The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-04-04
BEN TILLA1AN's PROPHECY.
Forecast of Lincoln-Like Simplicity
and Tillman-Like Frankness.

The eternal principle Of equal op-
portunity for men is the object for
which Senator Tillman contends in his
report to the United States Senate on
the railroad rate bill. Arguing in sup
port of that demand we do not be-
hold the ranting demagogue of old
armed with pitchfork and blusetering
blasphemous TRADE. This Ben Till
man is the cool, logican, the calm con-
troversialist who writes an earnest,
dispassionate and unanswerable brief
for control by the American people of
the highways that should be their
own. Ben Tillman Of the wool hat
slips out of the minds eye; in his
place looms a statesmanlike figure.
The Fate that intrusts the repre-
sentative of a discredited minority
with the leadership Of momentous
legislative battle, on whose outcome
the fortunes of both majority and de-
mocracy are staked, reveals to US the
shining worth Of this human diamond
N the rough. Chief wonder Of his per-
formance is that the railroad
crew in the senate, being resolved
to assassinate the square deal program
and having relinquished the majoritys
duty to the minority in order the bet
ter to ply their knives should have ap-
pointer as chief morner a very Antony
to make the stones cry out in mutiny.
Senator Tillman, once the most
rampant of radicals, offers here
plan at which the younger generation
will live to marvel for its moderation.
We have here the most frenzized Of
the Bryan agitators preaching the doc
trine of conservatism as the only es-
cape from political and social revolu-
ton. The breaking down Of party
lines in the Senate on this issue in the
strange manner he describes, is only
one Of the unprecedented features OF
the struggle between people and privil-
ege. In the new alignment of forces
we see on the side Of radicalism, pas
sionately urging immediate govern
ment ownership. or outright socialism,
men heretofore known for their mild
insistence on caution. On the other
side, pleading for the minimum of ef-
fective government supervision, are
the middle e-of-the-road'' non-com-
promisers, the brandishers Of pitch
forks, the -your-cities' horde Of
two incendiary campaigns. Your gen
uine conservatives of today, the lead
ers who stand for reasonable redress
Of existing wrongs as against those
drastic and convulsive remedies to
which the people would repair as their
alternative, are the Tillmans and
Rryans, and even the Tom Watson's
OF yesterday.
There is not a line in the Tiilman
program to which the supporters Of
the Roosevelt Republican policy can
not subscribe.
Reasonable returns to railroads. but
always and only on actual capital in
vested, and not on oceans Of water.
Prohibition of railroads from Great
ing the freight in competition with
their shippers in addition to carrying
it.
Confirmation os the long-used and
long unchallenged power of the Inter
state commerce Commission to abol-
ish extortionate rates.
Prison stripes for rebate criminals.
To these just provisions some things
need to be added. Nothing can be
taken away without continuing the
cruel injustice which railroads and
their creatures-Standard Oil, beef
trust, coal trust and hundred pri-
vate monopoiles, are inficting daily
u pon the people.
With his single prophetic eye this
champion of American freedom from
economic shackles can decry the dis
aster that the blind and blundering
knaves will not see. Standing almost
solitary in that wilderness of strate-
gems and spoils, with Lincoln-like
simplicity and Tillman-like fearless
ness he utters his impressive forecast
of the doom the American judgment
holds over the traitors and of the
wreck American wrath will make Of
their odius system.
The citizen who is not struck by
the import Of the Tillman message
misses the meaning of the prologue to
the most stirring drama since the War
of the States.-New York Press (Rep.)
Nothing Will relieve indigestion
that is not a thorough digestant. Ko-
dol D1-cooncio Cure 6iCeStc what VOll