The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-02
CAPTAIN TILLMAN'S FAREWELL.
The Farmers Movement not Dead-Ae
will have Powerful influence IN
the Next state Canvass-Et has
Forced Compromise ana
will Win q Victory.

With no intention to provoke or
iuaugerate another newspaper war
on the questions involved il. the
farmers movement, I yet feel that
continued silence on my part may be
misconstrued, and I ask space to
make some brief comments on the
present status of affairs and explain
why I must "retire to the shades OF
private life"
Some of the Ring" newspapers
which have persistently vili6ed and
misrepresented me, and displayed
both their fear and hate in more
ways than one since the recent Farm
ers' Convention and the adjournmen,
of the General Assembly, have taken
up the rule Of the jackals, who, In
!Esop's fable, "spurned the dead
hen," claiming that Capt. Tillman is
a dead duck" that be has been ''de
posed" by the farmers: that 1.-The
farmers movement is dead" &c, &C
These valiant quill.driyers are trying
by sneers and bold assertions to
bring about a result which they hope
now exists. The farmers movement
has had it's epitaph written several
times before, but somehow it revives
when called for, and unless l am
greatly deceived, it will be on hand
in the coming canvass and make
Rome howl" or rather it will admin
lister on the political estates Of some
of those who have opposed it. These
conventions Of farmers-all respec.
table in numbers and personnel
have not paid their own expenses to
Columbia to protest against certain
wrongs and ask redress without there
being strong impelling cause: and
just as the demand for reform has
been persistent and only partly
granted, so will the opportunity for
Furnishing traitors and obstructionists
be seized upon next summer bv the
men who have been treated with
such undisguised contempt by the
political bosses. That is, hope 80,
Just as Col. Thomas, Of the Register,
and other editors say l am dead"
because they hope 50.
THE FARMERS HAVE THE NUMBERS.
We have the numbers-and where.
ever I have spoken my sentiments
and tie measures I have advocated
have been endo7sed-is the reason
why I say this. We only lack Or
ganization, and an active, aggressive
canvass. If the farmers in all the
counties could hear the truth and
learn the reasons why we cannot hope
to receive any material benefit from
the college Of Agriculture and Me-
chanic Arts" recently established,
or from the department Of agrlcul.
ture as now constituted and conduct
ed, they would send men to Columbia
who would make short work with
these abortive compromises. I call
them thus, because time will show
that they are such. But right here I
desire to say that we can never hope
for reform or proper regard being
paid to our wishes as long as we
send political harlots and chow dye
do statesmen to make our laws, and
until our people learn to hold their
representatives to strict accounta-
bility for their votes, and retire them
when they break their pledges, we
shall strive in vain to carry out any
policy which is sntagonized by the
Ring.
If there were ever men imbued
with ideas Of reform and economy
assembled in South Carolina, most
of the new members Of the House Of
Representatives which met in No.
vember, 'S6, were. But they we're
green and unscquainted with each
other to a large degree, and the ap-
pointment of committees and shap.
ing legislation was thus left in tue
same old hands; still taxes were re
duced $4,000 that first session and
a larger surplus left at the end of the
year than found in the treasury.
However, st the first session inhu.
ences were set To work which pro.
duced such q change that that same
House, st its second session just
ended, voted by large majority to
raise taxes Sl75,000 just because the
bosses said they needed more money.
THE WORK OF WINE AND WHISKEY.
The Columbia Club with its free
liquors and entertainments had so
won roon these goodnstured farmers
that they could not say them nay.
They gave the city the precious Ca.
nal which had cost the State some
thing like Sl50,000 and convicts free
of tax to finish it-but when Green
vile asked for convicts at FIVE dollars
per month, to grade railroad which
will benefit the whole State, she met
a contemptuous refusal. l mention
these things only as glaring instan
ces of how malleable and complais-
ant is the material which we have
been selecting to make our laws. AS
long as we vote for men. from merely
personal preference and not for
,neasures-as long as we consen, to
have the politicians meet every two
wears and choose our State officers,
without having seen or heard candi-
dates discuss public questions, just
so long will such things happen. The
dissatisfaction, which is deep and
widespread throughout the State, and
is only kept under by the knowledge
that submission is better than divi-
sion. Testers and grows. The attempt
which we have made to reform the
Democrat party from within is
treated with contempt. "Mahoneism'
is howled in the ears of the people
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