Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-18
GOOD BYE TO PUBLIC life
TlIlman Ready to Quit After Present
Term.
PRAYS FOR elimination OF BLEASE.

Career as He Would Have People T.
See It, Declares Himself in favor o
Compulsory Education, and BewaiI
the Death of the Old Dispensar.
Abomination; But Thinks Every
Thing Will be All Right if the Voter
Will Just Keep the Governor Out o
the United States Senate.
Senator Tillman has given out th'
following document for such effect a!
it may have on the present campaign
Fellow Citizens:
Il was 67 years old the 18th day o.
August and felt like sending all Of yol
a greeting. 1 served you as governor
four years and have been your sena'
tor in Washington 20 years. When my
term expires March 4, 1919, if live sc
long, l shall have heAN the highest Of
fees in your gift for (2S years. An ole
man desires to thank You for your gen.
erous support all this long while. May
he not, without boasting, but in sin.
cerity and earnestness, say that he
has done his very best for both South
Carolina and the nation? Constituted
rs l am, l could not have done other
wise One Of the first lessons my good
and noble mother taught me was, II
thing is worth doing at all, it is
worth doing WE'LL While 1 was gov
ernor, therefore, l was governor, as
every one in South Carolina knows, not
of the Tillmanites alone, but of all the
people. And since l have been senator
have tried to be as good q senator as
there was in Washington.
A Large Figure.
Since August 1885, when l made
my first speech at Bennettsville, have
been one of the most prominent figures
and since 1890 the most powerful po-
litical factor in South Carolina
From the very start l won the love and
confidence of a large majority of my
fellow citizens and it was because OF
l was so hated and bitterly opposed
Many good men believed 1 was an Of
flee seeking demagogue and could FIND
no language strong enough to express
their hatred and contempt.
Two years ago when a test Of my
patriotism came, l demonstrated tc
those who had always opposed me
that l was not the selfish politician
they had judged me to be. No one
knew better than | the risk l ran ir
making the Ferguson letter public.
knew it jeopardized my reelection but
l would rather have been beaten thar
TO have remained silent. My frank
ness, straightforward openness OF
speech and honesty Of purpose de-
have thrown me into many a brial
patch when a more cautious man
would have avoided, but l never have
lost sight of the ideals which opened
welfare and uplift Of the masses have
always been the guiding star which lee
me on. Your faith, fellow citizens
sustained me, and | greet you in this
farewell address with affection and
confidence.
This is my goodbye to public Of
flee. l shall not be a candidate again
Two years ago when l asked you to re-
elect me that l might die in harness
/ fully expected to die very soon; but
the good Lord has seen fit to prolong
my life and by teaching me to live ra-
tionally has enabled me to regain some
degree of health. Should l live to the
end of my term, shall be 70 years OF
age and l now serve notice upon al
who are interested that l shall not try
to succeed myself. If l live until March
T. 1919, / shall die out Of and not in
harm SIS, as / have always wanted tC
do. But l shall not worry. Death
awaits us all and is inevitable. l &c
the way Of all my fathers, and try to
say in all humility and sincerity, Lord
Thy will be done.
Hopes for Best.
For four years at least many men
in SJuth Carolina have had their eyes
on the seat | held. This is natural be-
cause Of my illness and the expecta-
ton of my early death. There has been
some discussion of it in the newspa-
pers, which was to be expected. How
curious, fantastic and cruel is human
selfishness; but withal how natural a
thing it is. 1t is the only element OF
human nature which is universal. / dc
not complain at it, and / earnestly hope
that the man who is chosen will serve
the people as faithfully as l have. You
may find a man with more ability than
| possess; you can not find one who
will bring to his work greater earnest
ness and honesty Of purpose.
Under the peculiar circumstances
which now exist in South Carolina,
hope | may be permitted to say a few
words about the present situation ir
out state without being misunderstood
1t gives me deep concern. l am morti-
fled and disappointed that the primary
system has failed to develop in the
people sufficient political intelligence
to enable them to escape the wileS and
tricks of demagogues. Audacity and
aptitude in repartee, coupled with a
striking personality, have made the
people an easy prey. Instead of can
didates being compelled to discuss
public questions and policies, they
have been allowed to make appeals to
prejudice, and the people, blinded by
these arts, have followed and made
heroes of men who are wholly un-
worthy. ] have been and still am ac-
cuSed of inaugurating this method OF
campaigning. ! challenge the produc-
tiun of a single speech of mine where
in ! departed from the discussion OF
public issues or INDUCED in unparlia :
mentary language until forced to dc
So by unfair opponents. The more bit
ter enemies of the reform movement
began the vituperatiOn and abuse that
have marked South Carolina politics
since 1890. They answered argument
with invective: they greeted truth with
showers of mud and filth; and they
not |, must bear the responsibility.
Still Has Confidence.
1.-TWO years ago | lamented the same