The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-04
SURRENDER BODY And SOUL
IS THIS A PROTEST AGAINST vIRTURE
AND INTELLIGENCE
The Great Effort OF the AgitatOr TO
Level DOwn-.-NOt to Level Up..-
AGgrarianlsm Ought to be Feared
...Anticipated Evils May be Great.
er than Actual Evils.
Sumter JYutchman and Soutllron.

CT
Sumter Watchman and Soutliron.
Ae we understand 1t, Mr.. Tillman has aban-
doned the charge of corruption on the Part ~
our Stale officers, and now confines W
TO the legislative departn32.,Tf9 2.Tf 9f he Gavern.
T6Sects raa ol ms have been since
~ III 1zntion of the Government in '7G
Composed overwhelmingly OF that class OF
our citizens whom Mr.. Tillman pretends to
represent and OF whom he assumes to be the
leader and champion. Then what Is The logi-
cal application of Mr.. Tillmuns charges I?
His chnrge Of corruption must be intended as
against the representatives OF that class 10
whom he now appeals, otherwise Mr.. Tillman
must be regarded as merely cheap John pol
Itician seeking the advancement OF his per-
sonal ambition.
If MIR. Tillman's charges are true, then are
the farmers not proper persons for official po-
sitlons RESPONSIBILITY follows power as q
shadow the substance. 80 then If the farmers
were in the numerical majority In the Legis-
lature theirs was the power and theirs the re-
sponsibility and If In this view OF the case,
the census was not taken and the re-appor-
tionment Of representatives over the State
not thereby made the farmers who had The
power are TO blame.
This il not our position but IT. seems to be,
when facts are logically considered, that oi
Mr.. Tlllman.
only fault cLargible to the Government and
Mr.. Tillman is the champion roiclnS the sem
timcnt of his class In regard thereto, his dis
tibutes are directed against himself and his
followers, hence following out this reasoning,
Mr., Tillman is charging himself or his class
with corruption. We suppose that rs fast as
Mr.. Tlllman's bubbles are punctureu by the
sharp lance OF truth In the hands OF such re-
doubtable antagonists rs Col. Earle has prov
en- himself to be, and his carefully stored gas
Is let out, he will find other and equally Vcr-
aclous charges to satisfy the malignant prejn-
dices of his followers, who seem to have sur
rpnuerel body anu soul to him.
Perhaps the old war cry or down with the
aristocracy" viii be revived and VIII suffice
for the practical results in view. The word
aristocrucy, as used by the Tlllmanites in the
way OF party cry Is not Il protest against in
equality IN the distribution OF public offices
because such inequalities do not exist Is IL
then protest against the supremacy OF Intel
liyence and virtue over ignorance and Vice :?
Is II an effort to pull down those above to 4
level with those beneath To level down anu
not TO level up? No. When MIR. Tillmnn
used because 1t smacks OF conditions that
happily do not now exist, but through the
strength OF tradition sounds OuiOus to men OF
common clay, and 1t Is a cry that is dclusiVc
but potent tial in the mouths of demagosues.
IL not this then its use for the purposes oil pol
itlcal revolution becomes q species OF aggres,
sive agrarianiSm that ought TO be feared and
condemned in q free country where all men
are equal and where only the arstCcracy
founded on true worth ought to control.
Perhaps the anticipated evils OF fTillmanism
are greater than the real evils Will prove, Dut
certain 1t is, that its effects are beginning 10
show in u way that stamps IL as an unwlse
and deleterious agitation.
We have been reliably informed by parties
In Columbia that many investments con tenn
plated in that city by allen capital have been
suspended and In many instances "indefl niie-
ly POSTPONED" on account Of Tlllmanism. We
Know OF loans OH property In this city where
securities are ample withheld ana abanton-
cd IT'LL the clouds roll BY" One loan COM
Dany has withdrawn from the Slate and an
0ther stopped while In the course OF organiZ-
Ing "a business here for the same reason.
Money Is tiElid but naturally follows in the
wake ot "bOoms." The booins are not un-
doubtedly turning Sonth and with nothing
like Tillmansm to check 1t cheap money
would soon flood our State.
rilImaniSm so far as 1t has lready gone has
retarded the progress of the material interests
OF south Carolina five years, and If Tillman
Is elected we Will be set back ten years.
These statements are not Idle 6ugab0oS 10
frirhte en- the tlmid, but actual evils OF which
we will soon enough become cognlZant.
Whether Mr.. Tillman is elected or defeated
the breach he has made in The party to which
he pretends allegiance Is irrcparable; 1t may
not be presently apparent but VIII ultimately
eventtlutc in StrifeS and tactiUnal divisions,
destroying the stability of Government
which now has the respect and confidence o!
the world and under which our Stale has
prospered. God help us.