The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-01-12

!, allowed to become law would x,nrI.
uosas'aeioh 10 our counties. and rob
most OF our citizens of their means ou ~,
support. 'n'ans o.
second. AS the reg 'stration and cleo.
assembly, are fraud upon the neonia
ana would rob the majority of them 'ed 81
,nelr right OF suffrage, we would most
respectfully pray that your Excellence
wouid use your influence to prevent III.
Passage OF these laws, and If thew are
passed ir;aas py our Senators and Representa-.
yves that you would use YOUR power of
veto In behalf and for the protection of
our people in preventing them BECOMING
ever pray, &C., &C." "''
hr.n LIE petition was drafted by Mr.. Fish.
Ourne after consultation aud viii, the
cohcu rehce of 5umber of white and
cole,ed citizens. 1t is signed bv three
hundred and thirteen citizens of Colleton
ana charleston counties, about one.baif
OF whom are white men. A large nnm !.
Der OF signers, both colored and white
are property. holders, and MANY of tho
Wnite petitioners are large owners of reaI
estate. ' "a 'eai
;, After the adoption of the petition DIR
liderton submitted the following
MEMORIAL To THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
which was adopted:
10 the General Assembly of the State
OF South Observation-Disclosures : We ,he
citizens of Colleton and Cbarleston in
mass meeting assembled this ed dav If
January, 1882, at SummerSille. would
respectfully call the attention Of vonr
honorable body to the questions that are
now agitating the public mind. viz. The
stock law and Registration Act And
very yer serious questions they appear to be,
II me mutterlngs of the people are to be
iegalaed. One or two voices raised in
the defence of the people are nothing, as
was proved IN the case of the two Sena.
tors, Messrs. Fishburne and Henderson.
lall honor to their names); but when
the people are fully aroused TO their own
interest they have powerful weapon in
the form of the ballot box.
The cry of Radicalism spread over the
state Tor many years, but the people at
last became tired of the yoke and threw
1T on and elected the Democratic party
Tor what? To make n law that will
eventually ruin them and bring poverty
throughout the country, for they cannot
procure labor to plant largely, and their
only re'ource is stock-raising in this sec.
tion of the country. There ere thou.
sands OF acres of swamp and rice land
that It is impossible to cultivate for lack
of capital and labor, therefore it laws
wan, while the poor man, who was not
so lucky as to have his thousands of acres
left him by lis ancestors, has few COWS,
and even they will be denied the priyi.
lege of eating the grass that God makes
grow on the land of the favored few.
What is the result? Have any of those
who advocated that cruel and unfeeling
law ever thought Of it? The peasant
will have to sell the few COWS they keep
to give their little ones milk, the chief
and sometimes only luxury they can pro-
cure, while the well-to-do farmer will
have to curtail his stock. The price of
meat will surely 60 up, and it ia already
beyond the reach of many, and South
Carolina, always foremost in the rank to
help the distressed, will &c crushed by
her own leaders and they her own sons,
elected by her own voice, ad sworn to do
their duty by all her citizens, rich and
poor, white and black.
"Are they men of judgment who say
when the people cry to them for justice,
Where the Radicals scourged you with
whips we will scourge you with scor-
piOns,' or in other words will they heed.
lessly pass law that will exasperate the
people of South Carolina?
'The people have called meetings at
different places, and they will surely
raise their voices in defence of their
rights and property. In the darkest days
of Radicalism the people were never so
distressed as now with the Stock law and
Registration Act. IF they all lived IN
towns and villages it would be different,
but they do not feel disposed to ride ten
or twenty miles to register, subject at the
same time ~ refusal if the commits.
sioner fail to recognize their rights or
qualifications. The ballot box is the
voice of the people, and when it is mo-
nopolized by few for party purposes it
is bordering on anarchy"
| After the adoption of this paper the
entire complexion of the meeting was
changed By an effort to turn it to politi-
cal account. A platform of principles
was submitted 10 the gathering, but not
by DR.. Ilderton, who refused to have
anything to do with it and left the chair.
The platform was drawn by Mr.. Fish
burne, and sets forth the
PRINCIPLES OF THE NEW POLITICAL
PARTY
as follows:
Platform of the Peoples Party Of South
Cdr0Hnd.
First. That we, the leople, do &C.
knowledge the supremacy of the National
Government over that of the States, un-
der the existing National laws.
Second. We bind ourselves and each
and all of our representatives to enforce
the payment of the National and State
debts.
Third. We recommend the protection
of American industries and the revision
of the tariff laws.
Fourth. Economy in public expendi-
lures is desideratum. This party will
reduce such expenditures to the lowest
possible figures.
Fifth. As we desire g Republican or
PEOPLES form of Government, we must
admit that pople governed should be
considered as regards legislation and all
other matters that may affect their rights.
/ Sixth. We must admit that the colored
men have the majority OF votes in the
State of South Carolina, and that their
rights must not and shall not be ignored,
| and it needs nothing but the organza-
tion O.. the working class of white men
and the colored men, as they would be
largely in the majority, to defeat any
party or parties who desire to oppr,ess
either the one or the other. In other
words, combined the working class OF
white men and the colored men control
the State.