Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-03
TILLMAN, FIERY
SENATOR, DIES
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sense was more desirable than legal
technicalities.
Won Nickname Early
Within a month after he took his
seat In the Senate, following his first
election to that body in 1894, Sen
ator Tillman won his picturesque
nickname of "Pitchfork Ben" a
characterization which he didn't re-
sent. In speech he shattered all the
traditions of the Senators by taking
the floor so soon after becoming a
member and further indicated his
disregard of these Senatorial usages
by announcing himself to be "a
farmer, pure and simple with no
collateral occupation" and declaring
his intention of holding up some of
the public questions on his pitch
fork. While the impression made
upon some of his colleagues was not
altogether favorable, his methods
convinced them that he was a Wig
orous fighter and a personality to be
reckoned with so long as South Car
olina should continue to send him to
the Senate. His intimate knowledge
of the best literature showed that
he was not the unculturcd man the
Senators had pictured him, despite
ways.
Mr.. Tillman's career in the Senate
was full of interesting episodes,
prominent among which was his ex-
change of blows with his colleague,
Senator McLaurin, over an incident
which occurred in the executive ses-
sion, which cost him an invitation by
President Roosevelt to meet Prince
Henry of Battenberg at White
House dinner. Other incidents were
sharp conflict with Colonel Roose-
welt partly growing out of dispute
over the disposition of Southern
Pacific railroad lands in Oregon, and
Senator Tillman's persistent and ulti-
mately successful fight against Presi-
dent Roosevelt's appointment of DR..
Crum, negro, as collector of the
port of Charleston.
Central Figure at Conventions
Although of advanced age, Senator
Tillman gave evidence of his ability
to retain his office by engaging in a
fiery political contest with former
Governor Blease, a candidate against
him in the senatorial primaries of
1918. The Senator had previously an
nounced his intention to retire from
politics, but he reconsidered that de-
termination in the belief that his
intimate knowledge of naval affairs
would be of service to the country
in time of war.
Born in Edgefield county, South
Carolina, August IL, 1S47, Mr.. Till
man received an academic education,
enlisted in the Confederate Army in
1854, but saw no military service
owing to the fact that he lost the
sight of his left eye from a severe
illness soon after he enlisted. in
1868 he married Sallie Starke.
He was elected Governor of South
Carolina in 1890 and again in 1892.
His service to that state included the
founding of the Clemson Agricultur-
al and Mechanical College at Fort
Hill, for boys, and the Winthrop
Normal and Industrial College at
Rock Hill, for girls. He was author
of the famous dispensary system for
selling liquor under the control OF
the state.
A lifelong Democrat, he participat-
ed in the South Carolina Constitu-
tion convention which in 1895 made
education a qualification of suffrage
He was a central figure in the Demo
cratic national conventions, particu-
larly in those of 1900 and 1904. He
| served for years as a member of the
Democratic national committee,