The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-03-11
THE PASSING OF
SENATOR TILLMAN
WASHINGTON INTERESTED IN
PROSPECT.

Few Of His Colleagues AS Well
Known.-"Country Has Not
Seen His Like
Washington Special to Richmond
News Leader.
The passing Of Senator Benjamin
Ryan Tillman, senior senator from
South Carolina, from the scenes Of
active life, even if he wins in his
present struggle with death calls to
mind the fact that not in years has
the country seen his like. That he
must resign from the senate should
he live is now apparent.
Senator T:llman entered the up
per house Of congress In 1895 as the
successor to Gen. Matthew c. But
ler. During the Is years that he has
seen service "a the senate he has
witnessed the coming and going Of
six colleagues from South Carolina.
John L. NJ. Irby succeeded Gen.
Wade Hampton. Upon his death he
was succeeded by Col. John H. Earle,
he in turn being followed by John
L. McLaurin> A. C. Lati1ner, Frank
B. Gary, and the present junior SEN
ator from South Carolina, Ellison
D. Smith.
Talked For a Week.
L. 1899 Senator Tillman came to
the front by advocating the passage
of the act that put into operation the
navy yard at Charleston. Just be-
fore the end Of the session at which
he desired to have the act passed, he
was Informed that it would fail.
Some Of the big appropriation bills
had yet been unacted upon and he
knew that if he secured the floor he
could talk until the short session If
congress, to end, bv law March 4,
would come to lose.
He got the floor and held it for
almost a week, much of the time
reading from the various poets and
other matter from time to time,
the while being assisted by his col
leagues on the Democratic side. He
kept the floor and until an hour be-
fore adjournment had it. The Re-
publican leaders compromised and
the Charleston navy yard was ap-
proved.
t Fought His Colleague.
The memorable McLaurin-Tillman
fight on the floor of the senate has
never been forgotten. The two Car
olinians disagreed concerning the
vote of the former about the ques-
tion, of the United States making
payment to Spain for the Philip
pines. The lie was passed and blows
followed.
In consequence Of this difficulty,
former President Roosevelt withdrew
an invitation that he had sent Sena-
tor Tillman to attend a state dinner
at the White House in honor of
Prince Henry Of Prussia. Senator
Tillman never again visited the
White House until after Mr.. Taft
went IN. -: s:s,: ~
). Liked to Prod Spocner.
Senator Tillman liked nothing bet
ter than to stir up Senator Spooner
of Wisconsin. For years their seats
in the senate were directly across the
aisle in the chamber, and time and
again when the South Carolinian and
the Wisconsin man took the floor
they literally made the sparks fly.
Each admired the other greatly and
not infrequently, after battle Of
words that would startle the galler-
les and create the biggest kind of
sensations, they would lock arms and
SGIO11 OUL VI GAS SOuoGO S0oA&-
ber and down to the restaurant as if
nothing out Of the ordinary had hap
pened.
Another member that Tillman en-
joyed prodding was Beveridge. The
1rdianian thought much of Tillman,
but their sarcastic thrusts and mer-
ciless verbal darts many times went
deeper than was apparent to onlook-
ers. In fact, there we're few men in
the senate who did not at one time
or another feel the burning words
hurled at them by the South Caro-
linian. He spared neither friend or
foe when aroused, as the pages Of
the Congressional Record for the
last Is years abundantly show.
Fought Crum-Hated Roosevelt.
If there was one man in the world
that Senator Tillman hated more
xLo,, ,,1- atbor - uo:- Ro0cavnIf He