The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-02-04
HISTORIC NEE TING
o. Senator Tillman and Rookie
feIler on a Pullman Car.


The True Version of the Meeting as
Given by the Senior Sena. u Him
self for Publication.
Mr.. Zack McGee, the Washington
correspondent of the Columbia State
sends to that paper the true version
of the historic meeting between Sen
ator Tillman and John D. RocEefel-
ler on Pullman car. Mr.. McGee
says the Senator has just returned
to Washington and tells about the
meeting enthusiastically. Rockefel-
ler sc""ht the interview. Senator
Tillman wants this clearly understood
because some of his colleagues in
the senate, who read the dispatches
about tn melting have been twitting
the Senator about hobnobbling with
plutocracy. Here is the way the in
terview happened as told by the Sen
ator himself.
"a fellow came to my seat in
Pullman car" explained the senator,
land spoke to me. He had sunshine
in his face, and 1 said to myself this
fellow whoever he is is an optimist.
l supposed it was some fellow who
had heard me speak in the senate or
at some Of the chautauquas.
I'm Mr.. Rockefeller" he said very
simply. or course, l recognized hiro,
and of course invited him to take
seat beside me. He sat down and
we talked until I reached my sta
ton, which was about an hour. !
should say.
Mr. Rockefeller did not mention
Legislation, the recent panic nor in
any way intimate that he had any
money than 1 had, and you may be
sure 1 did not say anything ABOUT
it. I say this because the story sent
out about our meeting did Mr..
Rockefeller an injustice.
II got in some talk, though, on
my own hook. Mr.. Rockefeller
seemed to be interested in the coun-
try through which we were passing
and he piled me with questions as
to the value of the land and the
character of the people. That was
my opportunity. l remembered that
he had been credited with giving
away 100000 for educational
purposes last year, and I called at
tention to the expressions of Andrew
Carnegie and philanthropists of that
ilk in favor of giving more money
to Tuskegee and other schools for
the negroes I told Mr.. Rockefeller
that there were Millions of whites in
the South, whites descended from
pure English and irish and Scotch,
who were living there poSety strick-
en- and ignorant, poor because OF
their ignorance, and that the North
ern millionaires never thought Of
helping them. Mr.. Rockefeller SEEM
ed to be interested and I warmed up
to the subject injecting some vitriolic
Tillmanlsms into the conversation
here and there"
The senator paused in his story in
order to complete laugh that inter-
fered with his flow Of language. He
was exploding like gasoline motor
exhause as he continued:
You know, Mr.. Rockefeller is so
used to giving orders that he just
exclaimed in an ordinary tone, as II
there was all there was to it.:
That will have to be remidied,
Such a condition must not be-
"Well, sir, t sounded so much like
Theodore Roosevelt that I couldn't
help thinking how much I'd like to
get those two fellows together.
I'VE went on talking and l told
him how the New York moneyed
crowd run our Southern railroad. I
had chance to get in a good rap at
the condition OF the Southern at the
Junction near AIKEN, S. C. The train
comes down there with Pullman cars
for the millionaires bound for Aiken
and day coaches for the poor people
going on down tho Inc. The poor
people get out and sit around an old
way station while the train carries
the millionaireS-1 think called
them d mlionaires n talking to
Mr.. Rockerfeller-on to Aiken.
Then the train comes back and picks
up the poor people. The train is
scheduled to run right through and
the railroad folders do not announce
this discrimination in favor Of the
rich folks.
1--WE talked on, Mr.. Rockefeller
seemingly interested, until I reached
my station. I got out and that is
the last saw of him. / didn't men
ton Standard Oil and neither did
he"
Miss Nance Coming.