Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-14
TO the state and the country and the Ia.
terror is handsomely finished.
An Impressive Ceremony,

An Impressive Ceremony.
There was joint meeting of the two
houses of the legislature this noon. sum-
moned to elect a successor to the late
United States Senator Latimer. and the
proceedings were quite impressive. After
the house was called to order the speaker
sent committee TO notify the senate
which came over from its chamber at the
other side OF the capitol shortly after.
with considerable pomp and circumstance,
marching in procession, two by two. just
as the animals are said TO have come
out of the ark. They were preceded by
their sergeant-at-arms CARRYING in front
OF his nose. with point upward a sword OF
state which Is said to have been presented
Is the colonial legislature by King George
IL OF England. Behind him followed the
royal purple. and he strobe the corridor
with impressive dignity. The clerk OF
the senate. wearing a robe of black silk.
followed closely at his excellency's heels.
and then came the honorable senator's
OF The commonwealth of Southi Carolina.
shutting along out of step. with a sad
indifference to military discipline and
sense of order. Some of them were smok-
Ing. others We're talking and laughing In
an irreverent way.
l noticed that the members of the house
did not rise to receive them and paid no
attention 10 their entry: and when they
reached the clerks desk the procession
dissolved of its own accord and its com
ponent parts dropped into the first seats
that they found vacant.
The speaker of the house also wearing
purple gown, and the clerk. also I'm a
robe of black silk. stood up to receive
them and made way for his honor. the
lieutenant governor. who took charge of
the proceedings. Before him. upon a
cushion. lay gilded silver mace. which
is said 10 be an exact copy Of that used
in the British house of commons 1t was
presented to the colonial assembly in
1856 by King George III and has been
handed down from session to session I'M
til the present day. Formerly they opened
the proceedings of the house with great
ceremony. The sergeant alta carried
1t down the center aisle. held high above
his head. with the speaker following him.
and laid it solemnly on a cushion before
the chair. when that Official had declared
the assembly Of the representatives Of the
people of South Carolina in session. That
performance has been abolished Of late
years, much to the regret of old shionod
lovers of dignity and order.
Mr.. Tillman's influence.
AS a consolation for this and other
omissions and defects. a life-size portrait
of Benjamin Tillman hangs high upon
the wall over the head Of the speaker OF
the house. where all may observe and ad-
mire II. 1t Is not true that the members
ko-tow before 1t when they enter the
chamber. 1t Is not true that they 8d-
dress their remarks to his high miRhtiness
instead of the speaker. but 1t Is neverthe-
less fact that Benjamin Tiliman has
been the boss Of South Carolina for many
a year, and so far as politics go may be
considered to own the state. He has made
many speeches denouncing bossism else
where. He has grown vehement in de-
claiming against political dictatorships.
but for twelve or fifteen years he has
ruled the democratic party in South Caro-
lima with an autocracy as complete as Mas
ever known in any other state. and they
tell me here that he is In the Senate for
lie: that nobody will appear against him
when he comes up for election to another
term. Although the aristocracy OF the
state will not recognize him socially, and
the people generally deplore his vulgar
isms and Outlandish manners, his rule il
practically undisputed. He has had .
severe jolt lately by the disclosure OF the
rottenness and graft of his dispensary
clared that he wrote Tillman all abou.
it long ago and offered TO furnish him.
evidence of ''plunder- bund" among his
ieutenants, but no one has accused him Of
sharing in the spoils.
Successor to Latimer.
The recent contest for senator to sue.
coed Mr.. Latimer was purely personal.
There was no issue involved. The man
who is elected will have only a year to
serve. His term will expire on the 4th
of next March and 1t is understood by all
concerned that he will not be a candidate
for the long term to succeed himself. The
fight for the long term will be before the
primaries, which are held August 81 next.
when the democrats of the state will have
an opportunity to express their preference
and the result will be final. The next
legislature will ratify the vote.
The campaign has already begun: the
candidates are ex-Gov. Haywood of Co
lumbia, George Johnson. formerly a men,
Der of Congress; Daniel A Henderson. q
lawyer of Aiken; Joseph A. Mccullough.
a lawyer of Greenville: .. B. Martin,
state superintendent Of education; former
Gov. John Gary Evans and E. d. Smith,
field agent of the Cotton Growers Asso-
ciation who has made an able campaign
to improve the conditions and prospects
of the planters of the south. Ex-Gov.
Evans was formerly one of Tillman's
most intimate friends and is believed to
be his favorite, but the senator will take
no part in the campaign unless he is at
tackled on the stump. when he promises
to fetch out his pitchfork and use 1t with
his accustomed vigor. Nearly all the
other candidates, except Evans, were
formerly opposed to Tillnan and his
policies but they agree to let him alone
IL he will remain neutral