The National tribune., 1902-02-27
A SENATORIAL DISGRACE.

ne Nuple DouN VI tnell was HdHuleC
by their masters as the slaves were.
Mr.. Tillman was the first one of his
class to break this iron rule. He was one
of the relatively few small farmers of the
State, with all the narrow prejudiceS of his
class, but with will and courage that
dared to lead. He was and is coarse and
brutal as his class, but he gained some
little education, in spite of all the careful
management of the aristocrats to prevent
the lower class from being educated. His
soul become infuriated at the naughty
domination of the aristocrats. and he or
ganiZed n rebellion against them. He had
sufficient capacity for leadership to enlist
in his ranks and keep there all the wool
hats'-th new name which had replaced
the "copperas breeches' after bit
ter conflict Wade Hampton, Butler and
others of the old-time planter-caste went
down before the power of numbers,
lanched solidly against them. Tillman
first had himself elected Governor of
South Carolina, and then Senator, to sue
ceed Wade Hampton. Next he put one
of his henchmen into Senator Buffers
seat.
There have been rude, uneducated men
| in the Senate, but never a man of such
| low instincts He is a startling eXhibi-
ton of the brutalizing effect of slavery
upon the lower classes. Without moral
principles or conscience himself he firmly
believed that every man who wore a clean
shirt was exceedingly worse than himself,
and had gotten or was getting everything
that he had by dishonesty, hypocrisy and
oppression. There was enough in the
course of the aristocrats of his State to-
ward the poor to justify this belief. His
campaigns in South Carolina were all cru
sades of the poor, without distinction,
against the rich, without distinction.
He came into the Senate believing that
every man there was even worse than he
had painted the South Carolina magnates
to be. He announced that he brought his
pitchfork with him, to clean the filth out
of the Senate. He has ever since raved
and ranted on this theme, insulting every
Senator who CHANGED to differ with him
in the slightest on any subject as being
Influenced by improper motives. His
speeches have always been rancOrous
demagogery, fortunately unknown hither-
to in the long history OF the Senate. He
constantly grossly insulted, not only the
Senate as whole, but individual Sena
tors, one after another. 1t seemed at one
time that knowing men better was soften
ing his Judgment of them, and that ac
quaintance with public affairs was broad
ening.
But the natural revolt in South Caro-
lima against his coarse dictatorship, which
laI hr Sanafnr NIL T.o,Ir in hn hal
formerly been his trusted lieutenant, and
whom he had placed in the Senate, re-
vived all the malignity of his nature. He
tried to crush McLaurin in South Caro-
lima, but was not successful. Since the
beginning of the present session he has
been acting with all the venomOus trucu-
lence of his earlier days in the Senate.
He has of late been charging that Sen
aor McLaurin was bribed to vote for the
ratification of the Spanish Treaty by be-
ing given the patronage of South Caro-
lima. Senator McLaurin emphatically de-
MED this, and when it was reiterated, last
Saturday, Senator McLaurin, who was
out of the chamber at the time, entered,
and, rising to question of privilege, and
after stating the substance of Tillmans
d5sluSl nm, bdiu Will t1llH ut- /
liberation, carefully accenting every word:
Il would not use as strong language as
L intend had / not, soon after the Senate
met, replied to these insinuations and said
that they were untrue.
Il now say that that statement is a
willful, deliberate and malicious liep'
At this Tillman, who was savagely
watching him, sprang at him with
n1 Elt1 II Ill,
the attack. Tillman struck clumsy blow
with his left hand, which broke through
McLaurin's guard, and reached his fore
head. McLaurin struck back with more
skill, and landed on Tillman's nose Some !
other blows were exchanged before the
dazed Senators and officials could part the |
two. Then Tillman went to his seat, and |
began stanching the flow Of blood from
his nose. AS soon as quiet was restored, |
McLaurin, who had remained standing in !
his place, resumed coolly,
Il will now proceed with my remarks, |
which were so unceremOniOusly inter |
rupted."
He was instantly called to order, and |
the Senate went into executive session, |
clearing the galleries. There was an ex-
tAllES ueDdIc IN the executive session as to /
what should be done, with Senator Black
burn acting as the apologist for TilIman |
The result was the unanimous adoption of |
a resolution declaring both the Senators
in contempt, and referring the matter to |
the Committee on Privileges and Elec- |
tons, of which Senator Burrows is Chair
man.
Upon reOpening the doors both Senators |
were allowed TO speak, for the purpose of |
explanation and apology
Tillman's apology was a curious affair. |
He pleaded lack of legislative experience
when he entered the Senate, and that his
four years as Governor of South Carolina
had, in some degree, perhaps, untitled him
for the Senate. He had learned TO Judge
men better in the seven years that he had
been in the body, and found many who
were clean, high and honorable in most re-
spects, though still slaves to partisanship.
lie apOlogized for what he had done, but
could not see how he could have acted |
otherwise.
McLaurin, in his apology, rccited his
proyocatiOn, and said that he felt that un-
less he stamped the charge as untrue in
the strongest terms he could employ he
could never hold up his head among men.
As the Senate took no action on the
aDolOgies both the Senator's rannoin Il,