The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1909-09-02
RED SHIRT REUNION
A GREAT OCCASION.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND VISITORS ATTEND
CLOSING EXERCISES -TILLMAN and
SHEPPARD MAKE SPEECHES.

OnLFraAU MAIL OI LLouLo'
Anderson, August 25:-Fifteen
tluu.al.. n,cn. wuulen and chlIdred ii
came to Anderson to-day, SOME to
take part in and the others to wit
ness she great Red Shirt parade, and
to near the orators of the day.
The llue of march was Termed short.
" after 9 O'Clock this morning, and
at IL o'clock the parade moved
under Commander j G Strlblng,
passing in review, and witnessed by
thousands on the street. sidewalks,
in the windows, balconies, etc.
-Four thousand men and ladies
wearing red shirts, some mounted
and the others on foot, formed the
parade, which was more than a mile
long. After the review the line
marched to Buena Vista Park,
where, under the large and shady
trees, Ex-Governor John CShep-
pard, of Edgeield, and Senator Till
man spoke to five thousand persons.
Col r W Simpson presided over the
meeting.
Governor Sheppard was the first
speaker, aud his remarks were en-
tirely of matters pertaining to the
Red Shirt men. He recited personal
experiences during the campaign of
1876, and most interestingly told OF
the deeds of the brave men that
wore the shirts of red. He related
their history and explained to the
Young folks in the audience why the
Red Shirts organized and told what
they accomplished.
His remarks, lasting nearly two
hours, were brlmful of interesting
facts Of the campaign made nec-
cessary to take the rule Of the State
from the negroes and carpet bagger>,
Senator Tillman was the next ana
last speaker. He opened by hull
ing compliments at the newspapers
and rldiculed their editorials about
his leaving Washington during the
tsrif session and going out West
to make addresses. He sarcasticallY
raked the newspapers over the
country about their "barking at my
heels just because have made ar
rapgemepts to leave my lecturlng
tour to come to South Carolina to
make FIVE or six speeches"
He then jumped on the negro
question aud made those remarks
so often spoken by him about this
country going to rack and ruin if
compulsory education is adopted.
He said President Taft is playing to
Split the Solid South, and that he
is dispensing a few census jobs
here and there, hoping that it will
help him in the job.
He repeated that story about how
he, Tillman, blocked the Senate in
the Crum matter, and said that
nothing pleased him better than
getting money from the Re-
publicans for making two-hour
lectures in which he would tell
them they were fools and idiots. He
raped the News and Courier and
The State. He said that Deacon
Hemphill was advocating the organ
ization of commercial party,
which is nothing short of Republi-
can.
A voice in the audience said that
the newspapers did not amount to
much, and Tillman replied: "No,
they don't; but mosquito can
make it mighty unpleasant some
times"
After giving Tillman considerable
advertising, telling what he had
done and what he took special de-
light in and relating how he &C.
complished this and that in the
Senate, although opposed by Re-
publican Senators and unassisted by
Democratic Senators, and after
rapping the newspapers good and