The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-09-02
The Political Meeting Mt Townville.

The Political Meeting Mt ToWnvliie'
On last Saturday afternoon the citizens OF
Townyille and vicinity, who lad attended
the Grange meeting during the morning, re-
assembled for the purpose of hearing some
political speeches. Maj. George w. MERIT,
President of Fork Democratic Club, NO. 2,
presided, and introduced as the first and
principal speaker for the afternoon Hon. u.
Wyatt Aiken, the nominee Of the Demo-
cratic party of the Third District for Con-
gress. Col. Aiken spoke almost entirely
upon national politics. He gave his rea-
sons for preferring Hancock to Garfield Tor
President, and arraigned the Republican
nominee for the lack Of moral courage and
an undue love for money. lie expressed
the opinion that if Garfield should be elect
ed, our people will never see another Presi,
Dental election, but that the4country Will
drift rapidly into some consolidated power
at Washington. He complimented Gar
fields ability, but said lie is Totally unrelia-
BILE, and that his election w,uld forebode
the greatest misfortune to our government.
Col. Aiken then arraigned fs,e Northern
Democrats for insincerity and prejudice to-
wards the South. He said that the North
only allowed the South ve;y small pro-
portion of the appropriations for rivers and
harbors, and that they had repeatedly re-
fused to restore the soldiers of the Mexican
war living in the South to the pension lists.
He arraigned them for maintaining high
tariff and said that the better class OF peo'
pie in the North were generally Repuoll-
cans. That they had the brains, the money
and the culture of the North, and were
more congenial to his tastes than the Dem
ocrats. He was unwilling for the South,
which composes the greater pcTtlon OF tue
Democratic party, to be controlled ana
ignored by the minority. Col AIKEN
claimed that the. elections in the Northern
cities are controlled largely by the use Oh
money and by the exercise Of the money
power, and thought this the greatest trouole
the Democrats will encounter IN carrying
the Presidential election: He SAID that the
host of ofice-holders in the United Statcs
exercise great influence, all OK which will
be given to Garfield in order to retain their
own positions. He Thought the contest in
Indiana very important one 10 the Demo-
Gratis. for if we carry that State in October
we will be very apt to carry tina Presidential
election, but if we lose Indie,ia then we
have very little prospect of Sc cess. Col:
Aiken closed his speech by ssying that II
there is O Democrat in South C.,olina he is
one from head to foot.
Mai. Merret then called for addresses from
the candidates for the Legislature, and IN
troduced the following gentlemen:
Col. E. M. Rucker, who spoke upon the
snbiect of the relation of the State govern
ments to the National Government, con-
tending that the right Of local self-govern-
ment should not be turned over to the gen
eral government, because it is too far re-
moved from the control of the people. The
government at Washington was not as
easily held responsible as that at Columb bia,
and therefore it is for the interest of the
people of the whole country to retain their
separate State governments. For this pur.
pose he felt that the success Of the National
Democratic party was all important and
necessary to the well being of the South as
we'll as every other section Of the Union.
He could not, therefore, agree with the dis.
tinguished gentleman who had preceded
him in reference to the Northern Demo-
Gratis. He had Just returned from the Con-
gressional Nominating Convention, where
Col. Aiken was nominated upon platform
expressing adhesion to the National Demo
cratic party, and he, for one, was hearty in
support of its principles.
Col. J. G. G. Featherston spoke in advo-
cacy of the doctrine of State rights. Said
that he had been reared in this school OF
politics; had lived in it and expected to die
in it. He believed in none other. 1t our
people wish to see an instance OF the con.
SEQUENCES following destruction of State
rights, he would cite them to the case OF
poor Davis, in this County, who was MUIR
dered BY revenue officer named Mattlson,
and vet because he was revenue officer
Judge Bond took him away from the State
Courts, where he could have had fair trial,
and released him on bail without ever pre-
tending to try the case. He said that he
fayors more rigid economy in The admin
istration of the State government, cutting
off of useless offices and the ca of State
Convention to give as new Constitution.
He thought it could be better reached IN
this way than by amendments by the Leg
islature.
Mai. E. B. Murray, who said he thought
the present Presidential canvass the crisis
in our country's history, which would
decide the perpetuity of our free institutions
or the Capitalization Of the powers of gov
ernment. The Republican party had, by
degrees. been destroying the rights OF the
States and familiarizing the people with
fraud. force and corruption unvil the climax
has been reached and the people are called
upon to decide between the free institutions
Of Republic and the authority Of central.
izatien. He, therefore, regarded the success
of the National Dem ocratic party as of the
greatest consequence, and therefore he disa-
creed entirely with the position Of our dis
tineuished representative ir Congress.
There is not any other alliance for the
South than with the National Democratic
party The Republicans have brought us
to the condition we are now in, and have
never shown any disposition tc help US out,
while the Northern Democrats have done
nil for us that the circumstance permitted.
We must remember that We have but re.
Gently been in possession of the National
Congress. Before that time we received
nothing from the Republicans. Since then
the Democrats have done something for
our rivers and harbors, though not as much
as we wanted. They would, however, im-
prove when we got possession cf the Presl.
dency. Now, if any positive act OF relief
for the South is passed the President vetoes
it. as in the case of the law regulating the
appointment of United States Marshals.
If a bill to pension the Mexican soldiers in
the South had passed, Mr.. Eayes would
have vetoed it, and the Republicans would
have claimed it as evidence that the South
intends making raid on the treasury. He
claimed that in the Democratic party we
will be able to exercise our legitimate in
huence, but in the Republican party we
would be in hopeless minority. He did
not concur in the opinion that the Repub-
licans possessed the brains and money and
culture of the North. He coptended that
such men as Thurman, Pendleton, Bayard,
Seymour, Tilden, Charles Francis Adams
Hancock and English are the piers of any
men in America, and that it is but reason.
able to conclude that their constituencies
are the equals of any constituencies in
America. He then spoke briefly upon thu
importance of State politics, after which
the meeting adjourned.
Honea Path Township.
Saturday, August 21st.. was pleasant
day at Towns Chapel. About three hun
dred persons assembled to enjoy Sunday
School pic mic and to hear some Sunday
School addresses. The singing attracted