The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-08-17
Tiilman and Clemson,

In a speech at Clemson last week
senator Tillman remarked that those
who opposed the establishment of Olem-
son had all locked to its support, in
sinuating that they had chopped
around" to the popular side. AS usual
the Senator told only half the truah
1t is true that the former "Conserya-
tive" element are now the best friends
of Clemson. They are always in favor
of literally supporting "existing insti-
tutions"-that phrase may be recalled.
1t is equally true that a large propora-
ton OF the people who clamorel for
Clemson's establishment arc no longer
Its friends. The reason is simple. They
were induced 10 assist in its establish
ment under false pretenses. Senator
Tillman in 18S5-1S90 promised them a
college where a boy, no matter how
poor, might go and earn his college eX-
penses by working three or four hours
each day on the college farm. The OPP.
ponents Of the establishment exposed
the abauridity of this statement but
the masses accepted it as they did any
and all things however preposterous
from Tillman. Senator Tillman also in
duced the farmers to believe that the
college would cost them nothing but
they have discovered at last that they
are heavily and specially taxed for it.
Clemson is really the only state coll ,ge
whose support does not fall equally up
on all classes of people. 1t falls most
heavily upon the farmers. The senator
is right when he says that Charleston
sends more boys to Clemson than do
most o:her counties. Charleston sends
them because Clemron is a good me-
chanical college and 9 cheap college.
Thus the farmers are specially taxed
to maintain a college for boys who
come from a county which ia practically
without a farming class. Such a friend
of the farmer is Senator Tillman. More
over, Clemson is popular because the
expenses are low. Many a town man
will send his boy to a 5000. the year
college rather than q $500 the year col
lege but to the lone horse fsrmer's
boy" a 5000. a year college il IS far out
OF reach as a $1,000. a year college. In
other words both are hopelessly beyond
him. This fact was polluted out in this
paper as far back as 1899.
Senator Tiilman confes:es i'm his
speech that the Clemson boys AZ a rule
bave not studied agricu turc and boasts
OF what other departments Of the col
lege have done. He neglects, how to
say that when Clemson was established
a hlgh grade, successful and popular
mechanical state school was already in
existence and hat the destruction of
one to establish another was n useless
waste of money. That Clemson is do
ing q great work as q technological
school no one will deny. That it is yal-
liable to the cotton spinning interests
In turning out young men who make
good mill officers is true in the highest
degree. That it is a school where BOYS
may receive education both OF the hand
and mind makes it worthy of generous
support on the part OF all the people.
But it should be remembered that this
ielloW lllIman proclaimed that the pco.
pie needed an "agricultural college
pure and simple" lie urged the build
Ing OF Clemson college as a "farmers'
college, and especially as college for
the poor farmer" Whatever he had
to do with the establishment of the col
lege was through claims that history
has since nailed as both false and silly
nut now he nimbly straddles another
horse and asks for the credit, just as
though he had not deluded these same
farmers 10 years ago.
Nevertheless, the senator is from his
professional ofiice.seekers's and Office
point of view, excusable. 1t
VI EecRlled that there were no
English
~" i. .t57A 49,