The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-02
HANPTON'5 SPEECH.
WISE, CONSERVATIVE, PATRIOTIC, CON-
CILIAToRY.
His Utterance in Columbia Was Such
That il Gave no Offence to Any,
While it Must Have Reen Pleas
ant to the Multitude.
NPlUS ffnfl |hU,.jpJ.


that you have given me has touched my heart
SD that | have hardly words In which to
thank you. | have come In obedience 10 the
call Of the Executive Committee Of this, my
own county; that county whose people for
years and years past have given me every
honor In their power, and whom have tried
to serve with every energy of my heart. my
arm. or my tongue; that might come here to
speak to you to-diy on the grave issues, the
gravest, may say, that have ever touched
our State since 1876: that NJ !ght consult with
our Democratic friends how best to preserve,
not only the Democratic party, but the well
fare and prosperity OF the people Of the South.
have come 10 see those men, the survivors OF
1876 those men whose hcroism, whose devoted
effort. whose courage whose sublime courage,
redeemed thcState from /: rule more disgrace
lul. humiihtinS and more ruIn0us than that
to which civilized people was ever subject.
ell. (ApplauSe) | have come TO meet them
again, to look INTO the faces of the men who
sustained me in 1876. To take counsel with
them and to show them what We shall do, and
to listen to what they may have To say.
My friends, before begin TO discuss the Is
sues lei me say that concur heartily in what
our'charman has said.
implnrc you to treat every candidate to-
day In the most respectful manner for-I am
some Of the meetings in South Carolina. CAD.
plause.H And when 1 SAW In the papers the
other day, that hero who had led South Caro-
inians I'm ;,I into the Jaws OF death. aud who bears
his devotion to South Carolina. (IIcre there
was great applause before Brattons name was
mentloned.) When saw that Il South Caro-.
multuous hpplau$e) / thought: Good God
have the memories OF I'll. OF 'Gj, have they
been obliteratcd and all that has been done by
The men who have tried to serve South Caro-.
Lima? (ApplauSe and NO, no! Hurrah for
Bration!D Has 1t all been forgotten? Oh,
my friends, let not that be said OF Richland
county. Treat all men with respect. This we
are told Is q campaign OF educatiol. May it
10. IA n1l "a
speakers are given respectful and attentive
audience. ask for every one here and for
myself that you Will hear me for my cause !;
tor ny cause is the one that has been nearest
u my heart all my life. (Appausc.)
/ have come. my friends, to discuss meas
urrS, principles, and not men. 1t would he
etninently improper for ME either to advocate
the claims OF any candidate or to condemn or
to criticise any one whose views, whose meth
ods, whose policy do not agree with. IT
would be Improper and indelicate, and have
Carolina has right to seek office. 1t is II
laudnble ambition, and if the ambition leads
him, inspires him to seek IL by honorable
ways and honorable methods, | know of no
higherc use in which man may be engaged.
(App!ausc.)
Bat we are now confronted with the gravesl
Issues we have had to meet fOr years past.
came here and find division amongst the
Democrats OF South Carolina. When I re-
member the scenes that were witnessed here
on this very spot in 1876, when this vast space
was packed with the men who had gone
through hecampaign, Of which the last meet
Ing WAS here: when | remember that all these
galleries were filled with fair, devoted women
who had contributed so much to our SUCCESS ;
when remember that even the little children
were enrolled In The ranks, and prayed for the
success OF the Democratic party; when re-
member that we all stood shoulder TO shoulder
To- meet the common enrIny, confess that my
heart sinks when see this division amongst
ourselves. This is said to be only family
l.
so bitter as II family quarrel when II is push
ell TO the last issue. We are told that both
factions Of the Democratic party are Demo-
Gratis, are true Democrats. They doubtless
are. IN the ranks of both parties are brave
honest, conscientious, patriotic men. ! recoS-
niZe that. know il. appreciate It, and
do and give all honor to the men who are fol-
lowing their convictions; but, my friends, lei
me Tell you that we need not look far 10 b.
taught what can be the result OF division in
Democratic ranks. Look to our Old and great
sister, the commonwealth of Virginia. You
all remember that when II IncOcll was nom-
an electoral ticket In opposition 10 the regu-
iarly constituted Ticket. lie and they all de
clarcd that they were Democrats, and what
was the result: Tho state was lost. Malone
became Rcatljustcr. an Independent. AS an
Independent Democrat, as he claimed to be,
he was elected to the United States Senate
ana his firSt utterance in the Senate lie said
I hat he was better Democrat than the great
member that he sold himself 10 the Republ.
cans and became the most bi;ter and malig
nant enemy OF his own people. (Great APP
pIHuSc)
Thank God! the OLD Dominion has redeem
cd herself and has consigned Malone to the
infnmy he deserved. and / pray to God that
such may be the fate Of all such renegades
and Independents rs he ls. (App: ause.)
Now, my friends, that IS n lesson we should
take home to ourselves. | tell you that II we
divide we shall fall an easy conquest to our
enemies. United we can defy all attacks
from without and within our borders. But do
yOu not see that even now on the calendars Of
Congress are election laws framed by the bit
ter enemies Of the South, which, If enacted.
will leave the elections practically in the
hands OF the United States supervisors, and
our members Of Congress will be certified by
n Federal judge instead OF by the authorities
nf South Carolina? My friends, there is n
lrightiul danger before us-i danger not alone
from the division Of the party, but from the
passage of these election laws. We must
stand together, or we shall surely fall
Now 1t Is said there Is great depression In
the farming interest of the South. 1t Is not
only In the south. but in the whole country.
knowthat, my friends. feel It. and need
not say that l sympathze with the far
mcr, for | have been farmer all my life, be.
me. But tell me, what laws can be passed by
Il Legislature, or what can be done by q Gov
ernor. that Will help that depression? If any
man Will tell me that the Governor, whose |
functions are only ADVISORY, can pass q law, |
then ne has more power than tile President
Of the United States. What he can do to help |
you: passes my comprehension. We want
good government We want the laws admin |
Stercd equally and justice done to every |
man. and Il can only be done by the people Of
South Carolina taking the matter into their |
OWN hands. have heard the people called
ScrlS, slaves, but believe that every man
plauSe) So say to You that If you claim
hat there is Il ring in this government or that
are packed, that you, the people,
are TO blame. Take the county |
con vcntion. Who chooses the convention |
rhc people choose the delegates and send
hem there, and you can Instruct them to any
the constituents direct them what
to do.
Take the State Convention. The coun-
y convention elected by you elects the |
delegates to the Stale Convention and the
county convention can instruct It's delegates.
Therefore If the people do not choose goDd
t is because you do not take interest enough |
n the elections to do your proper share OF The |
york. Now, say that the convention can be
in perfectly proper and straight
ng that every Democratic in the State could |
Express his vote directly at the polls, but l
ay that the people Of South Carolina have
,cen free from rings, from all oligarchy, from
III arislocracy; but what Is aristocracy: God
Knows, don't know. don't recognize any
people as a "common' people. ! recognize
very true Democrat. and especially if lie is
man who stood by me in the war or If he is
he son of IL man. (Applausc and hurrahs for
Iamptonl II he Is the son of Il man that
ought in the war he Is the ar!stocrat. Gap
south Carolina: My God. If there he man
lcrc who followed me through the war, ap.
heal to him To say, TO bear mo witness that
treated the man in the ragged grey Jacket
IS well as the man with stars on his coat
tiroat applause; | regarded them not only
IS my equals. but they were my supariorS. be-
nrj, 10 sold jrrS \vnr,. Inc ~