The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-02-26
y For the TINES.
"watohman. What Of the Eisht,"

Union County gave me their ruet and made
me their Watch and Ward, in the leg, stature Of
the State. When returned ft6ns> >Colunbia,
last Christmas eve, to acquit myself to them Of
the trust they had so long con6ded to me, the
question which heads this ARTICLE Was put to
me-"watchman, what Of the Night? and
replied 10 tho 1st of Jan. last. When / had
hoped for the dawn of brighter days, shadows
fell, and in place of the light Of morning,
darkness gathered and thickenei over the ooun-
ellis of the last General Assembly. For the
6rst time, the mandates of ths, constitution in
this State, the will of the people plainly ex-
pressed and the principles of constitutional
right ignored, as in one Of my previous commu-
nicstions has been indicated rs also tho remedy
therefor. We cannot hope that though the
shadows hide, tho good angel viii guard and
protect our future. God helps them who help
themselves. The producing classes Farmers
and mechanics) must help themselves by or
ganization aud united effort. They must rouse
themselves from the slumber and tho dreams
Of quarter of century, break the chains
which have, and are now lettering them, rush
up the high grade which separates them from
other pursY1a and professions and stand abreast
il not in front of the first and foremost among
them.
Our remedy is self reliance. Confidence in
self is the vital want Of the farmer He has
been so accustomed TO receive and submit to
the treatment Of poor man at frolic, and
look on to the scene Of passing events with
open mouth and gullible implicitly that he has
become very much Of On auto \ atom and slave
to frivolity and impertinance. From this de-
graded acquisscenc in inferior position he
must rouse himself to the assertion Of his man
hood, his Importance, his usefulness, his prov
idence, his indispensable necessity to the
movements Of society ami the very existence Of
civilization, and place himself in the attitude of
athinking, intelligent and irrcpressible element
and factor in oil the relations Of life, instead of
| the submissive creature, beast Of burden. like,
yoked with the brute and fettered 10 the soil
| In life preservation of both human aud animal
creation, how long would the world exist with
| out the farmer? Not only the sound Of the tele-
| phone and the fash Of the telegraph would
cease but the breath in the nostris Of its opera
tors would stop, and many Of the BEASTS Of tho
| field and the birds of the air would fall down
forever. Again, let the reflective observer turn
back through the tide Of time and mark il. reve-
lations. They will see that every amelioration
| aud liberation that has relieved humanity and
disenthralled servitude, has procseled from
the reused up energies of that honest, humane
aud conservative class. Tho followers Of AL
| fred the Great the Barons OF Runnymede, the
lronsides Of Cromwell, the followers Of Wash.
ingtou were all Of that class. They oil submit
| ted to wrongs until wrongs were intolerable,
| they then asserted their rights and, as they
thought, secured them by charters and consti-
tutions; but human institutions alas are perish
able. And human oaths and human obligations
faASsW aAs aSfs sef q h1fa HUMAN ss sssssy..
Farmers Of Union, behold your condition
now-make the application OF the proceeding
teachings Of history to yourselves. Are you
not in want, are you not Depend mt, is your in
dustry rewarded, arc your rights Of property,
are your taxes just; are not your public servants
your masters, are not the great curses Of hu-
manity, ignorance and poverty, impending over
your children? Aud who is to blame? Whose
fault is 1t? 1t is not only the officers Of govern
ment but it is the corporations, and ass Citations
and professionsa and sl the artificial pursuits of
men recognized by legislation; each and every
one engineered by wiley and INSCRIPTIONS
agent; each and all living on the same victim,
the farmer lie knows it, but not to it's full
| extent; neither does he think of his remed y
| aud his power; nor has he resorted to it. Is il
not time that he had? Can he not profit by
the example Of others? Can he not be impell-
| ed by tho same faith tha: others are Can he
not be fred by the same love Of freedom his
fathers were2 Can he not be supported by the
same hopes. and inspired by tho same God,
| feeling as he mus. in his very soul that he is
innocent aud honest, and knowing as he does
that he has the power to euforce his will and
| overwhelm his enemies whenever he will unite
| with his brothers Of the same calling.
Farmers, think, resolve, act, organize, urge,
COMPEL convention Of the solid men of your
State. Demand new charter Of your rights
new constitution TO suit your own race, your
own color, your own condition, true and faithful,
which belong to you by inheritance, sanctioned
by the deeds Of your fathers, and sacred de-
post with you, to transmit to your children.
am tempted to notice the comments and
suggestions Of the newspapers and their cor.
respo odents-- "M," for instance, which may
stand for Mnion. Myrmidon. Does he not
know that the consultation of the United States
provides spheres Of action for each separately
and independently, and what the constitution
OF the State demands that of the United States
cannot countermand or excuse the fulfllment
of, and that taIation without representation
is alike abhorrent to both constitutions, and the
creation OF privileged class guarded against
specially ny both, and also that where the
rights Of the psopleare involved the saving of
expense in their defense by the aid of u friend