The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-04-08
SENATE MISSES BEN TILLMAN.
Senator Has Spent Thlrtccn Years
STIRRING Up Trouble, But Old Mem.
bers Appreciate His Bieness OF
Heart

The senate will be a dull place
without Ben" Tillman.
In the abserce Of the senator from
South Carolina and his pitchforx, ever
sbarpened for trouble and ever rcady
to put the prorgs deep into some
thing or somebody, proceedings about
the upper house will be listless and
wearisome.
News from his State is that Senator
i1ilman Is In grave condition. Hc
has suffered nervous breakdown
that threatens paralysis. His physi.
clans have enjoined absolute rest. He
viii 80 abroad and will not tc seen H..
tho senate again This session. Ills
friends fear that the senate may no:
again have with It the Tillman OF old
and that when ne is aplc to return to
his legislative duties 1t will not be the
busy. bustling. hristling. scrapriny
~illman OF former days.
1t Ii now more than thirteen years
since ''Pitchfork" Tflln,an came from
his corn fields In South Carolina To
the senate. In that timc ne has be-
como one OF the senate institutions.
No other senator has stirred things
up a. much as he, and as persistently.
Ii anything has arisen that had q
doubtful look. whether It concerned
South Carolina or Oregon. Tillman
has insisted on knowing about 1t, on
invest. eating. Hc has been the cham
ZION OF tho ayyrieved and the wrong
I'd or those that thought Themselves
no. AMI hs has In his senate career
lambasted everything and everybody
that seemed 70 deserve criticism.
Your average senator IN rather hes
ttsting about taking On his shoulders
any troubl, that he can avoid. But
Tfllman has gone about hunting fer
trouble and finding It in plenty. /.
has been his keen d. light to assail tho
7 resident. His cxcoriation of Mr..
Roosevelt In connection with tie AIRS.
MINOR Norris case n well remember
~. ana nc has struck at what hc re
gardsd ~ sxecptive usurpslion and
the urswarranted use OF the big stick
ut ev"ry excuse ana every oppovtu.
jty.
THIS session Senator Tillman found
opportunity to busy himself In as
saults OH the governments fiscal pol
Icy With especial reference to the
treasury relief measures at the time
Of last falls depression and the con
duct OF great national banking inter
Uxts.
1t was a pretty raw and uncouth
TiIlman that came into the senate to
he sworn In March 4, 1895. But thir-
teen years OF constant senate service
With wide experience on the lecture
platform. have ssrytd to wear "a tHx
rough edges Of the Tillman manners
without In any way dctracting from
abe sling OF the ssEtjric' invective and
commenr Of which ne is q master. He
fas q way OF referring IN himself II
lis ser.ata speeches as a plain biurt
man. &ut the fact Is that wide stud,
and experience haws siver him a rare
command ~ forceful Engl,s h. which
n by No means lacking. when Sc hs
fhcoses, In grace aud polish
Tn. ,C'd-timers In the senat, have
b genuine >aff.s tic n for Tjllmar. even
II he Is stormy and sbstrepero,,s. Men
like Hare and AldriGh and Spooner,
when he was In the senate. have
called him to time sharply ami, re-
tuked him and have forced him into
the observance Of senate ways and
senat, traditions. Suoh men have
civen him counsel and advice freely
ard while ne hasn't taken all Of 1t he
has been a Distinct gamer by 1t.
A roaring Aon In manner, outward
~. Tfllman's rigncss Of heart IS we'll
understood. His beautiful home life
has often been commented upon. No
I.ublic man has so lashed and abLsed
the negro race as Tillman. bit let
some old. black nanny come to
Washington from South Carolina with
tale of woe and no man Is more
ready to champion her than 'Marst
Ben" The senate will net be itself
again until nc once mere occupies his
accustomed scot and is back doing the
public's business once moro at the
CID dstan6.-Washington Times. March
go.
MAY ABANDON TRIP ABROAD.