The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-01-02
A GREAT SPEECH.
Senator Tlllman Opens the Eyes
Of Many People.

He Discusses the Race Question in
Gal1n, DispassioRate Manner to
"a Largo Audience.
In accordance with previous an
nouneement Senator B. R. Tillman
delivered an address on Wednesday,
to a large audience Of ladies
gentlemen on the race probls
The audience was composed lar
of city people, the bad roads
doubt preventing many people
the country coming in to hear
distinguished speaker, as they WP
have liked to do. The court hs;8ses
where the meeting was held
comfortably filled. one-thire
the audience being ladies.
Senator Tillman arrived
city on the Atlantic Coast Lire
on Tuesday afternoon at st2es
and was met by Capt. ClaffyR - ssnssTs
Dukes, Clerk of Court Sall9
T. w. Bowman and Mr.. j. g. 5ssStsl
dale. of the committee appolrtss w
the ladies to receive and eEsfsrSass
the senator while here Mr.
Sims. of the committee, was riaaeis
to meet the senator on acco SIsr:'1s
sickness in his family. The %sg5aS
mittee escorted the senator tdV
beautiful country home Of Mrs. J. W.
Stokes, a few miles from the CITY,
where he was royalty entertained
for the night. All the members Oh
the committee and some, Of their
wives were also guests of MIS-.
Stokes. Tuesday evening, except Mr..
Sims, who, from the cause alreadI,
stated, was denied that pleasure.
This was not the first visit of The
senator to the hospitable home OF
Mrs. Stokes, as he and Mrs. Till.
man have been guests there before
Mrs. Stokes drove the senator}i in on
Wednesday morning AND he
was taken to the St
Joseph's Hotel by the COM
mittee, where he remained until
time for the address. During the
short time he was at the hotel a
number of gentlemen called to pay
their respects A few minutes be-
fore 12 o'clock he left the hotel
and reached the court house Just
about the time appointed for the
speech. He was warmly greeted or
the street and IN the court house by
old friends ard admirers.
The meeting was opened with
prayer by Rev. D. D. Dantzler. Then
Hon. l. w Bowman introduced Sem
ator Tillman in a very few words as
the greatest South Carolinian and
onetof the foremost statesmen OF the
tirhes The senator, as he arose,
Was greeted most enthusiastically on
all sides. He opened his address by
referring to his former visits to
orangeburg, and said he felt some
what embarrassed this time because
a fee was charged. to hear him. He
said this was done by the ladies al
his suggestion as a means to help
along the grand cause they were
wishing for, and that ne was glad
to be able to contribute, by his
time and lebor. to the establish
fent of hospital where the
afflicted could be treated without
going to some other city.
Senator Tillfan then took up the
race problem and discussed it in a
calm and dispassionate manner.
There was no bitterness in his
speech towards the negro as race,
but he painted out the great dam
ger that confronted the South in the
years to come when the present
means used to curtail the negro vote
will no longer be applicable. He
said it was lementable fact that
more negro children were attending
school in South Carolina than white
children, and that it was a question
of time only when there would be
more negro voters in this State
than white voters. He said that the
trainers Of the present constitution
went as far rs they could in disfran-
chising the negro without disfran
chising white men, which he said
would never do.
He thought the day would come.
unless present conditions were
changed, when the whites would di-
vide and the negro would be
brought in by the two factions Of
the white people to settle their po
litical disputes. He referred to the
fact that no election on any Ques-
tion could be settled now in this
State without the charge of fraud
being charged against one side OF
the other He cited as an evidence
of what he meant by referring to
the frequent contests over diSpen4
sary elections and new county cleo
tions. He said these contests be-
tween white people encouraged the
negro to hope for political power
some day, and he thought the white
people should stop it and settle theil,
troubles without so much quarrel
ing among themselves.