Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-25
;: THE STORY OF CLEMSON :
Senator Tillman Relates Some Interest

ing History.

to the South Carolina Press the rol-
lowing, which Is to be taken as most
Interesting contribution to the politi-
cal and educational history Of the
state:
In August, 1885, attended joint
meeting of the South Carolina Agri-
cultural Society and State Grange at
|Bennettsville, 8. c., in Marlboro coun-
ty, as a delegate from the Edseheld
Agricultural society. The depressed
condition of agriculture in South Car
olina at the time, with the wellnigh
bankrupt condition Of q large major
ity Of the farmers, including myself,
had caused me to think very deeply
on the subject Of farming as 1t was
then conducted in our state.
I had begun the active practice and
study of agriculture in 1869 and had
made money up to 1881, but the lands
which was cultivatiny were hilly and
easily washed, and 1t ,ecame very evil
dent to me that ou:. whole scheme OF
agriculture was wrong. The lack OF
rotation and the constant plowinS Of
the soil-leaving Il bare to the winter
rains, could only result in final and
complete impoverishment, on hilly
lands, with resulting pauperism to the
landowners.
His Own Experience.
Knowing that had devoted my best
thought and energy to agriculture as
pursuit, I realized there was a lack Of
proper training in my own education,
which had been cut short by the war;
and while was far better advanced
than many college graduates, I was
woefuhy ignorant in many essentials
relating to stock raising and the cul-
tivation Of the soil as a means of a
livelihood. I arrived at the conclusion
that We needed in South Carolina q
different system to that In vogue, and
above all the young men and women
Of the state should be trained indus
trially, keeping the fact in view that
the head alone could not supply the
body, but that the hands and eyes as
we'll as the intellect must be trained
together for the best results. I believ-
ed the false system Of farming which
our people had been following must be
changed II there was to be any i'm
provement in the financial condition
of the agricultural masses. I offered
resolutions in the meeting advocating
the establishment Of a department OF
the South Carolina university for this
purpose. / made a speech in support
of the resolution which attracted wide
spread attention, at the time and which
met the enthusiastic approval Of
great majority of the farmers present.
Marlboro at that time, as 1t is now,
was In the very forefront Of progress
sive agriculture In the state. The res
olutions were voted down by the dele
gates and I returned home very angry
and much disgusted.
Having failed to obtain the support
of the then leading farmers of the
state who were at the head Of the
Grange, the state agricultural depart
ment and the state agricultural socie-
ty, I set to work to map out scheme
for concentrating the purposes I had
been advocating, to wit, the establish
ment Of a technical and Industrial
school in South Carolina, and began
the discussion Of the question in the
columns Of the News and Courier In
a series Of letters advocating a separ-
ate agricultural and mechanical COL
lege. Fuller investigation and study
had taught me that the Joining Of an
agricultural annex to an older liter
ary university had proven a failure In
almost every case where tried In
the United States. The Michigan
agricultural college at Lansing, and
the Mississippi agricultural college at
Starkeville, were so far in advance OF
any of the other hybrid institutions
that I appealed with all the power 1
possessed for the founding Of a SINH
lar institution in South Carolina.
My letters in the News and Courier
written November and December, 1885,
received the endorsement Of many
hundreds of men from all over the
state whom 1 had never seen, who
wrote me to encourage me; and the
result was calling a farmers conven-
ton to assemble in Columbia to take
into consideration the whole question
Of the management Of the agricultural
department and the betterment Of the
farming interests. This convention
met in April, 1886, and was attended by
over 200 delegates. A state orsaniza-
ton was formed of which Capt G. w.
Shell of Laurens was made president
and 1 was elected chairman Of the
executive committee.
The agitation for a separate aSri-
cultural college thus took form and
the demands for 1t grew in volume.
Couldn't Keep Politics Out.
The people of South Carolina were
always eager politicians and 1t Is al
most impossible to start any move
ment for any purpose now into which
politics will not enter sooner or later.
So far as I was individually concern
ed there was no politics in this organ
ization, but realizing that the legisla-
ture alone could act, and that we
could accomplish nothing except with
the cooperation and assistance Of the
state government, the movement nat
urally drifted into politics. At the
same time there was a strong current
of feeling looking towards reform in
political conditions, which were un-
healthy because of great dissatisfac-
ton among the people, who believed
that there was a ring" in the state,
in complete control Of our politics and
disposed to Ignore the common peo-
pie or masses, and to direct and con-
troll affairs from headquarters in Char
lesion and Columbia. The News and
Courier at that time under the bril-
liant editorship of F. w. Dawson, was
the leading newspaper in the state,
and in a way the most potent factor
romp under the sentinel pear trees, and
make the old brick house ring with