The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-07-27
Senator TiIImdn Reviews POli.i.
cal History and Shows Why
GEN. WADE HAMPTON
Was Not Reelected to the United States
Senate, and Fully Explains the
Aiken Iacident, Which Caus.
ed the Old Hero to be
Lett at Home.

Left at Home.
Senator Tillman In some of his
speeches has gone fully into the sub.
jcct 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 dispensary he is now
doing the thing that in 1890 he caused
q subservient Legislature TO retire
Senator Hampton for-meddlIng In
state sffairs while serving as a United
States senator. Senator Tillman gives
a. true version Of how Senator Hamp-
ton was put aside for new fancy and
is Of particular interest just at this
time. He said:
l want to particularly emphasize
IN the beginning that am touching
on this unpleasant incident of the
past merely tor the purpose OF setting
an event Of history straight in the
minds OF the people, to prevent The
State and other newspapers, which
Gave lived by lying on me for the past
fifteen years, from ingraining q 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 q great
spOrtsman and 1t was his practice to
80 there and fish when congress ad-
Journed. He was written to come
uome that his presence and influence
Yefe needed. He arrived In the state
hwo or three days before the meeting
at Columbia, after similar gatherings
at GreenVllle, Spartanburg, Lauren,
and other points in the up country
had shown that the reform move.
nent was swoeping every thing befo'
it.
The meeting at Columbia was
largest and most exciting we haf
nae; great crowds being presen
Lexington, Sumter, Orangebure, ~ go
field and other nearby points, and
eyary thing 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.
ry to mention.
Two or three days later we went
to Aiken, and spike to the Aiken
people about the Incident there the
other day, because there were two or
three hundred men In the audience
VINO had attended the 1890 meeting,
and L wanted TO give those an op.
portuuity 10 correct me If L misstatcd
anything In connection with the af-
fair.
My friends had gotten Mr.. Ueggle
an Augusta livery stable man, to
bring over one OF his fnest carriages,
drawn by four OF the finest horses In
che Country The carriage had been
'ecorated With ilJwerS and agricui-
tural emblems made up Of corn, oats,
Wheat and the like. On one side ap
peared In large letters: Hampton
and Reform, 1876" and on tho other
'"rlllman and Reform, 1890"
MY friends sent q committee to
Senator Hampton the morning Of the
meeting to inylte 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 he preferred to ride
in another carriage AS d matter Of
fact he rode with my opponent, Gem
eral Earle.
This was the first source of irrita-
tlon. 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 was put up first
as | recollect. HI address was along
similar lines as characterized his re.
marks at Columbia except that he was
more aggressive and moro Outspoken
In indicating his sorrow at finding
such Intense factlonal feeling and ex
| element and went on to warn the
people against how things were drift
Ing. lie spoke Of the large negro
vote and Of the danger that urked IN
1T. His remarks could GOT be con
Strued In any other light than that
the March convention which nomi.
mated me was outside the regular or.
ganlzatlon and he feared we would
have In the state repetition Of the
Malone program which had proven
successful in Virginia. In other
words he accused mo Of initiating Ma.
hone 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
1t yelled out It's feeling. The disorder
grew 80 groat that tho county chair.
man was helpless, as was the case in
many other counties that year. l got
up and pleaded with my friends to
let Senator Hampton prcceed. John
O. Haskell, Hampton's son in.law,
also tried to take charge, but when
ne got up tho crowd yelled and jeered
at him and almost pulled him Of the
siand. arose and said something
Ike this: my friends, we all voted
for Hampton In 1876 and after ward
sent him to the senate, and for my
part l would be glad to see him re,
main there till he dies; but he has no
business mixing In this family fight;
ne ought to 60 homo and stay there.
The crowd yelled: Let him go home.
Well, he did 20 home, and we saw
nothing more OF h!m in that cam.
paiRn.
The reformers throughout the
state we're insulted, but 80 much re-
spect was felt for Hampton that
nothing was said much about 1t pub
lioly, and the incident would have
passed off but for subsequent acts on
his part.