Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1907 — TILLMAN IN A TIRADE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TILLMAN IN A TIRADE.

Essays Bole of Clovrn, Followed by That of “Furloso.” " Senator Tillman Monday made one of his characteristic attacks on almost everybody in the United States Senate. In a

I speech blistering with personalities, holding up to savage ridicule almost a score of his colleagues, the South Carolinan in what I purported to be a reply to Senator Spooner on the Brownsville I question became so offensive that the Senate later sat in executive session and expunged some of his most objectionable remarks from the record as being beneath the dignity of the Senate; At the very begin-

ning of his address Senator Tillman, launching into personalities, drew a satirical picture of the Senate as a minstrel show. In the character of Pitchfork Ben he characterized himself as one of .the end men in the show, while opposite him, other end, was playing Senator Spooner, a “juggler of international reputation,” who also sang “bass, alto, soprano or tenor and was superb in any role.” The minstrel circle between he peopled with other Senators who have spoken on the negro affair. * After completing this picture the Senator suddenly became serious and with frenzied and fervid oratory repeated remarks he had previously made on the subject of lynching negroes. Ife prefaced his defense of lynching with this declaration: “It is but my nature to be blunt and outspoken and I have never taught my tongue the art of double dealing, and if there is an vice in man I abhor more than any other it is hypocrisy.” Mr. Spooner followed and denied that he held malice toward Mr. Tillman and thought his colleague would regret his words when he saw them in.print. Senator Carmack of Tennessee said that in all of his experience in the Senate he had never heard a speech so studiously offensive as that of Air. Tillman. He referred to the fact that he had been included in the South Carolina Senator’s criticism, saying that Mr. Tillman’s strictures on him had been without provocation. “It is with no feeling of resentment I say with respect to some men that it is their misfortune rather than their fault that they do not know how to Speak the language of courtesy and good breeding,” he said.

B. R. TILLMAN.