New Britain herald., 1918-07-03
BEN PULLMAN DIES
 FIGHTING ID LAST
South Carolina Senator's Work Stopped Only by Grim Reaper
FIRE EATER OF UPPER HOUSE
Tn Senate Since 1894, He Gave VaE- uabIC Service During War-Fought Colleague With Bare knucklcs and Dcficd Roosevelt

Colleague With Bare knucl>les and Dcficd Roosevelt.
 Washington, July 3.-Senator Ben
 R. Tillman, of South Carolina, died this morning at APO o'clock Senator Tillman suffered a cerebral hemorrhage last Thursday and had been in an unconscious condition since that time The stroke affected the entire left side.
 The senator had been a member of the United States senate, since 1894. His term would have expired March 8, 1919.
 To honor the passing of one of the most picturesque figures in congress and Southern public life, both bodies of congress planned to adjourn today and appoint committees to accom- pany the body to the Tillman home at Trenton, $. C.
 As governor of South Carolina, as a leader in the Southern wing of the democratic party, as an active parti- Cipant in the last generatiOn'S growth of the American Navy. Sena- tor Tillman had been prominently be- fore the public for many years.
 Senator Swanson, of Virginia, probably will be his successor as head of the naval committee.
 Senator Tillmans death promises an upheaval in South Carolina poll tics, in which he has been a leader for more than a generation. He died in the heat of the senatorial primary campaign, in which his long time
 
 Cole M. Blease, was contesting for nomination to the senate.
 Senator TillmAn was the eighth member of the senate to die since the United States entered the war. Benjamin Ryan Tillman was one of the most extraordinary members of the United States Senate in which body he served continuously for A years. During the latter part of his service he was chairman of the Naval Affairs committee of the sen- ate and his work in that position, after the United States entered the great war, was considered by his col leagues to be of great value. Cornfield Lawyer. As a senator, MT. Tillman quickly won a wide reputation through the : country for plainness and bluntness of l speech which, combined with his ap- parent rough exterior and some what l careless manner of dress made him a | unique figure in congress. No one ! attracted more attention when he rose 1 to speak in the senate. His language i was always dramatic and he called ! things by their simplest names. He | often referred to himself as the i corntield lawyer but it was believed he ! did so only for the purpose of showing
 how little some of the lawyers knew on some of the intricate questions where common sense was more de- i sirable than legal technicalities. Within 9 month after he took his
 seat in the senate, following his first ] election to that body in 1894, Sena- l tor Tillman won his picturesque nick name of "Pitchfork Ben", a charac- 1 terization which he did not resent. In ] a speech he shattered all the tradi- l tions of the senators by taking the floor so soon after becoming a mem- | Der and further indicated his disre-
 gard of these senatorial usages by announcing himself to be "a farmer 1 pure and simple with no collateral oc-
 cupation" and declaring his intention
 of holding up some of the public ques-
 
 impression made upon some of his colleagues was not altogether favor. i able, his methods convinced them that
 he was a vigorous fighter and a per- l sonality to be reckoned with so long as South Carolina should continue to
 send him to the senate. His intimate i knowledge of the best in literature
 shWed that he was not the uncul- ; turcd man the senators had pictured
 him, despite the brusque manner and 1 out-spokcn ways.
 Fought With McLaurin. MT. Tillman's career in the senate ] was full of interesting episodes, 1 prominent among which was his ex- 1 change of blows with his colleague, 1 Senator McLaurin, over an incident
 which occurred in the executive ses-
 sion, which cost him an invitation by ! President Roosevelt to meet Prince 1 Henry Of .Battenberg at a White 1 House dinner. Other incidents were
 a sharp conflict with Colonel Roose-
 welt partly growing out of a dispute l over the disposition of Southern Pa 1 cific railroad lands in Oregon; and 1 Senator Tillman's persistent and ul- 1 timately successful fight against Pres 1 ident Isoosevelts appointment of Dr. | Crum, a negro, as collector of the l port of Charleston.
 Although of advanced age Senator Tillman gave evidences Of his ability 1 to retain his office by engaging in a. 1 fiery political contest with former ! Governor Bledse Q candidate against l him in the senatorial primaries of 1918. The senator had previously an- | nounced his intention to retire from