The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-05-18
man as the world ever saw? Why

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seek that place in history, wher
his friends know better?
1t is the unsolvable mystery
of this complex character. It is
probable that "Silas Larrabee,
that wise old Maine philosopher
solved the question some years
ago when he said that the lior
Tillman loved the iackass' hide:
and that it was a pity. He does
seem to love it.
It is not long ago that Tillmar
rising in his place N the Senate,
declared that Abraham Lincoln
was the greatest of modern men,
"And l." he said. and then paus
ed and looked upon the men who
remembered South Carolina's
outbreak which established the
Southern Confederacy-"and l.
from South Carolina a''-and he
emphasized the name of his State
and paused and waited-''I, from
South Carolina, tell you so, and
feel honored in doing it. -
Does anyone think this is mere
claptrap-that South Carolina
today accepts Lincoln as the
greatest of modern men: and
that Tillman voiced a platitude:
The bloody shirt still waves IN
South Carolina, if nowhere else:
and it is much to be doubted il
any member Of the old Hampton
aristocracy, which Tillman un,
horsed, would feel safe III saying
that.
And having said it, with his
friend Hoar's face lifted admir-
ingly toward his, Tillman plung,
ed into more excesses of speech
and tore the welkin into ribbons.
Such a man is the despair OF
analysis. Men come here bitter
| ly prejudiced against him, hating
his name; they meet him and go
away his admirers, puzzled about
him, but trusting him unaltera-
bly. He is the most extraordi-
nary compound in the Uuited
States Senate.
He walked out of the Senate
into the marble room one day af-
ter speech which set the whole
North raving against this man
who ate the flesh and drank the
blood of negroes; and what he
had said we'll justified the raving.
Even his Southern colleagues
looked shocked.
s;Well," he said meeting the
writer, II suppose I'll be a demon
in the papers tomorrow. They'll !
leave out all the serious things |
said and publish the hifalutln:
It's my fault, though, and | don't
mind it. Still, I would like to
get my real ideas before the peo-
pie"
This man, the bitter enemy OF
the negros, according to common
report, is better loved by negroes
than any man in Washington.
There is not a negro who has
ovnr met him whose face will not
light up if you mention Tillman's
name. In moments of unusual
candor Tillman has himself ad-
mitted that he loved the negroes
and that he is proud Of their
love. That he is more liberal
toward the North in his candid
moments than any other South
ern Senator is a fact well known.
1t is not strange, then, that
some peculiar mental twist I'm.
pels this man of gentle life, OF
broad views and of soft and kind
ly character to hold himself out
as the worst representative OF
savagery and the reactionary el,
ement in civilization: Yet 1t
would be unfair to call Tlllman
uncandid and poser; when he Is
uttering these things he believes
them.
A. strange combination Of char
acteristics is Benjamin Ryan
Tillman, now recovering from
his illness on his South Carolina
plantation amid his loved and
loving "darkies. :" A strange
man little known even by his
colleagues. He will be fortunate
if this generation learns nm
Alright; it will be miracle II
1-,,o1rc tho r09