The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-02-16


and reared ten miles from a depot or
a telegraph office. Having been elect
ed to the senate of the United States,
it was necessary that I should get in
touch with the world more intimately,
so I bought a plantation at Trenton
for which I paid cash This buzzins
in the air, this SANDER and these lies.
I will say, going about the country.
Notwithstanding the people had pass
ed on them by electing me, they we're
passed on in the campaign Of '94,
when I was practically elected to the
senate, these things caused some peo-
pie to go to Edgefeld and search the
records to see what [ had, how much
property I possessed, and it was parad-
ed in the press that Senator Tillman
had bought plantation; my life was
invaded, my personal property was
not sacred. The probe Of the enemies
Of Ben Tillman went into my indi-
vidual business and they would pub
lish facts necessitating at last my
friend, Mr.. W. A. Clark, president of
the Carolina National bank, to come
out and state that he had loaned me
from his bank the full amount of the
purchase money, $6,0O0-because I
had entered public life poor and if
there is any credit to claim it. I am
poor yet.
interrupted by applause.)
They paraded my individual affairs.
I want to say without presumlng to
criticise you gentlemen of the commit
tee, you know your own business and
you ought 10 be able to discharge
it intelligently without suggestions
from me, when I saw from reports
that your members had gone about
trying to find out something about the
present financial status Of the present
members of the board it was under
stood that you could not go into such
things as that. Why make these dis
I had to endure it. Are
these men any better than l am? If
public money has found its way into
officials private pockets it is your
duty to investigate it and don't honey
fuggle but to go to the bottom in any
way possible. (Applause.)
Chairman Hay-Where is your au-
thority for that, Senator Tillman?
Senator Tillman- am giving Gil
evidence coupled with va
rious statements that have been
brought out in evidence and it is in
evitable I would say that no man
would prostitute his office and DISC
bey the law so brazenly and openly
in making purchases for the state at
these exorbitant rates over and above
prices people in other states are pay
ing if there was not something III It
for them. That is the logic Of the
situation. Circumstantial evidence is
the strongest evidence when it will
hold and it is very weak when it will
not hold. Why would any man OBJ
ject to his private affairs being in
yestieated if lis character is involv-
ed? | cannot see how any man can
refuse to have the fullest investlga-
ion made in financial way OF in any
other way if his name is involved. If
le owns any property he ought to be
able to explain where he got Il and
where the money came from. Here
IS another corroborative statement 60
ng around, that one member Of the
board resigned a $1,000 place to take
1ne at ;S400. do not know whether
that is so or not. You, gentlemen,
can find out. If he did. it is a Won
1erful thing to do: in Washington
you always find them wanting a little
higher salaries, want more pay. [ de-
pend as far as l am going upon the
which I have adduced,
the failure Of this board to
obey the law in two very important
particulars and the evidence brought
out by this investigation, showing
that glass had been bought under pc