2
patents. He served with distinction
fo- sC:ea terms till 1892, when he was
Gs,ectel ty Nj. w. J. Talbe?t OF Edge
fed By reason OF the upheaval in poll
ti>s led ty Z. R. Tillman.
He always considered himself a re-
former ard a man Of the people until
the Re'ormers CT 1890. as he expressed
it played leap frog over his head,
and he declared that the ReHImers
stole much of his thunder. as he was
the first man in The State to oppose
President Clevelands policy and to
stand up fer free silver.
Among TIE most nc'table speeches
made by Mr.. Tillnsan in congress. were
those on the silver question, his tariff
srooch and that o1areappo: comment oil
representation in congress when the
membership from South Carolina was
increased from FIVE to seven.
In congress Mr.. Tillnan wielded
wide pereeoal influeace because OF his
integrity and Learning. On qCss Long
OF the day. as On historical subjects,
he was recognized sIs one ct the test
posted MN in the national horse. He
had recd very extensively end his pr
VIE library ct his homo at Clarka
E,ll is said to he cne OF the most COM
plete and valuable in this country.
When South Ca.cina, forgetting fac
tional divisions. selected her best and
81. On gea: men to compose the consti-
tutto23l convention Of 1895, Geo. D.
Tillnan ws5 chosen from EGgefeid
county in one Of TIE strongest delega-
Cols in that convention. the other
members beng his brother, Senator b.
r. Tillman, Congressman W. ]. Tai
bert. ex-Gov. John c. Sheppard, State
TreaalIer w. H. Zimmerman and r.
B. Watson.
Col. Ttllman took prominent part
in tha proceedings ar especially dis
tinguisaed hinc2lf by continuing his
Hse'ong f~ht for s-rall counties. The
row called "Saluda" called forth
question c, naming tie new county
:,lfL1.o:caliln C.-.SLa hetYcan the two