The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-07-02
TilLmaniSm Best for Farmers

! AiiuHdNlsUl DeSG lOT TdTWcESo
EDITOR MANNING T1MEs:-Take the plat
form OF the farmers movement, issued by
the convention of Democrats assembled
in Columbia March 9th, 1890, containing
principles and measures upon which they
intend to strive for supremacy in party and
State
1st. The right claimed for each and every
citizen IS so self-evdent, that surely none
will be found to gansay it; yet see it gain
said by the Huron R,rulist in the following
language: ut is the most astounding i'm
pudence Of the age that the farmers and Ia
borers of the United States should presume
to have any independence worth making a
fuss ahont. If this thing goes much further
there will have to be some measures taken
to make them know their places. So long
as they vote ii machine-made ticket they are
all right, but should they presume to make
q ticket they will have to be taught to know
their masters"
End. That experience has shown the value
of agitation inside our ranks. As to this
second head much has been said against it..
So long have the farmers claim suplnely
upon their backs and hugged the delusive
phantom OF hope" that all is we'll, and that
the few, who control and manage everything
without troubling them, except to call on
them for vote occasionally, with full dlrec-
tions as to when and how it is to be given,
are the proper ones to direct the affairs OF
county and State; that they, the farmers,
have been bound, as it were. hand and foot
and from the non-exercise of thought and
reason on the state Of their affairs (in their
blindness have become mere tools in the
hands OF the designing ones, who are now
loath to give up any portion of that power,
which they have so long welded.
Now, that by agitation the heavy scales
are dropping from the farmers eyes. and
what seemed formerly right to them, they
find to be entirely wrong. Hence the con-
yention and its action.
Though the platform recognizes the i'm
perative necessity of Anglo-Saxon unity and
| pledges to abide by the arbitrament of the
Democratic party relying upon the whites
to secure all needed reforms, and that we
differed as brethren contending against a
common enemy and that we would bow in
submission to the behests Of the party fairly
expressed through the regular channels: the
hue and cry has been that the whole and
sole aim of the convention was to break up
the Democratic party. That the action Of
the convention throughout was improper,
irregular, untimely, without precedent etc.,
forgetting doubtless that convention form
ed for the express purpose of electing repre-
sentatives to the ST. Louis National Conven-
ton took upon itself to nominate a govern
or, and when scarcely audible whisper
was heard as to their assumption of power
for fear Of injury to our cause silence was
instantly restored Yet when this March
convention suggests name for governor
many were found to blame the convention
and its proceedings in unmeasured terms.
Some papers of the State were loud mouthed
against it-notably among them was the
Nelos and Courier. The same paper which
put forth such strenuous efforts to riyet on
this State the chains forged to bind her peo-
pie, by dong what it could to secure be-
yond doubt Chamberlain instead of Hnnip-
ton, and SO soon as it found Hampton had
the inside track, as quick as thought, be-
came so blatant in its sickening, fulsome
praise of the latter, it made the welkin ring
and convinced the unknown that the Ne'oS
and Courier deserved the credit of bringing
Hampton forward, and with bugle blast led
him. on to single-handed victory. l regret
exceedingly to have to admit and state that
that cunning fox the Neacs and Courier is the
text book of many of its readers who seem
to swallow down every politicali item therein
contained as gospel truth, and imbibe free
ly and fully all the prejudices CT that paper.
In their conversation you can plainly see
that they have taken long and frequent
draughts from the Neaos and Courier fount-
ain, and have thereby become intoxicated
and look upon all who differ in the least
from them as blind, ignorant and foolish,
or designedly knavish and unworthy the
| trust and confidence of man. Here and
there exception is taken by the opposition
to the platform, vet no regular attempt has
been made to combat it; but as if the chief
objection is to the standard-bearer, Anathe-
mas are constantly hurled upon his devoted
head, accompanied with the exclamation,
anybody but Tillman. Do not let US be
fooled by their cry. 1t is not Tlllman they
are efter, they only seek to strike US over
Tillman's shoulders If we had any other
standard bearer, the result would be the
same, presumably against him, when, in
truth, they get behind him as shield to en-
able them the better to strike us death
blow ere we are aware of their object. They
are looking everywhere. studying every de-
vice ever tried, inventing schemes to thwart
our purpose and would throttle you in the
dark, stab you under the fifth rib with an
unseen hand, or hire your assassination
rather than give up their power. Instead
of wasting so much precious time IN their
evil designs it would be far more becoming
to be striving in fraternal manner (as sug-
gested in our platform) to reconcile all diff
ferences and jointly prepare to meet the
common foe.
| 1t behooyes us to say something in COM
mendation of the standard bearer. Of the
three before the public, how many of them
I'have the boldness to come forward and es-
pouse the cause OF the down-trodden and
despised farmer? One only and that one
B. +. Tiliman. He studied ont our condi-
ton, spent years (giving freely both his
time and money! to arouse us from an al
most deathlike sleep, besought US earnestly
to awake and look around US, take special
notice of our surroundings, look closely in
to our affairs, note carefully our dependent
condition, and search into the cause or
causes of our reduced condition. Being
one Of us, he was most fit by position, natu-
raj endowments and culture. aiding to
know and point out the wants and trials iu-
cident to farmers, indicate the probable
causes and suggest remedies therefor. >All
this he cheerfully did, although for years he
received ridicule and jeers from many quar-
ters and that too from those he sought to
benefit. What else has he done? He has
placed himself fairly and squarely on the
| platform. What has either OF the other as
pirants for nomination done directly for the
interests OF the farmer? If anything let
some one answer. Nothing? Then moth
ing it is.
Now how stands the case? Who so de-
serves and is so likely to get the cheerful
support Of the farmer rs B. r. Tillman?
With Tllman for governor We would be
but little benefited unless we put the right