The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-08-20
TILLMAN'S FAREWELL.
Continued from page 81
honor, and so believing l would be

! honor, and so believing | would be
recreant to the people of South Caro-
lima if l did not say so. But do not
misunderstood me. l speak as a citi-
zen merely and l fully realize and
recognize the right of the humblest
man in South Carolina to differ with
me. A mans ballot is his own and no
| other man has a right to criticise him
for using it as he chooses.
Il am too near the grave to tell
any lies, if l ever had the inclina-
ton to do so; I have nothing to gain
by speaking; hence there is no selfish
ness in my utterances. But | love
the State which has honored me so
long and in such a marked degree
and want to warn our people-those
who will listen to me-before it is
too late. l repeat, there is absolute
ly no element of personality or self
ishness in it. All my ambitions-and
1 thank God they were all worthy
ones-have been satisfied. There
fore, l speak, as it were, from a
mountain top, looking down upon
my fellows, who in few years must
follow me to the grave. If ever a
mans utterance ought to cause the
people to pause and listen and think.
mine should. For all essential pur-
poses I speak as one who is dead. II
| I allowed selfshness to influence me,
! would quietly work to have Blease
sent here because there is nothing
more certain than this: While Wood
row Wilson is president Blease will
get no recognition in the way OF
patronage whatever. / have had little
or none, but / would have it all here
after with Blease as colleague. If
a Republican should follow Wilson,
Blease might in way duplicate or
/ repeat my attitude towards Cleve-
land, who did not recognize the Till
| NANTES in South Carolina as Demo-
Gratis at all. If the unhappy differ
ence among our people in South Car
olina shall continue and Bleaseism
becomes the dominant factor in the
State, Blease might in time play the
role of Malone in Virginia. All signs,
however, point to the triumphant re-
election of President Wilson and the
continuance of the Democratic party
in power.
There is one striking thing about
Gov. Blease as leader and a states
man to be very seriously considered.
1t seems to have been lost sight of up
| to this time He has been in public
life since 1890. He came to the front
the same year l did. If he is such a
| great leader now, more worthy to be
followed than Tillman, more worthy
of admiration and trust, how has he
succeeded all these years in hiding it?
What has he ever done in construc-
tive way to benefit the people Of
South Carolina? Let those who are
| his sponsors answer. have demon
strated my craftsmanship and ability
to lead in a dozen ways. Without
even mentioning what 1 have done in
Washington as a senator, l have
many monuments to my credit in
South Carolina-Clemson and Win
throp in an educational way, the con-
stitutional convention, which relieved
the people of the State Of the menace
of negro domination by the organic
law under which we live. the primary
system of choosing candidates and
! the despised and slandered dispen-
sary, which only failed because the
corrupt politicians in the legislature
got hold of it and the anti-Tillman-
| ties egged them on to destroy it. But
in spite of all their machination and
cunning. it still survives locally in
many counties. All these are large
ly my handiwork. In Gods name,
let those who were formerly Tillman-
ties but now Blease shouters, show
what Blease has done Of a similar
character. They cannot do it and
they owe it to themselves to pause
and analyze things and recover their
reason-if they can. They can undo
some of the wrongs they have per-
petuated and restore the States good
name which Blease has made a by
word and a kissing. The 25th of
August will tell the story and l
watch the result with confidence