The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-09-03
TILLMAN RECALLS DAYS OF '76.
Is Writing "reminiscences of Recon
struction Times Believes
in the Dispensary.

Edgefeld, Sept. Last Sunday
the representative Of the News and
Courier paid Senator Tillman pop
call He found the Senator sitting
on his piazza, busy with a palmetto
fan trying to keep cool, and dictat-
ing to his very efficient private Sec
retary personal recollections and
"reminiscences of reconstruction times.
Now ard then he would cast his eye
on some full bloom red roses near
him, as if to catch inspiration from
their color and beauty, and then talk
on. The Senator, who by the way Is IN
splendid health had just returned
.ln&n Anderson where he and Ex-
Governor Sheppard addressed the
":Red Shirt rally. and he was full
of the subject. In spite Of his declar-
alton that he is not an orator. ne
talked eloquently Of those times !:
times, as he said. when He blood Of
the white man was at fever heat, typ
flied BY the red shirt. and when. I'M
der the lead of Hampton, they waged
the fight that threw off the scalawag
and negro supremacy by which our
civilization was degraded.
TIE Anderson meeting. one OF the
largest and most enthusiastic. SAID
the Senator, that he ever addressed.
passed a resolution requesting the
speakers to prepare their remarks for
publication, and it is the evident in
tenticn Of both Mr.. Sheppard and
Mr.. Tillman to give the public the full
benefit Of their personal recollectlons
of those stirring times. The Senator,
while modestly ignoring himself in
the matter, recognizes THAT ii is a
duty that Mr. S2eppa,ld and others,
who participated in the events of '16
owe to history to record the happen
ines Of those eventfrl days, and he
sent a message to the Ex-Governor
to this effect. AS suggested by the
Senator the most interesting and au-
thentic history comes from the pens
of those who helped 80 make it. The
Southern people, he remarked, are in
excusably Indifferent to such matters,
and it is lamentable fact that the
local historian receives little sympathy
or encouragement. How often do the
old soldiers tell of war experiences
and tragic incidents, simply told. yet
pathetic by reason Of their truthful
simplicity, but where is the reord7
There is none, and soon, too soon, not
only the memory of it all, but the
men will be gone, and gone forever.
The Senator touched lightly on the
whiskey situation. He has never quite
forgiven those who killed the State
dispensary, his baby, as it is called,
and his remarks indicated that, hon
estly administered, ibe still considers
it the best solution Of the vexed CUES
tion. He sees no improvement over 1t
in the county dispensary for when
the interviewer ventured to suggest
that the latter had been conducted
without stealing or fraud, his rejoinder
was hat the time had been too short
to develop wrong-doing and yet ne
was unwilling to say that stealing was
being practiced.
While he did not say so, 1t can
probably be written down that the
Senator HASN'T any great amount OF
faith in the practial efficacy Of pro
h4bition. He touched up the News
and Courier for its bitter fight against
the State dispensary, and then for
its support of the county dispensary,
the ultimate object, as he sees 1t: be-
ing to obtain high liense for Charles
ton. The Senator did not talk wath
any idea of write up, but one OF
the things that constitutes his great
force, is his readiness to express MS
ooinions Irrespective of whether ne
catches the popular ear or applause or
moi. He is pre-eminently a leader
,1 ,ot , followpr