The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-07-25
WHAT BEAT HIM
Senator TilIman Reviews Poli.i'
cal History and Shows Why
GEN, WADE HAMPTON

GEN. w ADE d8MGIUN
Was Not Reelected to the United States
Senate, and Fully Explains the
Aiken Incident, Which Caus-
ed the Old Hero to be
Left at Home.
Senator Tillman in some Of his
speeches has gone fully into the sub
ject of the oft repeated charge which
has been laid at his door for the past
} seven years, to the effect that in the
matter Of the dispenssry he is now
doing the thing that in 1890 be caused
subservient legislature to retire
j, Senator Hampton for-meddltng in
state affairs while serving as United
States senator. Senator Tillnan gives
q true version Of how Senator Hamp-
ten wss put aside for nes fancy and
is OF particular interest just at this
time. he said:
II want to particularly emphasize
in the beginning that I am touching
on this unpleasant incident OF the
past merely for the purpose OF setting
an event Of history straight in the
minds OF the people, to prevent The
State and other newspapers, which
have Lived by lying on me for the past
fifteen years, from ingraining lie
into the minds Of the youth Of South
Carolina.
Senator Hampton was in Canada
when the campaign opened in the
summer OF 1890. He was great
sportsman and it was bis practice to
go there and fish when congress ad-
journed. he was written to come
nome that lis presence and influence
we're needed. He arrived in the state
two or thee days before the meeting
at Columbia. after similar gatherings
q: Greenville, Scartanburg, Laur rs
and other points in the up country
bad shown that the reform move
nent was sweeping everything before
it.
''Ths neetir 6 at Columbia was the
largest and most exciting ne had then
hao; great crowds being present from
lexington, Sumter, Orangeburg, Fair
field and other nearby points, and
everything was my way. Senator
Hampton spoke, his utterances being
along the line Of conciliation, plead
ing for harmony and good feeling,
which was all right. There were
other things connected with the, 90
lumbia meeting which it is unnecessa
~ to mention.
1.-TWO or three days later we went
to Aiken, and I spoke to the Aiken
people about the incident there the
other day, because there we're two or
three hundred men In the audiencs
VINO had attended the 1890 meeting,
and I wanted to give those an op.
5orturity to correct me If misstated
any thing in connection with the al
fair.
my friends had gotten MI. Heggie
IN Augusta livery stable man, tc
bring over one of his finest carriages,
drawn by four OF the finest horses IN
the country. The carriage had been
decorated with flowers and agricul-
lural emblens made up OF corn, oats,
wheat and the like. On one side ap-
peared in large letters: Hampton
and Reform, 1876" and on the other
"Tlllman and Reform, 1902
My friends sent committee to
Senator Hampton the morning OF the
meeting to inYite him to ride with
me. The Invitation was declined. I
don't think the Committee saw Sena-
tor Hampton himself, his friends
sending word that be preferred to ride
in another carriage. AS matter OF
fact he rode with my opponent, Gen
eral Earle.
This was the first source Of irrita-
tion. The meeting was large, some
5000 or 1000 people being present,
and the excitement, as usual at that
time, ran high. For the reason no
women were present.
Senator hampton vas put up first
as I recollect. His address was along
similar lines as characterized his re.
marks at Columbia except that he was
more aggressive and more outspoken
ir ndicaGing his sorrow at finding
such intense factonal feeling and ex
element and went on to warn the
people against how things we're drift
ing. he spoke OF the large negro
vote and OF the danger Chat Iurked IN
it. His remarks could uot be con-
Strued In any ether light than that
the March convention which nomi.
mated re vas outside the regular or.
ganizstion and he feared We would
have in the state repetition OF the
Malone program which had proven
successful in Virginia. In other
words be accused ne Of initiating Ma.
none and me and my friends Of an
attempt to break up the Democratic
organization with an appeal to the
negro.
That made the crowd furious, and
it yelled out it's feeling. The disorder
grew SO great that the county chair.
man was helpless, as was TIE case IL
many other counties that year. | got
up and pleaded with my friends to
let Senator Hampton proceed. John
C. Haskell, Hampton's son-in-laW,
also tried to taka charge, but when
he got up the crowd yelled and jeered
at him and almost pulled him Cf the
stand. arose and said something
like this: my friends, we I'll voted
for Hampton in 1875 and after ward
sent him to the senate, and for my
..~4 r u,o,,15 bo ,YloS to COO him ro.