The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-26
BENNETTsvILLE, S" g. FRIbAq, FEBRUARY 2s, 1904.

to crime an excuse for Utilization and
abuse of me personally. I can stand
1t because / am used to it. Can the
editors of the Mountaineer and The
News justify themselves for befoulipg
South Carolina's good name in the
way they have? 81
z This much for the Mountaineer.
Now for the Greenville News.
That paper makes illusions to my
lecture tour in West last summer, and
speaks thus:
When he was spouting fire on
that spectacular trip this newspaper
declared that Senator Tillman was
killing Off all hope Of bringing a desir-
ably GLASS Of immigrants to this State
by his alarming speeches. I recall
the fact that some garbled and dis
torted reports were sent abroad while
the debate with Senator Burton was
going on last summer, with a view to
creating sensation. cannot discuss
the Immigration question in an article
Alike this, but 10 presenting the view
+ to the Nothern people that with $780,
900 negroes and only 100000 white
people In our State that absolute
equality before the law meant domi-
nation by the blacks, and that the
whites would resort to fighting before
they would submit to 1t, thought /
told the plain, unvarnished truth, and
l think SO still. I am thoroughly well
satisfied that race war would result
should Northern fanatics again en-
deavor to force negro equality upon
uS.
I think 1t did good to tell those peo-
pie this and let them understand the
true situation. II it drives imrni-
grants away from our borders well and
good, but certainly tho statement
which has been made In cold blood by
South Carolina newspaper men that
murder and lawlessness were rampant,
that Jurors were periurers. life and
property were unsafe, ETC., we're cal
culated to deter home seekers much
more than the threatened shadow of a
race conflict, as predicted and which
may never come. mentioned inmi-
grafton In that interview for the pur-
pose Of showing the inconsistency and
the idiocy OF tiii0so wiiu proclaim SUCH
a condition Of affairs In South Caro-
lima, and yet were urging the expen-
dtture OF our taxes for the purpose Of
bringing immigrants to our State.
The News charges that I spoke thus
because 1 was paid to dlo it while
claiming that slanders by it and
others voiced the sentim snts of the
decent law abiding people in protest.
ing against the disgrace OF the COM
monwealth and 1t did so believing
that 1t was performing a public SER
vice, and not because there was re-
ward" At first blush it would appear
that because I received me ney for my
work and the newspapers did not, 1
am In the wrong. 1t is y bad bird
that will 5efoul ,t3 own nest WI her
for reward or without 1t. In sta.luing
Up for white supremacy before North
ern audiences and proclaim ing frankly
and boldly our intention to preserve it
af q y hazard ar,d d wing the hypo--
crisy and political greed OF those who
were apposing 1t, may heve been in
error, but what defense can be offered
by him who befouled the States good
name either truthfully or untruthful-
ly. No good whatever has been ac-
con1plished, and I really cannot see
what my having been paid has to do
with 1t.
The conditions In South Carolina
are not such as would like to see,
but those who charge that the dispen-
sary law, IS The News does, is respon-
Sible, must first answer for the educa-
tiol OF the people to which / have
nus lie allusion In the belief that ii was
RIG 1T and proper to override that law
by any aid all means. They have
son to tie wind and are reaping the
wi irlwind
: want to say further that when
TT News says that the existing
conditions in South Carolina are due
to ile wesk politicians who have been
elected to office and nearly all of these
men are disciples OF Tilllnan," that
1t Is we'll known that this last two
Legislatures OF South Carolina have
had nos jority of former Conserva.
tive in item, and our present brave
and noble e-hearted governor, who is
doing his whole duty towards enforc.
ing this obnoxious law-obnoxious to
The News and the Mouutineer-is well
known to lave been Conservative.
l close by saying to- The Greenville
News that am not worrying about
the immi grants l have kept away
from Sou n Carolina nor those who
may be deferred from coming to South
Carolina )y its own ISLANDERS, but let
us keep the record straight, and let
the peop e understand that theil
senior sci ator may be violent and
turbulent as the Mountaineer says,
and The News may not have any
faith in his sincereity" about immi.
grants or anything else, but they have
not cleared themselves from the
charge he made Of having slandered
South Carolina, and what is more they
cannot. They have simply abused me
to hide their own fault.
b. r. Tillman.
Washington, D. c., Feb. 18, 1904.
Tiliman On Hanna.
When asked by the Washington
Post for an expression on Senator
Hanna's death, Senator Tillman said: