The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1912-05-16
SENATOR TILLMAN
WRITES TO VOTERS

WRlIH IU YUIEKS
Will not Stump the State this
Summer.
TO the People Of South Carolina:
Twenty-Five years ago | asked
YOU to elect me to the office OF
governor. You did it, after a
very hot campaign in which l
spoke in every county in the
State. Two years later | asked
for reelection. You gave me
the office a second time by an
overwhelming majority. After
four years Of service in the
| Governors office, | asked you to
elect me to the senate, and again,
after a heated canvass, you
placed me in the office l now
hold.
I have held this office for
ne:.rly eighteen years, and | am
now asking you to re-elect me
to it, although my health is
broken and | am no longer the
strong and vigorous man | once
was. I have a ripe experience
and thorough knowledge of the
working of the government, and
have many warm personal
friends in the departments and
in both branches of congress.
| came to the senate in a cloud
of obloquy on account of news
paper abuse at home. [ have
fought my way in spite of it
and have lived to see most Of
the newspaper men in the press
gallery my friends
By long service and hard
work, I have Won an enviable
position in Washington, and
the State is entitled to whatever
benefit I have in places on the
committees which can only be
obtained by such service.
have fiattered no man and
feared no man in debate, and |
have a strong desire to die in
harness, for sentimental rea-
SONS only.
| have no words that can eX-
press my appreciation and graft
tude for the confidence and love
you have given me in all these
years. If I did not feel that my
experience and intimate ac-
quaintance with public affairs
will enable me to give accept
able service In the future, |
would not ask reelection at
your hands, but content myself
with the full measure of the
honors you have given me al
ready.
When first came into public
life I met a storm of opposition,
which was very bitter and in
tense. 1t required intense and
aggressive action to overcome it;
and being combative by nature,
I fought with all my might for
those things I thought We're
right. and I won because you
approved my policies, my utter
ances and my actions.
Amid this exciting contest,
many things were said and done
ON bosh sides that, perhaps, had
better been left unsaid and un-
done. Men are but human, and
when fired by strong convic-
tions, they speak and do things
which they afterward regret.
As God is my judge, I never
said anything but truth, or did
anything as governor OF as
senator, | did not believe to be
off the public welfare. AS |
look back over my career, | can
see mistakes and blunders,
plenty of them, but they We're
honest blunders, and I have
never permitted selfish ambition
or petty revenge to control my
actions. l have tried to be sen-
ator of all the people, as | was
governor of the whole State and
my ambition has been, in the
senate, to give the people the
best servive of which / was cap
able,
Owing to my poor health and
in accordance with the advice
of my physician, I shall not
make any speeches during the
canvass this summer. All Of
the old men in the State have
already heard me speak, and if