The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-08-14
ALLIANCE CNwECsaIsng.
mr. Hcnet's Ans'vcr--ssia Letter to Col.
Aeiu, Chairman Of tho R'hird
CongrcEsionaEE district
AUGUST IIt, 1880.
Col. Jos. l.. XErrr, Chairman Third

Coz. JOS. T.. XErrr, Chairman Th;r1
Congressional District Alliance:
Dear Sir: AS n candidate for tha
Democratic nomination for Congress
III the Third Congressional District,
take pleasure IL expressing nv
views in brief on the eight PROPOSE
tions submitted by the Congressional
District Alliance for the considcra.
ton of candidates for Con mrcss.
The first six commend themselves
to my judgement as excellent meas.
urcs, and / pledge myself to support
them. a
If the seventh means that the gov
crnmcnt shall purchase, own, and op-
peratc the railroad, steamboat, and
stage lines; and telegraph lines, !
cannot support it. For this position
l. have Gwen uny reasons at length on
the hustingS. / believe that railroads
and other means OF communication
and transportation, including tclp-
graph lines, should be subjected to
the watchlul supervision of Il govern
mcnt commission, both State and
Federal, with large powers.
The eighth proposition refers to
the Sub-Trcasury plan. This is a
measure of transc"ndcnt Importance
As L understand it the purpose of
the Picklcr GIous") Bill and the
Vance GScnat") Bill is to save the
farmer from the necessity Of selling
hlS crop when the mouCy market is;
most stringent, and to free him
from the control Of the money lender,
and to take from spectators the
power they now enjoy and use topro-
ducc fluctuations in the price Of farm
products to tie injury of the farmer
and the Gain of the spoculatur.
The principle involved in this mca-
Surc,-nanrly: that the volume of
money should be rs ncNiblc as the
demand for it is II now and I think
s'und maxim Of political economy.
Fluctuations in the value of crops re-
suit from Il fixed amount Of money
with varying demand. To render
the price Of farm products rcasona-
bly stable, there must be flexible
volume OF money to meet the flexible
demand for it.
With this purpose and tiis princi-
pl" l am III hearty sympathy. Th,.
Suh-Trcasury Bill is the first effort to
rmhody this principle in statute form.
regard it as step in the right Iii
rcctl"n; and while il is far from per,
lrct, and will, l Iclicvc, have to give
plac" [" substitute, it still furnishes
IN my opinion the basis Of wholesome
legislation. [ see many objections to
the B!ii i'll its present shape. In
common with the leaders Of the Far.
mcrs Alliance I can say that it is not
the BAl, but the principle, which is
to be contcndcd Jor. lplcdgc myself
II elected to Congress-. to do my ut
most cndcavor to enact laws which
shall accomplish the purpose and Put
INTO activ" operation the sound rrin
clr&"s Of the Bll
While these axe. my views on tho
eight propositions, | cannot commit
myself to support ali, or any ofthem
.s",'i"y/"cn"cN dy j'Wty ceuIcats.'
This phrase is italicscd in your prclim
mary question: an intimatirn on
Your part OF its importance. Bcliuv.
ing as L elo that the salvation Of the
South and Of the whole country lies
III the Democratic party, were | cleo.
ted to Congress as Il Democrat bv
democrats Of the Sd District, | could
not and would not refuse to enter the
party caucus and he bound by lis &C.
ton. The Congressman who de
rlmcs to be bound by the action OF
his party caucus is by his own act
banishcd from his party and pcrforcc
becomes an independent. + do not
think the Democrats of the Third
District will knowingly support any
candidate for Congress who pledges
himself to be independent to his par
ty on any measure which may be
come caucus question.
1t IS contcnicl that the eight Dro.
positions arc not and cannot become
political or partisan measures. If
THIS were truc---and | doubt it-whv
was the preliminary question asked?
Should the time ever come when the
Democrats IN Congress should be
come corrupt, and prove themselves
untrue to til" principle Ct tEcir part,
then, and not till then, could Il roval
Democratic Congressman refuse to
enter the Democratic caucus: and ne
wGuld make known to the Drmucrat-
lc party his reasons for SO DOING.
l would have answered your uucs-
tons some time ago, but vou inform-
ed me that there WAS no necessity
i"r doing SO until tho llth or 10Th of
THIS month.
| have the honor to lie your obcdi-
cnt servant, w. G. BEHEr.
h'hc Theory o1' the Force viii.
That the negro is Republican
and q votCr that he has ConStitu
tlonal right to vote the Republican
ticket, and none other, and have his
vote counted whether he casts it or
not; that when he does not cast it he
is kept away from polls by malignant
whites: that. therefore. on orInv nf