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Show SENATOR BEN TILLMAN Senator Benjamin R. Tillman of South Carolina, who died last week at his home in Washington has for the past thirty years been one of the best known men in the public life of the nation. Tillman was a very remarkable character and in spite of the fact that he started late in life he accomplished much that 1 was worth while. He was born in Edgefield County, South Caro lina, and lived a quiet simple life on his plantation until he was nearly forty years of age. lie became interested in politics at the time the Farmers' Alliance was in the height of its glory, and in fact his political life was a product of that organization. He was 37 years of age when he made his first public speech, but that one speech sent his name all over the state. It was at this time that the Populist party was being formed, but Tillman was too wise to allow himself placed at the head of any party in South Carolina that did not bear the name of the old party. So he called his organization Reformed Democrats, and that name in itself appealed to his followers. The old regime, which had been under un-der the leadership of General Wade Hampton since 1876, when he defeated Chamberlain of Connecticut for the governorship of the state, was shocked and humiliated to see a lowbrow organization organiz-ation attempting to take control of affairs. But Tillman was afraid of no man, was a fire eater, had a great Intellect and was more than a match for any man of the old school who could be brought against him on the platform. Tillman's first public office was that of governor of the tate.- He was elected in 1890 by an overwhelming majority and re-elected two years later. And he had no sooner taken his seat as governor than he commenced his reform. Perhaps the most censational thing he did as governor was the establishment of . . the State Dispensary, whereby the state took over the saloon . business and used the profits for the public schools and other Tjurposes. He also established a state agricultural college and a state normal college for women. During his administration the negro was retired from politics, and the Jim Crow Car bill, providing pro-viding for separate coaches for whites and blacks, became a law, and that made him solid with the common people. In 1894 he was elected to the United States Senate and was thrice successively elected to succeed himself with practically no opposition. Also he was able to name the other senator from his state and it was almost impossible for any one to have been elected to a state office if his candidacy had Tillman's disapproval. disap-proval. During the early years of his career as United States Senator he. was the subject of much criticism which he rather invited than avoided. However, he proved to be an able and useful legislator and for many years has been held in the highest esteem by members, of the Senate and spoken of kindly by the v press throughout the country. When he was elected for the last time in 1912 during his .oivm-nfm ViVaairi that ho wished to die with his boots and he felt that he would die in office if elected. During that campaign he joined hands with the conservatives in an attempt to defeat Cole L. Blease for governor, and while he failed in this under-taking under-taking two years later he devised the plan which kept Blease from being elected to the United States Senate. At the time of his 'death he was a candidate for re-election to the Senate for the fifth term with Blease as an opponent. |
