The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-08-27
TILLNAN'S SPEECH
DELIVERED In UNITED STATES
SENATE MONDAY
Sees nations DECAY

Sees NAIlUNS DECAY
Senior Senator Scores Woman Suf-
frage-Says Country Needs Good
Mothers More Than Purifiers of
Politics-Touches on Divorce Evil
and Caminetti-Diggs Case.
For the first time since the illness
which almost caused his death, Sena-
tor Tillman Monday delivered real
speech in the Senate in open session.
There was good attendance on the
floor and in the galleries. The sub
ject Of the speech and vigorous man
ner in its delivery (although the Sen
ator read from the manuscript which
he had previously dictated) interest
ed the audience greatly and consti-
tuted a welcome diversion from the
tedium Of the tariff debate. Com
ment in Washington was that the
speech sounded exactly like the Till
man Of old.
While Senator Tilman was ex-
planning South Carolina's attitude
towards divorce in contrast with that
Of her neighbors, Senator Overman,
of North Carolina, interrupted to ex-
plain that the previous looseness of
the divorce law in his State has been
corrected. Senator Bacon undertook
to make a statement with reference
to Georgia, whereupon Senator Till
man down, remarking that he would
let Mr.. Bacon make the speech. This
sarcasm had it's effect in checking in
terruption and Senator Tillman re-
sumed the thread Of his fiery dis
course, which was in full as follows:
Mr.. President: A few days ago
asked permission Of the Senate to in
sert in the Record and to have print
ed as a public document an article
entitled t'The Mission Of Woman" by
DR.. Alfred Taylor Bledsoe. When
the Record appeared the next morn
ing it was found that the article IN
question contained what many Sena-
tor thought was an unkind and un-
lust reference to Northern women.
had not read the entire article before
submitting it to the Senate. I had
read only the first part, and was
struck by the force Of the historical
references quoted in it as to the
cause of the decay and fall Of Rome.
/ felt that the article was very op-
perfume Just at this time, and that
was why I wanted it given circula-
ton in the Record and printed as
public document. On discovering the
attitude Of my brother Senator'S to-
ward it, which can readily see was
natural, if not justifable, I promptly
Joined them in requesting that It be
expunged from the Record. wish
ed to avoid even the appearance OF
harboring mean thought or unchari-
table sentiments toward the women
Of the North. Some Of the very fin
est women I have ever known were
Northern women and good women,
thank God, are not confined to any
section of our great country. They
are to be found everywhere in the
United States, and they will be the
greatest factors in saving our clFlll-
cation from degeneration and de-
struction.
The expunging of the article from
the Record did not prevent its reach
ing every part Of the United States,
for the copies containing it had been
mailed before the action OF the Sen
ate ordering it to be e1punged and
countermanding the order for 1t to
be printee as public document had
been taken.
Comments n ore or less vitriolic,
and some Of them wholly unjust and
unfair, have come to me through the
mail. have been astounded to see
how much ignorance has been
shown. Some of the most scholarly
Northern magazines and periodicals,
like the Independent, whose editors
ought to be ashamed Of their ignor-
ance, discuss "The Mission OF Wo-
man" as though it had just appeared,
instead Of having been published for
ty odd years ago. I have received a
number Of requests for copies OF
1.-THE Mission Of Woman; and I am
sorry that the Senate refused to have
it printed as public document, be-
cause the action Of the Senate ex-
punging it from the permanent Re-
cord only attracted attention to it
more and caused people to be curious
to sec what had stirred up all the
row in Washington.
Further Explanation.
I have investigated the matter full
", and feel that in justice both to
Dr.. Bledsoe and to myself I ought to
make a further statement. He was
a profound scholar, courteous gen.
tleman and Cody man; and feel
that it is due his memory to explain
fully how the article came to be writ
ten, and under what circumstances it
was given publicity. Dr.. Bledsoe
died In 1877. So nothing that has
been. or will be, said about 1.-The
Mission of Woman" here or else
where, will affect him in the slight
est. He has gone, "somewhere past
the sunset and the night" to a land
where worldly praises can not please
nor worldly censures wound or crush
But I want to clear his memory anc
his name from any suspicion OF sec
~.eae nf anr kind and