Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-08-25
TILLMaN TO UNION FARMERS.
Delivers Address i'm Chester County.
JaOs the State senate.
columbia State.)

=
Those who were present and heard
Senator Tillman. who addressed some
5000 people assembled from every
part of Chester county, and from
over the State, at the Chester Coun-
-ty Farmers Union rally and picnic
last Tuesday, saw man in rugged
health with power of invective. unim-
paired, and welding his pitchfork
with all the vigor that has made him
unique in public life.
His jabs were directed at the press
OF the State in general; at the rail-
roads; at the State Senate and at the
present campaign for compulsory ed
ucation. He also handled the negro
question at considerable length.
This was the first public address
made by Senator Tinman in South
Carolina in the past year. He will
make number Of speeches during
the next few days in South Carolina
and promises to rub it inv on the
interests that have incurred his an
tagonism.
The speech at Chester was made
in response to an invitation from
the Chester County Farmers Union.
He was introduced by Senator p. l..
Hardin, of Chester county.
In opening, Senator Tillman said
he could not brag of being a farmer,
but that he has Il little farm on
which he has better crop than any
he has seen. He acknowledged that
he himself is not much of a farmer;
in fact that his farming is usually
considered something of Joke. He
alluded to his long absence from
home, and said his return from time
to time was to get clean clothes.
Substantially, he said:
Hammering it In.
Il have been among the Northern
Yankees, hammering into them
better understanding of the negro
question. With the Yankees of the
North the negro problem is a theory:
with us of the South it is a condition
Il am not yet a member of the
Farmers Union. | was member OF
the Grange and of the Alliance, and
will give the Farmers Union a
chance to reject me-
i am not going to make prepar-
ed speech. l don't cook up nv
speeches before l come to meet my
people. ! will say something about
the matter of mileage system the
railroads, with the connivance of
your venal Legislature, have imposed
upon you.
There is no reason why, when tho
railroads in South Carolina sell a
mileage book for 1000 miles at 2
cents a mile. they should require
you to take your mileage book to
the ticket agent and buy ticket to
where you are going. In TIE State
of Pennsylvania the mileage in
book Is good on the train for any
distance within the 900 miles, and
can be used to pay the fare Of your
self and family and anybody else,
as long as the mileage lasts. The
railroad company gets your money.
You get the mileage and use 1t to
pay your fare.
In South Carolina they make you
go to the ticket agent and exchange
your mileage for ticket, often
causing delay.
This morning when my wife and
l went to take the train at Bolton
the connection was short, and I hur-
ried to the ticket Office to get my
mileage exchanged. Before / could
get my wife's ticket through the red
tape proceedings the train started,
and had to grab up my books and
we ran to catch the train before it
left US there.
when the conductor came around
he said must pay my fare. I told
him / would be put off the train be-
fore ] would submit to being made
10 pay the fare over again, and ten
dered the mileage / bought and paid
for.
'Samc as the Yankees"
My friends, we must be given the
same rates on the railroads that the
Yankees have. You can get your
rights If you contend for them. AS
long as you keep rascals in your Leg
islature and let them do as they
please you will continue to get the
worst OF it. / cannot watch the ras-
Gals in Washington and the rascals