The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-05-23
tween Capt. B. r. Tiliman and Col
Holm O. Haskell.

Capt. Illlman said: 81 shall not tres
pass upon your patience, gentlemen,
but very few moments. This question
of primary election, in my opinion, is
the most important one surrounding the
Democracy of South Carolina to-day.
We in this State occupy an abnormal
position. We are in possession OF this
Government because ne are unit. We
are standing over a volcano, gentlemen,
that may any moment sweep everything
before it. l stand here representing the
people of South Carolina, who cry out
for reform. You say We don't need any
reform. That is the eternal cry of the
demagogue and politician. If I had time I
would show why we should have differ
ent system Of nominations IN the State.
We in South Carolina, in other words
the Democracy of South Carolina, have
differences as to policies, and those poll
cies must have exponents. This demand
for primary election is demand from
the people to the politicians to give
them their rights. This Convention
represents South Carolina. I suppose
that it may be said hat this is a body of
representative Carolinians, and yet these
men are elected by clubs OF ten or a
dozen men who in nine cases out Of ten
elect themselves to the Convention.
What We need is practical discussion be-
fore the people by the candidates. Pub
lie discussion is the great educator of the
masses. Our people for twenty years
have been tied hand and foot by one
circumstance or another, first by the
Radical government and next by the
necessity for unity, and this slavery has
lasted so long that in many places the
people are absolutely helpless and un-
able TO assert their rights. They have
fallen into the apathy of death. There
is even putrefaction IN some sections,
they have been dead so long.
sTalk about no need for reform.
When think OF the outrages which have
been committed in this hall | shudder
to enumerate. I want to call the atten-
ton of the Convention to one fact, that
in 1879, when johnson Hagood was
comptroller general, the expenditures of
the State Government were $50, 900 8
year, and yet with all the pledges of re-
form they are now nearly 81, l,00O,0O0 o
wear. The people know these things
and they ought to know them, and they
demand that the candidates for public
Office shall come before them and see
them face to face, and explain to them
why reform has gone the wrong way. [
will not say anything about the injustice
which has been done to a certain class
of the people in their educational col
lege. Will not say word upon that
subject. The politicians may succeed
now in voting down the right of the peo-
pie, but they are only damming back
the waters. Two years from now, when
there is full head on, you will be swept
before the food" [Applause.
Mr.. John c. Haskell was next recog
nized by the chairman. Col. Haskell
said:
ssThere are, Mr.. Chairman, in this
hall nearly three hundred men who are
in every sense of the word as true rep
resentatives of the people as the gentle
man from Edgefeld, who threatens us
with floods and volcanoes" )" Laughter. ]
Mr.. Tllman: ssI have not threatened
anybody with q volcano, [ only said we
were standing on one. "
Mr.. Haskell, continuing: 81 have
heard what he has said, Mr.. President.
You have heard what he has said. You
have just heard him say in substance: I
warn you that represent the people of
South Carolina. The people that rep
resent will hurl you politicians out OF
place unless you give US our way. Those
that I represent are harboring their
wrongs that they may break forth and
o7erwhelm you" Laughter.
Mr.. Tllman: 81 said I did not repre-
sent anybody but myself"
Mr.. Haskell: 81 once told the gentle
man that his party was in bis hat, and [
am glad to hear him admit that he has
come to my way of thinking. Laughter
and applause The people who come
here year after year are representatives
of South Carolina. The eighteen men
of Richland, sitting here, represent the
people of Richland, and every man in
the county had voice III their selection.
I say the same of York, and of Ander-
son, and of every county in the State.
That the people select their delegates
and select them as they will, and l say
that these men here to-day are as true
representatives of the people of South
Carolina as the gentleman from Edge
field is. He says that he has left his data
at home, and it is good for him that he
has. He says that there has been an in
crease of quarter of million dollars of
expenses since 1879. Let him get his
data and it will give him an answer as
positive as I do-that it is not SO" APP
plause.
Mr.. Tiuman: "Do you dare say, sir,
that the expenditure OF this government
in 1887 was not S247,000 more than in
1879? I dare you to deny it. APP
plause.
Mr.. Haskell: 'sI do deny it most posi-
lively. Applause What the gentle
man is driving at is very easily explained.
In 1879 there was fund of money in the
treasury and the Legislature did make
appropriations largely less than in 1887,
because that surplus in the treasury was
used in addition to the appropriations
made. Thesis difference between a
levy and an Appropriation. The levy is
what you collect, and the reason why we
collected less in 1879 than in 1887 was
because we had in the treasury surplus
which had been previously collected. It
is fact, sir, that the expenditures have
not increased materially, and that they
have been pretty much the same. The
/ spprOpriation bills upon our statutes are
things which cannot make mistakes, and
they are better proofs than the data
which the gentleman has left at home.