The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-03-26
COL. jim and The SENATE.
Hitherto Unpublished Story of His
Conduct and Rulings.

Conduct and Rulings.
The State this morning makes pub
lie some correspondence between It's
editor and Speaker Henderson and
Senator Frye in reference to their opin-
ion as to certain parliamentary rul-
ing and what they said about it when
requested to give an opinion by Lieu
tenant Governor Tillman.
That the lieutenant governor had
made false statement as to the pur-
port Of the two gentlemen's opinions
was known of all senators just before
the adjournment. The question was
| as to whether motion to Indefinitely
postpone was debatable. Col. Tillman
decided that it was not. The practice
of the senate had always been to
debate this motion, and the ruling of
the chair was evidently so arbitrary
and of so far reaching an effect that
the senators felt that they could no
longer stand the constant interference
with the proper conduct Of business of
the senate by these almost hourly I'M
proper rulings on the part Of the chair.
The conduct of the lieutenant govern
or was often most disrespectful to SEN
ators, and he treated them more like
set of school boys rather than men,
and men some of whom were adopts
in parliamentary usages before the
lieutenant governor was out Of knee
breeches. The senators, with unexam-
pie moderation, silently bore all this,
until one of his rulings made almost
any motion that could be made nom
debatable, and business of the senate
might have been brought to stand
still.
A question coming up, Senator
Graydon moved to indefinitely post
pone it, and proceeded to debate the
motion. He was called to order.
This brought things to crisis, and
with his feelings lily concealed, Sen
ator Graydon appealed from the decis-
ion of the chair. After some little
delay, the motion was put and the
ayes voted. not loudly but unmistaka-
bly,, against sustaining the chair.
Before the nays were called the chair
went into a long explanation, after
which Senator Graydon withdrew his
motion. This action was explained
afterwards privately on the grounds
that there was already a deep feeling
on the part of the senators, but they
didn't want an open rupture with the
lieutenant governor; that they would
rather bear in silence the wrongs and
insults constantly heaped upon them
than create scene or bring about a
condition which would reflect no
credit on the State in calling to gen
eral public attention the condition
which led to such conduct on the part
of the chair. It was considered, too,
that this was the last time that Col.
Tillman would preside over the senate,
and the senators felt that they, for the
sake of the State would bear the con-
ditions under which they were labor
ING for a short while longer.
For some reason the lieutenant gov
ernor believed, or pretended to believe,
that the senate would have sustained
him if Senator Graydon had not with
drawn the appeal, when to every body
else it was quite evident that tie viva
yoce vote was nearly unanimous
against him. But Col. Tillman an
nounced that he would get the opin-
ion of Speaker Henderson, President of
the Senate Frye and ex-Speaker Thom-
as B. Reed. He reported later that
the two first named had sustained
him. But he never showed the re-
plies. Reed decided against him and
this he did show, at least to Record
reporter. However he did have
spread on the journal Of the senate
statement that Speaker Henderson
and Senator Frye had sustained him.
Some of the senators thought their
decision as reported very strange, and
one member of the committee asked
the lieutenant governor to be allowed
TO see their replies. Col. Tillmna'
showed him the Reed reply which was
against him, but stated that he had
left the other replies in his room.
That was the end of that incident and
the senator never saw the replies.
Senator Blakeney, chairman of the
committee on rules, wrote letter to
Messrs. Henderson and Frye, stating
the question at issue, and also send
ing them a copy of rule IA, which Gov
cred the point. He also told them
what the lieutenant governor had re-
ported as their opinion. He got re-
Div in writing in which they said
their opinion had been stated directly
opposite to what it was by the lieu
tenant governor. Officially Senator
Blakeney made no use of the cores
pondence, but all the senator's were
made aware of it, as well as the
newspaper men. AS it was the close
of the session, and as it was consider
ed that no immediate good could be
accomplished by giving publicity to
the facts, nothing was done along that
line. But every senator and perhaps
every representative, knew OF the cir
cumstances.
These facts are published simply to
show that the senators were cognizant
of the facts, and also to add that had
thew not developed so near the close of
the session some official action almost
certainly would have been taken, for
the forebearance of the senators had
been exhausted; but in order to save
the state a scandal they went home
carving their open secret with them.