Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-10-05
POLITICAL DISCUSSION.


ternoon last and remained over Saturday
morning. on which day, it seems, an appoint
ment had been made for him to address meet
ing called in his interest at Wilson's Chapel,
the meeting house of colored congregation,
II miles southwest of town.
Wilson's Chapel may well be considered
historic ground 1t is a Republican strong
hold, where we suppose both religion and poll
tics are dispensed in quantities to suit pur-
clasers and here is where the Republicans
of York made next to their grandest effort
in the struggle of 1876, and here is the only
place in York county where the Republicans
conceded a division of time to their opponents
in that famous struggle. 1t was on beauti-
full September day-the 25th of the month
which was appointed as the time for grand
rally of the faithful under the banner OF Cham
berlain, and the appointment having become
generally known to the Democrats, 10y spon-
taniety action almost incredible they poured
in from. all directions. Democratic speakers
we're urged by their adherents to attend, and
among several persons who went from York
vile, were Hon. l. d. Witherspoon, then the
Democratic nominee for State Senator, MAJOR
James F. Hart and Major T. J. Bell. The
crowd WAS about equally divided as between
the two parties. Democrats, with banners
dying, pranced around in eXultant manner,
their horses, which played an important part
in that campaign, seeming no less imbued
than their enthusiastic riders; while the col
ored element stood about in groups, manifest
ing perplexity and impatience. division OF
| time was asked by the Democrats, Which led
! to conference composed Of three commls.
sionerS from each party, who retired, anu
| after much parleying an agreement was reach
| ed by which there should be three speeches
| from each side, it being stipulated that all
| horsemen should he dismounted and all flags,
except the United States flag, furled and put
out of sight. These terms were accepted Dy
the Democrats and the discussion proceeded,
Messrs. Withersp0on, Hart and Bell present.
ing the claims of the Democracy, and Con-
gresham Wallace Nelson Davies and llannl-
bal White in support of the waning flag of
black republcansm. The discussion proved
harmonious, so far as the political heligerants
were concerned; and as here in 1876 was the
irst and only division of time in York county
between the contending parties, so during the
campaign of 1892, may it he said that Wilson'S
Chapel is again distinguished as being the
scene of the first discussion in York coun-
| ty between IL Democrat and the opponent
of Democracy in the questionable shape OF an
''Independent, - under which name alone Col
Cash deigns to sail, disclaimng all the balance
of the kite-tail appendage of "Labor-SaV-
ing Reform -Greenback- -Go-as-you-
Please -Money-not-I appellation which
Capt. j. Hendrix McLane bestows upon his
bantling, and notwithstanding the further
fact that Col. Cash and Capt. McLane, though
| in different boats, as the former asserts, are
| both steering for the same port, and as pilots
of the ship of state would strand our grand
old craft on the same politicatshoal.
| The prelimnaries for the present discus
sion were arranged beforehand, by correspon-
dence which was kept up during Friday be-
tween County Chairman Glenn and Col. Casll,
several notes having been interchanged be-
tween them before the Colonel finally yielded.
| 1t is due to Col. Cash to say that the princl-
| pal objection he urged to division of time
was his fears that it might lead to distur-
bance, which he was extremely anxious to
| avoid. When this obstacle was removed, MI
nor objections gave way, and in true courtly
| style Col. Cash asSented to the request OF
| Capt. Glenn, the correspondence having been
conducted in a digniied but friendly spirit.
The hour appointed for the. meeting was
O'Clock p. NJ, at which time moderate sized
crowd only had assembled, one-thrd of which
were Democrats. Mr.. Hemphill, who in the
meantime had been notified by telegraph OF
the arrangements, replied that he was con-
fined to his room by sickness and requested
Major Hart to speak in his stead. This turn
| of affairs was made known on the ground to
Col. Cash to which arrangement lie readily
assented In order to make everything salts
factory, the Colonel was offered the opening
speech and reply if he should desire it. His
speech differed from the one he delivered in
Yorkville on the 5th of September only in the
ommission of much that lie said on that day.
1t was noticeable that his. tone and style of
that day had undergonea considerable change.
His bearing was courteous and dignifed, yet
he was extremely affabe and pleasant. lie
made no allusiOn whatever to the disturbance
at Lancaster.
He said he was a candidate by no invitation,
and by the nomination of no set or conVen-
ton. He was candidate because he had a
right to be, and because he desired the posi-
tion. He then alluded to his being native
of theState. He isa andholder in Chesterfield
county, and probably the largest taxpayer in
that county, To uphold the Democratic party
he has made large sacrifices, though he has
not asked office at the hands of the people
before in twenty years. In 1876 he gave the
proceeds of his plantation of 900 acres to his
tenants to induce them to vote the Hampton
ticket, and though now an Independent can
didate he claimed to be no less a Democrat
than when he made this sacrifice in 1876. lie
thought the Republican party was killed out
in 1876, and the leaders had left the State, and
now having been dormant SO long, the appre-
hended danger from 1ndependentsm was
groundless.
He then spoke of the alleged discomfort
among the masses from 1868 to 1876 he said
the Radicals were the only contented people
in the State, while now all are discontented.
The general stock law was one source of this
discomfort. The registration law was another
cause of dissatisfaction. He had seen no man
outside of the Legislature who approved it..
The failure of the Legislature of 1873 to per-
feet the taX-bill was next dilated upon and the
incompetency of that body, as viewed through
his glasses, fully exposed.
He then passed on to his charge of eXtrav-
agant legislation, and eXtravagant appropri-
ations, citing among the latter a legislative
appropriation of st, 900 towards the Yorktown
centennial. The last Legislature was in ses-
sion twelve weeks and cost the people $685.
600, and only passed the election, registration
and fence laws, which he thought dear bar
gain He also charged that the members took
mileage going and returning during recess,
when they all had free passes over the rail-
roads.
While he was before the people as an lnde-
pendent candidate, he would not have a NOM
nation of any party if it had been rendered to
him. He did not think there was any danger
of the Republicans getting into power, nor
did he think they desired to do so.
lie spoke of the rights of the colored people,
and said they must he conciliated. They
must have more rights than they have now.
Many of them, as we'll as many white people,
are disfranchised by the election law. No
free people will stay where their rights are not
respected Ten thousand colored laborers,
the best class of labor in the world, left South
| e