The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-04-24

have driven John C. Calhoun into pri-
yate life and caused his banishment
from the Democra tic party. 1t was
Senator Tillman's peculiar talent to
pose as reformer, and to carry out his
programme by distributing the high
Offices among broken down aud discred-
tied politicians. To him it was given
to ailege extravaganza and corruption
ia State affairs, to promise retrench-
ment and lower taxes and to hold his
own in popularity while defalcations
and scandals multiplied in the State
under the administrations which he in
troduced as they had not before except
during the Reconstruction period and
while expenses and tax levies grew
apace. It was Senator. Tillman's role
to denounce his oponents as personally
infamous when occasion suited, to in
iulge in sweeping assertions prepos-
ferrous on their face, yet convincing to
his followers and then to deny that he
Lad uttered them, with nonchalant
disregard Of the evidence. The distin-
guished gentlemen, almost without eX-
ception heroes of the Confederacy who
were foremost in public affairs in South
Carolina from 1876 to 1890, nearly all
dead now, are remembered with honor
and affection in the State. and yet, if
the accusations brought against them
bv Capt. Tillman in his speeches in the
early nineties were one-tenth part true
they were the most unconsclonable set
Of rascaIs that ever oppressed a people.
Meantime, Senator TilIman is the pride
and the glory of South Carolina.
Now turn to this national Tillman.
From his first appearance in New York,
level-headed, intelligent people have
looked him through, discerning has eS.
sential vulgarity. his maudlin love OF
publicity. his incessant explosions and
his everlasting posing in the centre OF
the stage as the one and only uncor-
rupted-just as the judicious and sober
minded in South Carolina pointed to
the inconsistencies of our Tillman. This
Young agitator of the North began his
campaigns by assaults on the dead lead
ers and fathers OF the nation-writlng
books, portrayinc them as knaves and
fools. BY means of masterful, adver-
tising campaigns, he climbed into
prominence and accepted nomination
for Vice President. with the declar-
alton on his lips that he would by no
means and on no account accept IT..
The early and indignant protestatlons
of our Tillman that trusteeship of q
purely agricultural college" was. the
only Office that he would consent TO
hold, are inevitably recalled.
The remainder of the parallel is too
obvious. to require detailed mention.
The Tillman in the White House de-
nounces rebaters and protects his Paul
Morton. He employs lawyers TO prose
cute them, and they withdraw in IL
concealed disgust, because their client
is the shield of the culprits. He cul-
inmates against corporate corruption
in politics. and rewards his personal
friend and confidential agent, who is
adept in frying out the fat" He is
guilty of indiscreet utterances without
number, and when they are quoted
calmly disposes of them by denials and
denunciatioDs. Just as the newspaper
correspondents in Columbia found Gov
ernor Tillman an untailing mine of
"copy,' the Washington correspond
ents, for the first time in history, dis
cover the White House to be a fountain
of sensational stories Then, when
the field is surveyed, the harvest OF
promises performed and reforms ac-
complished is at best uncertain, misty
and unripe. Our South Carolina Till
mans tariff views have always been
under suspicion; the national Tillman,
beginning life as free trader, prom
ising On assuming the Presidents office
to carry out the revision ideas OF Mr..
Mckinley, is to-day a tariff temporizer
and effective ally of the Stand-patters.
But the national Tillman is no less
popular in the country than is ours 10
South Carolina. The people believe in
him. They say in their haste that all
men, save Roosevelt, are liars. Ans
wer them with facts, and they reply
with howls of derision about ''the rich
mems conspiracy How strangely
familiar to the ears of those who heard
John G.. Sheppard, president OF little
country bank, and the late james l..
Orr, president of a cotton mill, howled
at and cursed in 1892 as corporation
candidates." The national Tillman
coolly intimates that labor men under
indictment in Idaho are murderers.
';The id factory class was tbs Ian
guage attributed to our Tillman, and
never specifically denied, in 1892 in
regard to the largest body of wage
earners in South Carolina. Neverthe-
less. the cheering in the mining camps
and in the mill towns is alike for
Roosevelt and Tillman, and no other
need ask a hearing.
So it is everywhere. To the man
Who goes about his business, and has
no ears to be tickled with the noise
and no eyes to be dazed with the CLAM.
our of these peerless harlequins of po'
.litical foolery, 'the times are out Of
joint"