The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-07-04
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, July q, 1906.
TiLLMAN WILL FAVE A
PRIMARY OF HTS OWN.
Objects to Being Limited in Time of
Speaking --- One Cannot Discuss
Issues.

Speaking --- One Cannot Discuss
Issues.
In the following address Senator
Tillman announces that he will not
join the campaign party, if he is to
be limited in his time, but that he
will make engagements of his own.
AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF
THE STATE:
Fellow Citizens: The primary sys-
tenn of the Democratic party in South
Carolina is very largely my own
work. The canvass of the candidates
from county to county seeking Office,
discussing issues and letting the peo-
pie meet them face to face is an
essential and very valuable feature of
our political machinery. The daily
papers have always opposed this pro-
gramme because it broke up the old
system under which the editors of
those papers exercised immense
power and in a measure dictated our
politics. Unable to get the .constitu-
tion changed so as to do away with
this state campaign, they have hit
upon devise of rendering it inopera
tive and largely nugatory by giving
very meager, unimportant and often
garbled accounts of the speeches.
The people being told that the candi-
dates are saying nothing, do not turn
out to the meetings and this makes
the plan failure, because the people
do not see or hear the men who want
their votes and the newspapers ac-
complish their purpose of controlling
our politics.
The meetings are rendered ridicul-
Gus by the short time given to any
candidate in which to present his
views and make known his qualifca-
tions. The discussions instead of be-
ing educative, enabling the voters to
select the candidate whose personality
and platform are most to his liking,
are farces. No man can do himself
or any important subject justice in
the ten, twenty and thirty minutes
time allotted to him under the plan
now being carried out and something
must be done to change this condition
or government by newspaper will
come again to stay. I have no quar-
rel with the newspapers of our state,
but nothing ever broke up the old
ring which governed the state prior
to 1890 except the joint discussions
between the candidates for governor,
and nothing will restore the condi-
tions of ring rule so easily and inevi-
tably as to have such rules and regu-
lations as are now being carried out.
Every candidate wants a hearing in
every county, but he does not get it,
and the people are unwilling to lose
the day, especially when they are
busy on their farms, listening to the
kind of speeches that are being made,
and no other kind can be made under
the circumstances. There are about
twenty-five candidates, leaving out
those who have no opposition and
who, therefore, have no need to
speak, and where congressional can
didate has opposition this number is
increased.
I have something want to say to
the people of the state, because I be-
ieve it is my duty to say it, but I am
unwilling to join the present state cam
paign party and be limited in my
speeches, as must be. It would be
unjust to the others if I were not linn
tied. I, therefore, have decided that
I will attend none of the state cam
paign meetings, unless specially in
N1OCo W oo oo Ny Cl1O COOi1Cy CASCu-
tive committee, and shall have all of
the time I want. Instead I give
notice that after the 7th of July,
when I will make my first speech at
Sandy Flat, in Greenville county, I
will be ready and am desirous of the
opportunity to address the people at
picrics or other public gatherings to
be held always in the open air at
such time and place as may be de-
sired that I shall speak to them. Of
course, I will reserve the right to
select the counties in which I will
accept invitations and will arrange
to accommodate as many pos
sible in the month which I will de-
vote to this work. I have no objec-
tion and will welcome the presence of
such other officials and candidates as
my friends may see fit to invite.
A moments reflection will show
that the programme now being car