The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-08-06

people into prosperity and the State
into M erect position. TO say that
the Legislature made some mistakes
is to say that it was mortal, for to
err is human. Than this Legisla-
ture, composed, by the way, at least
four-ffths of farmers. there never
was moro patriotic, moro devoted,
more earnest set of men, say
this in defence Of them againat the
aspersions of my friend, who says
that tho State was only changing
masters, He did this Legislature Il
rank injustice, and I regret that
those charges have gone forth az the
sentiments Of the Feasterville Club
as far as the railroad goes and to
every post Office and family to
which tho county paper is sent.
In this my friend did IN injustice
to th:s club and to me.
Some time since, us thunderbolt
in the clear sky, came the first
Feasterville resolutions, in which |
WAS broadly censured IN the same
terms as Nash or Sn,alls or Whit
temore would have beon--th,t the
club protested against my re-elec-
ton to the Legislature. When the
resolutions endorsed my colleague,
MIR. Brlce, can heartily endorse
them. Never was there Il truer son
OF South C;Irolira and more faith
ful representative than he, TO all
they say of him I respond, amen
Let me say that il is your right to
scrutinizn your representatives; you
should watch them and, if necessary,
oriticise them. But when you do
censure nan w1o in his bosom
feels no consciousness OF wrong
doing, yo" should specify your
charges, and not dcnounce him in
bold terms, rs if he were utterly
faithless or utterly base. But after
q while, a gentleman, and then
another gentleman, through the
columns of the paper, specify til G
following matters wherein I have
offended.
THE CHARGES,
1. That I voted against Judge
Mackey.
2. That I voted against an inves-
tigation Of the debt
3. That ! voted against the usury
law.
4 That I voted against the phos-
phate bill.
6 That I said I knew moro than
my constituents did.
6. Th.t I voted with the Charles
ton delegation.
Z. Tdat ! am q alow~countryman.
8. That I am a lawyer.
Now, MIR. President, I am glieved
that my friend, who has known me
for years, should have made these
charges simply upon heal say,
without satisfying himself of
the justice of his accusations.
More especially am I hurt that he
should not have known me bett @,
than to imagine that I would have
been guilty Of tho remark that I
knew more than my constituents
did. Of all the charges, that alone
stnng me. lie might also have
known that even had 7 thought
such u thing, I could not be 80 stu
pid as to give public utterapce to it.
But I must proceed, and I will an
swer the charges one by ono.
The first is that
VOTED AGAINST JUDGE MACKEY,
and therefore am not fit to repre-
sent the people of Fairfield. Now.
Mr.. President, there were serious
questions involved in that election,
and / am not prepared to find fault
with any one who differs from me
in regard to the policy to be pur-
snel. But I remembered thnt our vic
tory hid been won on q stra:ght)ut
'p.atform, &nl I believed that the
safest plan, WAS to continue in the
path marked out in the glorious
days Of '76 NJ M,reover, Mr.. Prosi-
dc"t, casting my vote us L did,
believed l was obeying strictly the
instructions Of the Felstervilie Club
a wise man hath said, "Oh that
mine enemy would write book.
MIR. President, mine enemy huth
written book, and I will read it to
him. &Cheers.)
We remember tho trying time
through which the county passed
last year, in that campaign ]
stood with Feastervillc. us ~ mat
ter Of principle, when my personal
feelings at that time inclined me al
the other Way. IIet ma rand y rnan.