Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-02-13
"PITcHFoRK BEN"
Senator TiIlman's interesting Lecture
on The Race Problem.

on The Race Problem.
Wei, Randolph has heard TilIman;
"Pitohfork Ben" Tillman OF So. Carolina;
heard him at mis- worst-on ''The Race
Problem-and Randolph has survived the
shock.
A very large audience-the largest of the
course-greeted the speaker Monday even
ing 1t included many from neighboring
towns, Chelsea, Bethel, Brookfield and
Braintree being well represented. The
people came expecting most anything-and
they came not in vain.
The Senator was introduced by L. b.
johnson. He first explained how he hap
pened to be on the lecture platform, in
stead Of on duty at Washington, saying
that unbeknown to him the bureau had
''sold" him for a few dates in January,
which he tried to cancel, but found he
could not without causing much embar-
rassment. He then took up his theme.
He began by saying that the subject chosen
was the one of all that demanded frank
speech.
81 do not come here as a Senator" he
said, "but as plain Ben Tillman, to tell
you the truth. / shall not deal in plati-
tudes-that isn't my style. ] shall not try
TO offend or insult you, but the question IS
one that stirs me, and you must be pre-
pared TO be addressed bluntly."
Starting in moderately, he gradually
warmed to his theme. He spoke of the
Indian and Chinese questions. Each is be-
ing solved by the white in his own way.
The Indians lands have been taken from
them little by little, and their rights cur
L. - ~. IT. 1ad
ON reserYations-a miserable remnant.
Fearing their labor competition, the Chi
nese have been excluded and will continue
| 10 be. Whenever the white man has come
in contact with inferior races, he has es-
tablished and maintained his supremacy,
and always will.
Turning to the negro question, Mr.. Till
man began at the beginning. He gave
brief history OF the introduction OF slavery
into this country, and Of the slave trade
.You OF New England are more respon-
sible than we Of the South for the negro
problem. ID was your slavers and those OF
| foreign countries that brought him to this
country. You didn't establish slavery IN
New England-and why2 Not because
you had any scruples against II, but SIM
ulv because il was Improbable. In YOUR
climate and with your long winters the
/ negro couldn't pay his way, and would eat
/ his own head Of. So you eontented your
/ selves with selling him to the South, where
/ tbe climate and crops made him valuable
property. And we held slaves because II
was profitable. II was cheaper to use help
| that only required board and clothes and
.ssome slaves we're early held in the North
and when your states passed acts OF manu-
mission, you promptly came south ana
| sold the slaves to US. Vermont Is less cul-
4 he
| cause il lacked a sea-front and so can say,
shake not your CORY locks at me- l dld
not do it, 3.
eWhen the constitution was framed, II
was an alliance OF the New England colo
mics and three of the far South that eX-
tended the date at which the slave trade
should cease from 1890 to 1S0S, against the
protest OF the middle section"
The Senator said that the theory OF the
equality OF man put forth in the declara-
tion Of independence was the work OF q
man who at the time was Shareholder.
| He said that New England was the hrsI
| section to propose secession, at the hart
ford convention during the war of 1917,
The South believed in the doctrine OF
states rights-that citizens hrst duty
was to his state; then to the nation. II
held that having entered into the union
under certain guarantees, when these
guarantees were violated il had right Z
secede. Accordingly, when the Nortl
took every opportunity to harass the
south and interfere with its institution o.
slavery; phen, in spite OF the Dred SCOT
decision, requiring the return OF runaway
slaves, every effort was put forth TO alo
their escape; then the South said, We
can't get along with these people who
have no respect for law; we will withdra"
and set up housekeeping for ourselves, al
we have the right TO do"
sThen YOU organized your forces anc
came down-to restore the union,you SAID
That wasn't il, except incidentally-you
came to abolish slavery. we understood
h from the first. The South fought to de.
fend its homes from foreign invasion, ano
YOU must admit we put up pretty gooc
fight. Although outnumbered four u
one. the world never saw more gallant
resistance And when the end came, We
welded gracefully, instead OF taking W
guerilla warfare, and those who were lei
went back to their devastated homes. W.
expected the restoration OF the union wv
expected emancipation; but tell you her,
that II we had for moment supposed
that YOU would add to these your helllsi
nlan OF negro franchise and turn th'
South over TO negro and carpetbag ruiz
we would have taken TO the woods anC
fens. as our grandfathers did under MARI
ON and Sumpter, and fought ON until W.
had worn you out-and We would nav
whipped you J" al. =.
Az this stage, il was quite possible Z
hear Tillman throughout the hall. H'
then went on to tell OF the scandalous ant
disastrous period of negro rule IN Souti
Carolina. with federal bayonets support
ing ii. At length, after eight years OF II
the whites decided to end it. The negroe
were in the majority, and radical actlol
was necessary. The whites rode from
polls to polls with such success that whei
ne votes were counted in Tillman's owl
, county. though the negroes outnumbereS
, tbe WHITES as $500 to $500, the count.
! went white by $500 majority.
UYou say, how do you dare confess Una
YOU thus overturned the law OF the land
We'll. we did il, and we confess 1t, and W
would do il again il we had to. And VIVA
i more. YOU would do the same thing a
I we did ~
1Since '76, the negroes have stayed a
home an election day. There is an educa
/. tional qualification in South Carolina tina
suppresses the negro vote"