Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-07


larrived the court house was more tha
usually crowded with people who ha
come to enjoy the fun. That was tn
first speech Benjamin r. Tillman haI
ever made in his life. but from tina
day to this he has been the most con
spicuous figure in South Carolina. TIL
speech was published in a number o
newspapers, and afterward in pamph
klet form and distributed among tn
farmers Of the state. Tillman soon be
lgan to receive invitations from all part
of the state to deliver addresses, an
he invariably repeated the substanc
of the Bennettsville speech. IF coul,
get a chance to speak to the people o
South Carolina as I did to the farmer
of Marlboro" he said one day, "ther
would be some fine somersaultin' II
this old state" The chance came, ant
the somersaulting followed. He wa
lauded, he was condemned, he was rid
iculed, but he always had a hearing
and he got into the headlines Of tn,
L
he raised? Perhaps an incident O
more recent times will afford the bes
Illustration.
II should like to ask, Mr.. President
what is before the senate?" said Sena.
tor Foraker one day as he arose ir
the senate for parliamentary inqui.
~" while Senator Tillman was making
fierce attacks in a desultory way. or
a number Of things and a number Of
men.
Il am before the senate" fairly
screamed Tillman.
But Senator Foraker. undaunted BY
the great roar of laughter that follow.
ed Tillman's characteristic answer, in
sisted on knowing upon what particu-
lar subject the senator was taking the
floor.
mo particular subject" replied TILL
man In the same combative manner
II am just making few remarks on
the general cussedness Of the situa-
ton"
And so 1t was Tillman before the
state of South Carolina He knew Its
history, having studied 1t closely and
having himself lived through four OF
It's distinct periods. He likewise knew
the conditions at that time, knew what
was in the breasts Of the best people,
knew also what was in the breasts OF
"the others" Being a close observer
with this old one-eye of mine," as he
calls 1t, as we'll as a close reader Of the
newspapers, he discerned the coming
wave Of unrest and knew that the time
was ripe. Awake, arise, or be forever
fallen!" Forth throughout the state he
went, denouncing existing institutions
and men in high places, political, So
cial, and commercial. With the care
fully reserved power of a massive
brain. a rich and ready imagination
and vocabulary of vituperation which
few Americans have ever possessed, he
gave vent for the first time-and with
the valve wide open-to the injured
feelings pent up in the great majority
of South Carolinians. who had consid-
cred themselves politically and socially
ignored from the beginning Of the
states settlement.
And, let 1t be remembered, that was
before this stormy petrol from South
Carolina" had even begun to undergo
the tanning process. There was nc
senatorial courtesy" to restrain him
in those days. He had no regard for
conventionalities of any kind, either OF
speech or OF conduct, and seemingly had
no respect for man or beast, for insti-
tutions or law. His enemies say that
he had no respect for truth, that IL he
thought a thing might be true he de-
clared II to be true. and that he went
liar or a scoundrel or a thief until he
proved himself innocent. He declared
| that the state government was stealing
from the people. that public money was
being wasted, that taxes were inordi-
nately high, that public men were rid
ing on free passes and hence were un-
der the influence Of railroads. He said
that South Carolina college, an institu-
century had been the pride Of the
state, was simply hot-house for aris-
tocracy, a school for rich mems sons
where young men were taught to de-
port themselves like lords Of creation
and to despise the plain people" The
| Citadel, or South Carolina Military
academy, in Charleston, another Of the
states cherished institutions" he call
ed dude factory" He said there was
ring" in Columbia, the Columbia
Club South Carolina College Green
field Building Ring" he called 1t, which
dominated the state in the interests OF
the "aristrocracy," ignoring and despis-
ing the plain people," In every coun-
ty was a smaller ring" he declared
composed of the allies of these ring
sters" in Columbia. His principal ap-
peal was to the farmers, to whom he
said: I'VE constitute the state: what
are our duties to ourselves, and how
have we discharged these duties? Peo-
pie are generally supposed to look af-
ter their own affairs in a free country;
but I feel that am speaking nothing
but the truth. and the naked truth
when I say that you and and all OF
US, we farmers, have acted like idiots
and towards We have basely surren-
dered our birthrights, which entities Us
to control and direct the affairs Of this
state"
| But his appeals were not to farmers
alone, nor did he talk any less directly
to others. He went down to Charles
ton, between the Ashley and the Coop
er rivers, and Charleston then, more
so even than now, was one Of the most
conventional as well as one Of the
proudest cities in the whole country
Men Of Charleston" he said, II have
always heard that you were the mos
self -idolatrous people that ever lived
and l want to say to you that the sur
doesn't rise in the Cooper and set ir
the Ashley. 1t stands all over the state
If the tales that have been told
me, or the reports which hace come tc
me. of your condition are one-tentf