The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-03-26
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, March rs, 1902.
TfLLMAN's VERSION.
His Account Of the Encounter
With McLaprin.

Greenwood, S. c., March l5.-D.
q. Magill, lawyer of this place,
has received the following letter from
Senator Tillman in response to let
ter from him:
United States Senate,
Washington, D. G,
March 4, 1902.
Hon. D. Il. Magill, Greenwood, S. G.
Dear Sir: 1 have your kind letter
of March 1st. In reference to the
expression used by me in my apology
to the senate, that MY previous SER
vice as governor of South Carolina
for four years had unified me in
measure to enter this august assem-
bly, with the dignity and regard
proper regard-Iwill say, for its
traditions and habits and rules that
is desirable" I wodld say that the
onlv reasonable construction to put
on the words and my meaning was
that when I was governor it was my
business to handle problems, many
of them very important, and without
consulting any one, and act entirely
on my own responsibility, and the
habit in mind which naturally re-
suited from that manner of thought
and action and the work as executive,
united me in a measure for service
here. None but a gangrened imagi-
nation or some one anxious to mis-
eonstrue will think that I meant that
a governor of South Carolina cannot
be digni6ed and act with decency
and courtesy on all occasions. Things
are so different in the senaEe that
I have never yet become used to
them.
While am writing I wish to say
that my action here was necessity
and while regret as much as any
one that circumstances were of
nature, so I had no alternative but to
strike my colleague, I believe my
action meets with the approval of a
large majority of the democrats in
house and senate. Not that they ap-
prove the giving of blow in the
senate, but they think there was
nothing else to do, and had I taken
the lie my own self respect would
have been gone, and my service here
in the future of no effect.
So then, I have but one comment
to make in answer to newspaper
criticisms published in South Caro-
lima. It does look hard that when I
am making the best fight I can
against the republicans here and act
ing in the capacity Of" one of the
fighters of the senate, delegated by
the democratic side to answer the
strongest republican, Senator Spoon
er, on party question, that some of
my own people, democrats in reality,
should stab me in the back while I
am engaged all along the line in
front by republicans. It, however,
demonstrates the fact that there are
some in South Carolina who are anti
.TiNmanites first and democrats after
wards, and will seize on any and
everything to give me stab. We
will let that pass, though, and I will
go back to my people feeling as I
have felt for long time, that I have
the respect and support Of large
majority of them, and for those who
are so narrow and preiudiced as to
tse unable to see any good in any
thing that do, feel only contempt
and pity. The dinner incident was
not of my making and in that I have
no doubt as to the sentiment of the
folks at home. The statement has
been made that it was an official
dinner. This is untrue because Pier
pont Morgan, Robt. Lincoln and ten
or fifteen other private citizens were
invited. The invitation to me came
unsought. I had no special desire
to attend the function, but before l
had any notice whatever that it was
desired that my acceptance be with