Senator Benjamin Tillman [Cover]
Name/Title
Senator Benjamin Tillman [Cover]Description
Cover from "RIDDLE & WELLBORN, / DRUGGISTS and APOTHECARIES, / OMAHA, TEXAS" to "Hon: B.R. Tillman Senator S.C. / Senate Chamber / Washington D.C." Postmarked "OMAHA / MAY 2 1896." Handwritten: "Request for Speech / May 2, 1896."Context
Omaha is on the St. Louis Southwestern Railway and U.S. Highway 67 ten miles north of Daingerfield in north central Morris County. When the town was first laid out by Thompson Morris in 1880 it was called Morristown, but the post office department called it Gavett. In 1886 residents decided to change the name, and seven early settlers each put the name of his Alabama hometown in a hat. Omaha, the name selected, had been put forward by Hugh Ellis. Because of its central location and the railroad connection, the town grew quickly. By 1890 Omaha had three churches, a school, a weekly newspaper, and a population of 450. The recipient, Senator Benjamin Tillman, was known as "Pitchfork Ben" because of his aggressive language, as when he threatened to use a pitchfork to prod that "bag of beef", President Grover Cleveland. Considered a possible candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 1896, Tillman lost any chance after giving a disastrous speech at the convention. He became known for his virulent oratory—especially against black Americans—but also for his effectiveness as a legislator. The first federal campaign finance law, banning corporate contributions, is commonly called the Tillman Act. Tillman was repeatedly re-elected, serving in the Senate for the rest of his life. One of his legacies was South Carolina's 1895 constitution, which disenfranchised most of the black majority and many poor whites, and ensured white Democratic Party rule for more than six decades into the 20th century. "Ben Tillman's Fiery Tongue His Great Speech Arraigning the Administration of Grover Cleveland. Portentious Words from the Brave South Carolinian. A Speech That Will Live in the History of the Country Like Those of Lincoln, Clay and Webster." excerpts from a front-page report in the People's Advocate, Columbiana, Alabama, 27 February, 1896Category
The Handbook of Texas