The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-11-30
WILL BE ON HAND.
Senator b. r. Tillman Ready for His
Duties at Washington.

Duties at Washington.
In a letter to the News and Cour-
ier from Columbia Col. August kohn
says when Senator Tillman returns
to Washington it is his purpose to
remain there. He has been quite
active for some time on his farm at
Trenton and this out Of door work
has no doubt been Of great benefit to
him, and he feels able and strong
enough to undertake the work at
Washington when the session opens
in a few weeks.
Senator Tillman is not saying any,
thing about his reelection, because
he takes that for granted, and If
nothing occurs between now and the
next primary his name will, OF
course, be before the voters and he
has no doubt that the people will re-
elect him. ~
1t is a long time since March, 1895,
when Senator Tillman took his seat
in the United States senate. Of the
group that went into the senate at
that time but very few remain, and
the, associates of Senator Tillman at
that time who remain are: Senators
Bacon, Martin and Nelson.
The senate, as every one knows,
is a very "close corporation, and it
is perhaps the one organization where
seniority counts most. Once in
while shining light breaks in and
temporarily disconcerts the cusoms
and precedence of generations, but
this is most unusual. Senator Till
man ranks seventh in seniority
that is in length of service. The Unit
ed States senators ahead of him are:
Senators Cullom, Lodge, Gallinger,
Perkins, Clark, of Wyoming, and
Warren, and then comes the group of
which Senator Tillman is one.
| of course, as every one knows,
Senator Cullom is very old man,
being 80 years of age. Senator Gal
linger was born in 1887, Senator
Perkins in 1899 and Senator Warren
was born in 1914, and of the senators
who remain in the 1895 group; Sen
ator Bacon was born in 1889, Sena-
tor Nelson in 1S43, while Senator
Tillman was born in 1847, which
makes him really one of the younger
members of the Senate. "
1t is because of this long service
aside. from the recognized ability Of
Senator Tillman, that makes him of
so much value at this time and the
possibilities of his service of ever so
much more value. The changing of
three senators, that Is the election
of three Democrats instead of three
Republicans, who are now senator's
will change the majority of the sen
ate from Republican to Democratic,
and in that event Senator Tillman
would by right of being the ranking
Democratic member have the choice
of the Craftsmanship of one of several
of the most important committees of
the Senate. 3,
He is the ranking Democrat on the
committees of appropriation, naval
affairs, Interstate commerce, mines,
and mining, and Indian relations,
and is now chairman of Five Civiliz-
ed Tribes Of Indians" which gives
him a clerk and messenger. If the
Democrats should gain control of the
Senate, which, is altogether. likely,
this would make Senator Tillman
chairman of perhaps the most import
ant committee in the senate, that ;is
the committee of appropriations
which handles the billion dollars that
are annually expended by the Feder-
al Government. AS a matter of fact,
the Democrats want Senator Tillman
for this position and now, defer to
him in many matters that come be-
fore the committee, Of which he is
the ranking minority member.
Just a little incident to show how
things go. For many years bill
was pending either in the house OF
senate providing for a fish hatchery
in South Carolina, but it never passed
both branches in any one year and
never got into the appropriation bill.
At a meeting of the committee. last
year while the matter of appropria-
ting funds for fisheries was under dis
cussion, although there was no bill
before either the, house or senate,
Senator Tillman suggested that he
wanted a fishery for this State and
wanted $4,000. The other men,
bers of the committee concurred and
without any legislative act the $780,
600 was simply incorporated in the
general appropriation bill, and this
is the way things are often done and
why a craftsmanship is Of SO much
Importance. Long. service, too,
makes such things easy to do.
Of course, Senator Tillman with
his quickness has not needed the
eighteen years that he has been in
the senate to find out how to work
the machine or to catch on to all
the legislative "kinks," but he has
used this time in addition to becom-
ing familiar with the legislative ma
chinery making friends, and the peo-
pie in Washington, regardless of po-
litical affiliations, all testify to the
high regard in which Senator Tillman
is held by the officials, as we'll as by
the officers of the army and navy,
and with his rank, efficiency and ac-
quaintance, if the Democrats should
gain control of the senate the peo-
pie of this State can hardly estimate
of how much value he would be.
OF course, Senator Tillman is not
as vigorous nor as strong as he has
been, but he is able to be up and
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