As the likely Democratic presidential candidate for 1892 , former president Grover Cleveland , was a staunch opponent of free silver , Tillman attacked Cleveland . Most of the South Carolina delegation , including Tillman , voted against Cleveland at the convention , but when the former president was nominated , the governor worked to deliver South Carolina for Cleveland by an overwhelming margin . Cleveland was elected , but the new president was offended by Tillman 's earlier attacks , and denied the governor any role in patronage in South Carolina , entrusting it to Senator Matthew Butler and other remaining Conservatives . Tillman 's inability to provide federal jobs for supporters made it more difficult for him to hold his coalition together . Tillman continued his verbal assaults , stating that Cleveland " is an old bag of beef and I am going to Washington with a pitchfork and prod him in his old fat ribs " — thus popularizing Tillman as " Pitchfork Ben "
the convention
1892 Democratic National Convention
Benjamin Tillman