The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-06-19
BUTLER AT THE FRONT.
The Senator Takos Hand in the Pending
Campaign.

Tho Senator Takos Hand In the Pending
Campaign
COLUMBIA, June 6.-At LeesVille yes
terday Senator Butler made a notable
speech on South Carolina and national
politics. 1t was his first public utter
ance upon the questions which now alb
sorb the attention of the State, and COM
ing from United States Senator and
the "fayorite son" of Edgefeld, his views
possess peculiar interest al this time.
The speech had been unheralded, and
the representative of the NeaUs and Cou.
rier who heard it delivered, IVES the only
occupant of tho reporters gallery" of
the Leesyille forum. The occasion which
drew Senator Butler to LeesYille was the
twelfth annual commencement of the
Leesville English and Classical Institute.
Leesville is a pretty village in Lexing-
ton County, on the Charlotte, Columbia
& Augusta Railroad, two miles from the
Edgefeld line, 30 it VAS to his own home
people that the Senator spoke. Through
Leesville he used to drive in the ante
bellum and ante-railroac days on his
way to college in Columbia, and old
friends from the farms around welcomed
and applauded him.
Senator Butler had that morning
stepped out of the Washington sleeper,
very tired after hot and long journey,
and unprepared to do more than talk
informally to his friends of Leesville.
He spoke extemporaneously and without
the aid of notes, and the report which
follows, fixing his utterances in their
entirety, shows that he had as guide
only bis strong convictions upon the
matters considered. He expressed those
convictions, however, with eloquence,
force and feeling, and for an hour held
the close attention of a warm and tried
audience.
MIR. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen T:
1t gives me great pleasure to embrace
the opportunity which the invitation of
my good friend On the right (Dr. Busby)
gives me Of participating even in this un.
important way in the great educational
work which is going on in your midst,
and by his permission contributing some
what to the discussion of topics which
seem to be interesting the minds of our
people.
It looks almost like sacrilege to intro
duce into ceremonies like this questions
of politics but other subjects of public
interest have been eloqnentiy and ably
discussed, and 1 am really getting to be.
lieve that know little else than politics
now and should be at 8 loss to discuss
on an occasion like this any other subject.
trust, however, that in speaking to you
to-day I shall not intrude upon you in a
disagreeable way any political questions,
and what I may say, ladies and gentle.
men, must be desultory in character, for
have not had the time to formulate as
could wish my views upon the topics OF
the day. am one of those who believe
in the sovereignty of the people, and
hold that We ought never to lose sight OF
the fact of that sovereignty, for when we
do we abandon the pursuit and preserVa-
ton of the principles Of Republican lib.
erty.
1t is important, ladies and gentlemen,
in country and government like OURS
indeed, in all countries and governments
that the sovereign power, the rulers,
should be instructed and informed upon
public questions and upon the admins.
tration of the government. How could
o king or potentage or any sovereign
power govern wisely and properly unless
informed upon the duties of government
and the scisnce2 He could not How
then can the people, who with us are
sovereign, govern wisely and properly
unless they be informed as to the science
of government? How can they see that
their trustees, their eervants, their Off
cials, discharge their duties properly un-
less informed what those trusts are
While, therefore, in one sense. as
have said, it seems almost sacrilege to
inject political discussion into an oc
casion of this kind, in another sense it
appears emineutly proper that It should
be done.
Among the ancient the method of in
slruction in government were always
oral-from the rostrum. There were no
newspapers published for the informa.
tion of the people, and while the won
derfnl development of journalism in this
time is such that any citizen reading the
papers is as well informed on politics as
many man in the thickest of the fight
still the public discussion is always ben
efcial. I have never in all my expert.
ence heard public speech from which
/ did not learn something. Don't un-
derstand me to say that am going to
instruct you to-day, but to mean that it
is always best that the representatives OF
the people should appear before the people
aud give an account of-their stewardship
Public discussion never alarms me. I'm.
proper interruptions may be made, in
temperate language used, unfair criti.
cisms advanced, but in the end the peo-
pie will always decide right.
It may be said that agitation is a law
of nature. The very air we breathe is
by the great Creator disturbed and NOV.
ed, sometimes by gentle breezes like that
which now come to us, and sometimes
by terrific storms and cyclones which carry
everything before them. Yet in the
economy Of nature both are just, wise and
proper. -
So with the great deep. The ocean
would become still aud stagnant if the
Creator in His wisdom did not stir it to
its depths. So also with the conduct ol
human affairs. Agitation, discussion
friction of ideas, if you please, are all
healthful to the body polite. Therefore
say to you that the agitation of the
public mind of South Carolina to-day
does not disturb me.
The arraignment of our State officials
does not disturb me. As to them | am o
citizen aud taxpayer, like every one in
this hall-nothipg more and nothing
less-and when they 60 astray shall
criticisc them like any one else, but when
do so my criticism shall be just, and
fair, and honest. I, for one, don't pro-
pose TO denounce men simply because
they are in public life. When they dc
their duty, according to the lights which
the Almighty has given them, 1 will say
to them, "Well done, thou good and
faithful servant" When they do wrong
I shall criticise them. But, ladies and
gentlemen, we can not afford to be
unjust! Aud when / heard this morning
the eloquent, scholarly and classical ad
dress ofmy friend, DR.. Holland, in quail.
tiles of gentleman, l thought that he
might with great propriety lave added
one other quality, and that is this-neve'
be uyust!
Injustice is like red hot iron in the