Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-08-19
TILLMAN SENDS FAREWELL.
Will Not Seek to Succeed Himself
Even Should He Live.

Senator Tillman has sent to the
press of the State long farewell
| address, in which he takes occasion
to say:
ITO My Constituents: Fellow
citizens, | was 67 years old the 11th
day Of August, and felt like sending
all OF you greeting. | served you as
Governor four years, and have been
your Senator in Washington twenty
years. When my term expires,
March 4, 1919, if | live so long, |
shall have held the highest offices in
your gift for twenty-eight years. An
old man desires to thank you for
your generous support all this long
while. May he not, without boast
ing, but in sincerity and earnestness,
say that he has done his very best
for both South Carolina and the ma
ton? Constituted as l am, / could
not have done otherwise.
"One of the first lessons my good
and noble mother taught me was, If
thing is worth doing at all, it is
! worth doing we'll While | was Gov
ernor, therefore, | was Governor, as
every one in South Carolina knows.
not of the Tillmanites alone but OF
all the people. And since ! have
been Senator l have tried to be as
good a Senator as lherc was IN
Washington.
Since August, 1885, when made
my first speech at Bennettsville, I
have been one of the most prominent
figures, and since 1890, the most
powerful political factor in South
Carolina. From the very start I
won the love and confidence of
large majority of my fellow citizens;
and it was because Of the genuine
ness of my Democracy that | was
so hated and bitterly opposed. Many
good men believed | was an office
seeking demagogue, and could find
no language strong enough to eX-
press their hatred and contempt,
My frankness. Straightforward
openness Of speech, and honesty of
purpose despise hypocrisy above
all other vices-have thrown me into
many briar patch, which a more
cautious man would have avoided;
but | never have lost sight of the
ideals which opened before me at
Bennettsville; and the welfare and
uplift Of the masses have always
been the guiding star which led me
tanned me, and | greet you in this
farewell address with affection and
confidence.
Goodbye to Office.
This is my goodbye to public
Office. | shall not be candidate
again. Two years ago, when | asked
you to re-elect me that ] 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 nationally has
enabled me to regain some degree of
health. Should | live to the end of
my term, | shall be 70 years of age.
and | now serve notice upon all who
ale interested that | shall not try to
succeed myself. If I live until March
4, 1919, | shall die out Of and not
in harness, as | have always wanted
to DO. But shall not worry. Death
awaits us all and is inevitable. go
the way of all my fathers, and | try
to say in all humility and sincerity.
Lord, Thy will be done
For four years at least many men
in South Carolina have had their
eyes on the seat hold. This is ma
tural because Of my illness and the
expectation OF my early death. There
has been some discussion Of it in the
newspapers, which was to be EXPECT
ed. How curious, fantastic and
cruel is human selfishness! But
Withal how natural thing it is. 1t
is the only element Of human nature
which is universal. | do not COM
plain at 1t, and / earnestly hope that
the man who is chosen will serve the
people as faithfully as | have. You
may find man with more ability
than | possess; you cannot find one
who will bring to his work greater
earhestness and honesty Of purpose.