Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-06-01
B1iseellaneu'ts 8eading.
MANIFESTO FROM TILLMAN.

ting the Campaign.
From his home at Trenton Senator
Tillman, on last Tuesday, gave out the
following to the press Of the state:
To the Democratic Voters Of the State:
Fellow Citizens: An extraordinary
and unparalleled situation has unex-
pectedly arisen in the state, and as I
am mainly responsible for this, I feel
that proper respect for you, requires
an explanation of my actions and mo-
tives.
Eleven years ago by very large vote
you elected me governor Of the state,
and two years afterwards I was re-
elected by an overwhelming majority.
In '94 was sent as your representative
in the congress Of the United States as
one Of the senator's from South Caro-
lima. After six years service in that
body, was last year chosen without
opposition to be my own successor. I
was sworn in on March 4th, last, for the
six years term ending in 1907. The ink
has hardly become dry upon my oath Of
office and yet have rendered my res
ignation to take effect September 15th
next. My colleague has also rendered
his resignation to take effect the same
date, and thus there will be two vacan-
cies to be filled by appointment Of the
governor until the legislature can elect
our successors in January next. I de-
sire to announce my candidacy to sue
ceed myself and shall ask you to vindi
cate my action by your votes in the
primary, which will be ordered by the
state Democratic committee. This is
an off year in politics, and but for the
conditions which had come about my
action in precipitating political cam
paign, and primary election would be
inexcusable. A brief review of recent
political events will be necessary to
give that explanation. My colleague,
John L. McLaurin, was elected to the
senate at primary held in '97 to sue
ceed the lamented Earle. He was Sc
lected as Democrat standing upon the
Chicago platform Of 1896. Early In '99
Senator McLaurin parted company
senate, and has since voted for and ad-
vocated everything that the Republican
party now stands for, and has persist
emily antagonized his own party in all
of his public utterances and acts. Not
withstanding that new state conven-
ton last May laid down the principles
and policies Of the party, and new
national convention at Kansas City in
July announced the principles OF De-
mocracy as now understood throughout
the union, your Junior senator has act
ed as though he were entirely inde-
pendent Of the people who elected him
and has felt under no obligations to
obey their wishes or do their will as
their representative. When congress
adjourned last March he and his SYM
pathizers in the state began at once an
active propaganda Of his new doctrines,
which he claimed are Democratic, but
which all true Democrats must know
are only Republicanism in disguise and
very thinly disguised at that. He made
speech at Charlotte, April 18th, In
which the Democratic party is sneered
at and assailed. He made another
speech at Greenville last week, filling
out and developing his new theories,
and took pains to indicate his perfect
accord with Mr.. Mckinley in all his
policies. He had appointments already
arranged to make speeches at at least
three other places-Gaffney, Yorkville
and Spartanburg-and had begun an
active canvass for reelection, hfteen
months before the regular campaign,
which would choose his successor, in
the Democratic primary Of 1902 would
open. It was natural that these gentle
men who proposed to contest for his
seat should be unwilling to prematurely
announce their candidacy and take the
field against him. He had the dispens-
ing of federal patronage placed at his
disposal by the Republican president,
and he had unlimited money furnished
by his Republican allies, or Mckinley
Democrat followers in South Carolina,
and his purpose was to go up and down
the state unopposed and unanswered
to organize his new political machine.
This was the situation up to the Gaff-
ney meeting and I was confronted with
the question of what was my duty un-
der the circumstances. Recollect that
I am a member of the national Demo-
cratic committee. as your representa-
tive: I was on the committee on plat
form in both of the last national con-
yentions and helped frame the declar-
ations of principle and policy upon
which we went to battle, and 1 was
chairman Of the committee on platform
in your last state convention. Remem-
ber. too. that both at Charlotte and at
Greenville, directly and indirectly, had
been assailed by Mr.. McLaurin, and
YOU will understand why was anxious
to meet my colleague at Gaffney, and
when invited by large number or Cit
izens Of Cherokee county I willingly ac-
cepted. The result of that meeting is
now we'll known. Mr.. McLaurin was
unexpectedly brought face to face with
the question of resignation and appeal
to the people whose confidence he had
abused and whose trust he had betray-
ed. He tried to dodge the thrust by
charging that I was attempting to die
tate and boss the people and interfere
in a race with which I had no concern
and was safely esconced in my seat for
six years and had nothing to lose but
could we'll afford to lay down code OF
moral ethics, for another which was
unwilling to follow myself 1 saw the
opportunity to prccipitate a battle at
once rather than wait Is months and l
offered to resign if he would, and the
result you know. I acted from impulse,
it is true, but I have always acted upon
impulse and as a public man l can af-
firm with the sacredneSs OF an oath that
all my impulses have been to serve the
best interests of the people who have
honored me. I had every opportunity
to weigh the consequences OF my &C
ton and to get out of 1t without dis
credit, but I feel then and still feel that
my duty was to force the fghtlng and
rid the party of all traitors. The situa-
tion as understand 1t, is this: The
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