Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-13
TUESDAY, AUGUST 1s, 1879.
rILLMAN STILL FOUNDERS
Perturbed Senator Would Like to be
Let Alone.

Perturbed Senator Would Like to be
Let Alone.
Senator Tillman gave out the follow
ing signed statement from Washington
last Saturday night:
Many kilograms and letters have
come to my office since the publica-
tion Of my letter to Mr.. Sims and I
deem It both necessary and proper
for me ITO make a statement to the
press. In that way alone can I pre-
vent mistakes from being made and
having words and ideas put into my
mouth which are not warranted.
II have not written any letter
which was intended or could be used
as Jones campaign literature. I
have desired to maintain the attitude
Of neutrality in the governors race
which announced at the beginning.
I have never believed a United States
senator ought to take an active part
in the nomination for state Offices.
What letters / have written were
penned in the hope Of moderating
the fury with which charges and
counter charges were being hurled
back and forth. But instead of pro-
ducing that effect, 1t has seemed to
increase the bitterness, and am re-
solved that will not permit. my
self to be drawn into this fight fur
ther. ] am in Washington discharg-
ing the duties of my Office as sena-
tor from South Carolina as well as
my health and limited strength will
permit. While my health Is steadily
improving I have no hope OF becom-
ing sufficiently restored for me to do
any speaking in the campaign. God
knows I wish I could, for II there
ever was a time when the people
needed clearness Of vision and sound
advice, It Is now. could speak
what cannot write and do 1t with
more force and effectiveness.
Among the public services which
I have rendered South Carolina, I
consider none of them more valuable
than the aid I gave in the establish
ment of the primary system for state
offices with the county to county cam
paign. When rightly used, this latter
is a great educational force In in
structing the public upon many pub
lie questions and bringing them face
to face with the men who are seeking
their votes. I have been sincerely
anxious that nothing should be done
to impair the usefulness Of this edu-
cational agency. Instead Of our can
.didates discussing great public ques-
tions and teaching the people, the
meetings have been little else than
vulgar quarreling matches in which
biackguardism, vulgarity, obscenity
and abuse almost without limit and
all manner Of filthy speeches have
been allowed to predominant. The
states good name has been dragged
in the mire to the disgust and shame
of all right thinking Carolinians.
Patriotic citizens must take counsel
together, how to lift these meetings
back to a high plane and make them
the great educators they are intended
to be.
Judge Jones ought to have been
content with what said and stopped
there. He had no right to incite GOV.
Blease's friends to lombard me with
kilograms and letters. by Offering
800 reward to any one who would
get me to declare Blease or Duncan
were eminently qualified for the gov
ernor's office. I do not see that IL is
my business to dictate to the people
of South Carolina as to whom they
should elect governor.
"If I could have done that, -JohnG.
Richards, Jr., would be governor now.
I am naturally frank and blunt and
somewhat impulsive, therefore, In
writing to friends in South Carolina
have not been on the watch lest
some phrase in my letter would lay
me under suspicion of being Blease-
ite, Jonesite, or Duncanite. For In
stance, some days ago, In writing to
friend in Marlboro, I said: Sensible
men will never weigh Senator TIL
man and Gov. Blease In the same
scales. II the fools do, 1t Is not any
fault of mine ! said this In the same
spirit in which I said: No sensible
man In the state believes that Judge
Jones Is In favor Of social equality.
Just as no one but fool will consider
Judge Jones as being In favor OF
social equality, so no. one but fool
will regard Blease as the only repre-
sentative of Tillmanism or Its best
exponent. There are hundreds Of
Tillmanites in the state who are bet
ter exponents Of both than either
Jones or Blease or Duncan. do not
see what that has to do with 1t any
way. The issue is. or ought to be.
integrity Of purpose, patriotism ana
ability, cleanness Of character, high
ideals, capacity to lead the people and
show them the best way to go, cour-
age to execute the laws unfiinching-
ly and without fear or favor.
"I have been made ashamed, as
every South Carolinian must be, at the
vulgarity, indecency and cowardice
that has been shown on the stump.
When my brother senators read about
the passing Of the lie being in every
meeting in South Carolina, they with
a yelled sneer allude to 1t In surprise.
I have no word to say because can
not. I resented the lie with blow on
the floor of the senate and that has
been regarded as an illustration of the
states spirit. The people Of the state
ought to compel those who seek their
votes for high official positions to be-
have and speak like gentlemen. The
people can do 1t. One can speak boldly,
aggressively and truthfuliy, and not
finch from stating the facts, and do
1t in parliamentary language, and
public opinion should demand this.
and the people should enforce 1t as
rule. Else, for the states good name,
we had better cease having these
state campaigns at all; and they are
too valuable to give up because OF the
manner in which they are being pros
tituted. 1t Is a disgrace to have them
conducted in the way they have been
this year. 1t would be little short Of
a calamity to cease altogether.
lone word in conclusion, and the
most important word Of all. There
are men in the state who believe IL
Judge Jones Is not elected that the
state will go to the dogs. There are
others, equally honest and patriotic
who believe that II Blease is not elect
ed the reform movement and princi-
Piles 1t stood for will be destroyed.
Both are wrong. The fabric of our
government is not built on such a
fiimsy foundation. but 1t is Of vital
importance-and say this with all
solemnity Of which I am capable
that the legislature to be elected this
wear Is of more Importance than Is