Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-04-15
riLLMAws CHARLESTON SPEECH.
The Senator Made an Extended address-It
was Received with Great Enthusiasm.
News and Courier, April A.


speech delivered last night at the ban
quet rendered him by the business men
of the city at the Charleston Hotel. He
went back into recent political history
and told of the conditions, which he con-
sidered 30 grave that it was necessary to
organize farmers movement SO that
men who paid the expenses of the State
should operate it, and then he turned to
his experiences, political and otherwise,
with the people of Charleston. Express
ing great love and admiration for the
town, he said it was necessary for the
younger element to pu)! together to re-
gain the commerce which is now going
to other ports. He took off the gloves
in speaking of the self-worship of the
city and declared that if Charleston ever
advanced il would be through the effort
of the men with whom he was dining last
night. Touching on the Crum appoint
the negro was put into one of the most
important Federal offices and that it was
best not to keep harping on the matter
and wait until the next session OF the
Senate, when every power would be used
to have him rejected. He received a
tremendous ovation. He was entertained
at one of the most elaborate banQuets
ever given here and throughout his
speech there were frequent Interruptions
by applause.
Senator Tillman was introduced by Mr.
George w. Williams. When the applause
had ceased Senator Tillman said:
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: feel
that it is absolutely impossible that you
should not understand my emotions,
which are somewhat conflicting. My
memory has been running back over
many scenes of the past and recall so
many things that were different that l
am mixed up, but not drunk. [ want to
say, in the first place, that l appreciate
most fully and heartily your cordial and
friendship, your kindliness and your ap-
probation of something-I hardly know
what.
81 recall the fact that past conditions
in the State were such that / felt it my
imperative duty to lead a movement
which did not consider Charleston other
than as an incident, yet movement that
had for it's purpose the emancipation of
the rest of the State from politics that
were unbearable."
Senator Tillman spoke of his first trip
to Charleston when n boy, bringing his
record up to his trip here in 1896. He
said it was then he was called a dema-
gogue and crank, but he came here to
discuss the need of industrial and tech
nical education. He referred to his first
efforts in this direction, told of how he
had been received, but declared that he
kept pegging away at his mission be-
cause he believed it was for the good of
his people.
"The conditions of this city were not
favorable then to anything new. Your
people had their old ideas and customs
and it was bold Quixotic attempt on
my part to start alone a revolution in
educational and other matters. But
what put the devil in me was this: had
gone to Bennettsville as a delegate to
the State Agricultural Society and had
presented ideas on the educational sub
ject which made my audience loud in it's
praise. The controlling powers in poll
tics were all on the other side. They
saw nothing good in what | said and
while they endorsed the resolutions
they took good care to. hammer them
about, omitting nothing. The news
papers turned their warfare toward me
with the weapon of ridicule. There is
no weapon in public matters so deep
cutting and far reaching in it's indelible
effect as ridicule, and if you ever get the
people to laugh at a man he is beaten,
and if they get the people to laugh at
him that man is the newspaper enemy
for life. They laughed at me, they be-
Titled me, they sneered at me, but
swore by the Almighty God that ] was
and if l thought SO l expected to prove
it.
81 remember IT, at when l resolved that
the farmers paid the taxes of the State
and that they had right to govern it,
determined to live until they did. After
studying got my rocks-facts--and with
my array OF facts ] went into The News
and Courier, a paper that found its way
into every home in South Carolina, and
preached. That paper was then edited
by one of the most brilliant men in the
United States, and while l know that
comparisons are odious l recognized his
ability and brilliancy, and wrote to him
about publishing my letters on the sub
ject so dear to my heart. All l asked
those letters, in which took to task the
powers controlling the State for their
failure to grasp the real situation, lacking
In everything that constituted statesman
ship. Things were shaped about and /
came here in 1888 and had another ex-
perience. spoke on the City Hall steps
and | remember how the crowd STAN.
peded at the beat of drum.
Then in 1890 my follow cit zens in
other counties, and the Belgian block
farmers in Charleston, met in convention
and considered how to save and advance
the Commonwealth, and we determined
to run the State under a programme tha
] drew up. You recall the Shell mani
festo. That indictment met the existing
the newspapers had left it alone it would
have died. The press howled about the
reform movement and the split in the
Democratic party. At the March conven-
tion was nominated for Governor, and
l want to say here that no man alive ever
found any flies on my Democracy.
have always stood by tho rule of the ma
Jority. The campaign was hot. Before
reached Charleston you tried to stem
the tide"
Senator Tillman then told of his first
speech mere and tho Academy of Music
meeting, which, he said, was a very cold
affair.
u hope you don't consider me immod-
est, he continued, "when | say that |
didn't need much advice at this end of
the line as to how to run the government.
But don't want to take off old scabs. Il
say now that the course of your local
papers was such that your mind was
prejudiced to such an extent that / was
called demagogue and wild man from
Borneo. You thought that all you had
to do was to exercise due patience and
then return to tho old conditions. /
served for two years as Governor, and
then an effort was made to turn me out.
i came back here again and found your
old hay-burners and grass growing in
your streets. / dared you to do your
worse. My good mothor wit and my
friends kept me from making blunders
and after serving another term | went to
the United States Senate. You said you
would send me there because / was a
nuisance, and SO could 20 to Washing
ton and be bump on log.
"And so / went to Washington with
go. 1t was said that came from a fam.
ilV of sand lapDera that I yooo q rudo