The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-15
GIVEN THE LIE DIRECT
THE OTHER TINE TILLHAN HAD TO
FACE THE UGLY CHARGE.
He Took 1t with Considerable Meek
ness, Owing TO Circumstances
Quite Beyond His Control.

Columbia 6. c. Letter in st. Louis Globe
Democrat.
South Carolinians of the upper class seem
to resent even more keenly than the fisti-
cuff in the Senate the terms of Senator Till
mans apology. They consider the senator's
declarations that his term of four years as
Governor of the State just previous to go
ing to the Sc had to some extent I'M
fitted him for T. operly wearing the dignity
supposed to enfold a United States senator
was distinct insult to the State. Here
many look upon the Governors office as
more important and having more dignity
attached to it than any other except Presi-
dent Newspapers and individuals are now
charging Senator Tillman with having dis
mantled the Governors office of its dig
nifty when he went into it. The immediate
predecessor of Tillman in that office was
John Peter Richardson, a typical South
Carolina gentleman of the ''old school"
His father and grandfather had been Gov
errors before him, and the Office had been
held by five of his family. Kindness and
courtesy were prominent characteristics
with Governor Richardson, but the dignity
of the office was felt in the very air.
Within the last week Northern neWSpa-
pers have alluded TO Senator Tillman as
South Carolina Bourbon and McLaurin
gressive class. AS a matter of fact, Till
man went into office with the cry OF
Down with the Bourbons!" on his lips.
With that cry he rallied those he termed
the common people" around him, de-
clared he one of them and against
everything that had the faint of aTistoc-
racy. 1t took five years for him to work
up the populace TO that pitch, but sue
| cess overwhelming success, followed. 1t
has also been printed that Tillman served
| for several months in the Confederate
4 I, lie fr,f hn hat fg
| entirely without foundation. He never en-
| tered the army, and, far as can be as
| certained lost his eye diving In a mill
pond and striking a snag.
McIaurin is decidedly more of 'bour-
| bon" measured by those qualifications TO
| which that term is applied in this section
| He is of old family, has pride in his race,
| received a college education and has tastes
| for things Tillman affects to despise.
When Tillman entered the Governors Of
| flee he made a change in the atmosphere
He worked hard. He did all OF his corre-
| spondence. The private secretary of the
| Governor became no more than an office
boy. He copied letters and answered the
| door That was the time of harvest for
| the reporters. The Governor prepared
| things for them. They would sit around
his office half the day. and following his
example, would put their feet on his desk.
| The Governor "cussed" there as freely as
| ever. 1t was understood the reporters were
| not to say anything to his disadvantage,
| and only use news as he gave it. One dis
| regarded this unwritteB law once and was
barred the presence. The training the Gov
| ernor gave himself was that of a Demo-
| cratic autocrat, If such is possible.
| The last occasion on which Tfllman had
| the epithets INDUCED in by McLaurin ap-
| piled TO his face was at Marion, 5. c, dur
| ing the campaign OF 1880, when Tlllman
| ran for Governor. fractional bitterness was
| at its height. 1t seemed that a bloody
riot would break out at almost every
| meeting. Every man went to those meet
| ings with at least pistol on his person;
some carried five. Mr.. Shirley Houghson,
was was then studying for the ministry
| and who has long since been ordained was
| then acquiring useful knowledge of human
| nature and the evil one by acting as cam
! paign correspondent for Charleston pa
per- Mr.. Houghson was the mildest-man-
nered little gentleman imaginable, very
| quiet and very careful.
| 1t was the habit then to charge newspa-
pers with trying to deceive the people.
| Captain Tillman not yet a trained de-
| batter. and sometimes in angry furry
would say things that looked bad in print
| next day. 1t was after one of these little
| outbreaks that the campaign party reached
| Marion Perhaps fifty men in the town
were opposed to Tillman. but fifty times
| their number came in from the country
| wild with Tillman enthusiasm. Getting up
before this crowd. Captain Tillman soon
| had them yelling frantically- Then he re-
] ferred TO a report in Mr.. Houghsons paper
and declared the reporter had purpOsely
The reporter got up from the rear of the
stand and stepped 10 the front Pull him
| orr yelled the crowd Ride HIM a
| rail!' When he could be heard he demand
| ed TO know if Tillman meant that he had
been purposely misrepresented by him.
| Yes, l do yelled Tillman.
| Captain Tilman, you are an internal
liar" retorted the student for the min
| istry.
| The crowd closed. Men tore at each
other to get TO HOughsOn. Tilman did not
| move or speak Perhaps he felt the deadly
| peril. There were a handful of his op-
pOnents there, but they were determined
| men, who were the stand directly i'm
| front of him. 1t seemed that If the in
! furiated countrymen laid hands on Hugh
son they would tear him TO pieces They
| would surely have done so but for the
| fact that their leaders were quickly warned
| that If HoughsOn was touched Tilman
| would instantly become the target for
| fifty pistols They might kill H0ughsOn
and dozen or more others, but the great
reform leader would go with them. So
! Tillman leaders from all sections Of the
country yelled TO their followers 10 stand
! back and put up their pistols. And so
| Tillman was saved for the United States
Senate and Mr.. HOughson for the church
a. m II TN