The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-08-06
S. c. AY.A

made that charge lied" Tillman re-
joined that he had not asserted it, but
only said it was reported, and that he
got it from some one in the state de-
partment. Mr.. Gonzales asked his
name and Tillman refused to give it.
There was some further talk and Mr..
Gonzales final word was that "the
story is an Internal lie.''
Soon after, a Georgia Journalist,
evidently instigated by Tillman, came
to Mr.. Gonzales with an offer of his
good Offices to settle the unfortunate
dispute, - intimating that his desire
was to prevent duel Mr.. Gonzales
replied that he had nothing to settle !;
that the story vas lie; that he had
told Jim Tillman that it was lie;
that that was all there was of it; and
that any further steps would have to
be taken by Tillman. 4 few days af-
terward, Mr.. Gonzales standing at the
same place in the Metropolitan hotel
lobby, Tillman slouched up, and
alongside of him, bought some cigars
and paralyzed Mr.. Gonzales with as
tonishment by Offering him one. It
was declined. Tillman, quite imper-
turbable, put the cigars in his pocket
and sauntered away. That was the
last of That incident.
It was years after this affair that
Tillman wrote MI. Gonzales a letter
expressing his high admiration and
respect for him and his thanks for the
support given his father, George D.
Tillman, and requesting that past
differences be dropped. We have this
letter somewhere, but cannot as yet
find it in a great mass OF old CORES
pondence.
After James II. Tillman had dis
graced himself by his conduct while
in command of the First regiment,
stationed near this city, being barely
saved from court-martial, and after
he had assailed and misrepresented the
people of Columbia in his frequent
speeches to the regiment, The State
permitted itself to print an editorial
making fun Of a. story he had palmed
off on the Associated Press Office at
Washington to the effect That the In
dians of a Minnesota reservation-Leech
Lake, we think it was-had offered to
enlist regiment for the Philippine
war on condition that he, Jim Till
man, should be made colonel of it.
The day after the publication of the
editorial Tillman telegraphed to the
editor demanding the name Of the
man who wrote it, This looked like
vengeance, stern and swift, but when
Mr.. Gonzales telegraphed Tillman
that he had written the article and
was responsible for it there were no
further proceedings. The indignant
colonel was dumb.
These are facts. They go to illus
trate still further the character OF the
man who wrote falsenood upon the
journal of the senate, thus committing
fraud upon that body at the expense
of its members: who swallowed the lie
administered to him by Mr.. DeCamp
at Gafney and who at Winnsboro at
tempted to wriggle out Of this last
trouble by brazenly denying in the
teeth of the witness he himself set up
that he had been called s.liar by Mr..
DeCamp.
James II. Tillman is a disgrace to
his uncle, and double disgrace to his
latuSI, 0So1So -. I4Laou, "hooo
brave and manly soul deserved no such
punishment as the character of mis- son
inflicted upon it. George Tillman was
our FRIEND, and on his account we said
during his lifetime as little of his son
as we could. In evidence of the fact
that he did not think unkindly of the
editor of The State for his attitude TO-
ward Jim Tillman we have among 9TH
er proofs letter from him-not mark
ed "private in 1900, after
these events, addressing Mr.. Gonzales
afectionately by his first name, renew
ing his subscription tc The State, con-
grasulating its editor upon making it
g far and away the best paper in South
Carolina, and saying in regard to the
issues of the time, 81 am with you
heart and soul.'' Good bye and good
luck, - it ended. If appeal were neces-
sary from any assertion by James 81.
Tiilman we could, twill be seen, make
the appeal from the degenerate son to
his honored father.