The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-01-23
TiLLMAN HAS THE FLOOR.
Replies to Senator Spooner's Recent
Attack on Him.

Replies to Senator Spooner's Recent
Attack on Him.
Washington, Jan. 22.-In anticipa-
ton of a field day in the senate on
the Brownsville affair the galleries
were packed half hour before the
opening OF the session. Senator Till
man took the floor at the conclusion
of the morning business to reply to
the recent criticism of himself by Sen.
ator Spooner
AS prelude to this he paid his COM
pliments to senators who had spoken
on the Brownsville incident. He said
the press had denominated him the
burnt cork artist Of the senate" and,
he added, If he were entitled to this
appellation or that of 'Pitchfork Ben,
at one end of the minstrel line, Ger.
tainly Fire Alarm joe (Senator For.
aker) ought not to be ignored at the
other. We both do the Orlando and
F'urioso act admirable"
Senator Culberson was designated
as performing solo on the bones"
In praise Of the president; Senator
Daniel was called "the brilliant and
courtly senator from Virginia, whose
specially Is oratory and who works his
rhetoric overtime
Next" said Mr.. Ti]lman, I'VE have
the dying swan, Smiling Tom of Colo
RADIO, the state recently bought at auc.
ton by one Guggenheim, and the swan
song Is a dirge for the dying Democ-
racy of the North, stabbed in it's vitals
by Ben's pitchfork His act is very
pathetic, indeed, and always brings
tears into the eyes of the audience"
Turns His Attention to spooner.
After paying his respects to other
members of the senate in the same
vein Mr.. Tillman declared that in Sen
ator Spooner's recent speech "his
manner was as insulting as it is pos
sible for senator to assume" and
that the attack upon himself was I'M
paralleled, intentional and in cold
blood. 1t was acting worthy of Uriah
Heap"
Explaining the conditions in his
state during the "carpetbag'' govern
ment in justifying riot and ballot
stuffing Mr.. Tillman said:
1--WE have not shot any negroes in
South Carolina on account of politics
since 76-we haven't found it neces-
sary.' He said he would not call the
negro a babboon. II believe they are
men, yet they are so akin to monkeys
that scientists are looking for the
missing link yet" -
Have l ever advocated lynch law
at any time or'At any place? answer
on my honor never have justified
1t for one crime and one only and I
have consistently and persistently
maintained that attitude for the last
fourteen years. -.
LAS governor of South Carolina
proclaimed that although I had taken
the oath of office to support the law
and enforce it would lead mob to
lynch any man, black or white, who
had ravished any woman, black or
white. This is my attitude calmly and
deliberately taken and justified by my
conscience in the sight of God"
Mr.. T1llman declared that though he
had justified lynching for rape he had
deprecated and denounced burning at
the stake for this crime. He had no
hesitation In declaring he voiced the
opinion of IS per cent of the white
people of the South "and, whether /
do or not, voice my own"
Senator Spooner Replies.
When Mr.. Ttllman finished Mr..
spooner spoke forty-five minutes In
reply, concluding his speech with the