Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-20
TILLMAN AT RICHBURG.
Senior Senator Again in Old Time
Form.

Form.
Special to Columbia State.
Richburg, Aug. 17.-Did some one
say Senator Ben Tillman Is an invalid
and has lost his power Of invective?
The Senator Tillman who address,
ed some 5000 people assembled from
every part of Chester county, and
from over the state, at the Chester
County Farmers union rally and pic
mic. today saw man in rugged health
with power of invective unimpaired,
and welding the 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 and the State
in particular; at the railroads; at the
state senate and at the present cam
paign for compulsory education. He
also handled the negro question at
considerable length.
This was the first public address
made by Senator Tillman in South
Carolina in the past year. He will
make a number Of speeches during
this~and next week in South Carolina
and promises to rub it in" on the in
terests that have incurred his antag-
onism.
The speech at this place was made
in response to an invitation from the
Chester County Farmers union. He
was introduced by Senator P. L. Har-
din of Chester county.
In opening, Senator Tillman said
he could not brag of being a farmer,
but that he has a little farm on which
he has a better crop than any he has
seen. He acknowledged that he him
self 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:
Hammerins 1t In.
II have been among the northern
yankees, hammering into them a bet
ter understanding Of the negro ques-
ton. 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. I was member OF
the Grange and of the Alliance, and
will give the Farmers union q chance
to reject me.
81 am not going to make a prepar-
ed speech 1 don't cook up my
speeches before ] come to meet my
people. ! will say something about
the matter of mileage system the rail-
roads, with the connivance OF your
venal legislature, have imposed upon
you.
There is no reason why when the
railroads in South Carolina sell a
mileage book for 1000 miles at 2
cents mile they should require you
to take your mileage book to the tick
ct agent and buy a ticket to where
you are going. In the state Of Penn
sylvania the mileage in book Is good
on the train for any distance within
the 1000 miles, and can be used to
pay the fare of yourself and family
and anybody else, as long as the mile
age lasts. The railroad company gets
your money. You get the mileage
and use it to pay your fare,
I'm South Carolina they make you
go to the ticket agent and exchange
your mileage for a ticket, often caus-
ing delay.
This morning when my wife and
/ went to take the train at Bolton the
connection was short, and l hurried
to the ticket office to get my mileage
exchanged. Before 1 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 1t left us
there.
when the conductor came around
he said l must pay my fare. l told
him l would be put off the train be-
fore / would submit to being made to
pay the fare over again, and ten
dered the mileage I bought and paid
for.
"Same 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. I can nov watch the ras-
Gals in Washington and the rascals In
Columbia both.
when this mileage measure was
pending In your legislature, 1t was
voted down by the house; but the
senate was in the pay of the railroads
o,5 +bo ,,aocura uas forced through,