The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-08-08
For the Times
Cool Thoughts for Cool Thinkers.


patriotic than ] have taken them to be.
When political excitement runs high men
sometimes lose their common sense and
Jump to conclusions without any process
OF reason. 1t is only in this way that can
account for the antagonism of interest that
has been forced on the country by the
March Convention.
The ambition of the farmers to monopo-
lize all Offices in county and State may not
appear as selfish to them ~ il does to others.
They do not object to those of other avoca-
tions paying the major portion of the taxes
then why not share with them the privilege
of holding office. The lawyers on the
Tllwan ticket is an appendage that the
prtriotism as we'll rs democracy is uu-
friendly to anything that smacks of class
agitation and class legislation.
Great uauy thinking farmers oppose
Capt. Tilman, and yet we hear meu cay
that opposition to Capt. Tillman meaus hos
tlity to the forming interest. They might
as we'll contend that exposure Of a corrupt
church leader meant war against
christianity. We must not forget that bad
men are sometimes the cxponen's of q good
cause.
For several years Capt. Tillman has we'll
nigh had monopoly in acting for South
Carolina farmers; and when he realized
that they were under his mesmerism, he
began to mould them as the potter does the
o'ay, according to his ide, of the eternal
fitness of things, and that idea, correctly
expressed, means Tillman first, last and all
the time.
the fact that at the outset of his crusade
against the democracy, to misle,d, he made
certain charges against the State govern.
ment which he admitted to Mr.. Aucrum were
false. They had the effect for which they
were made, he said, and would now be
dropI Ied. TO do evil, that good may come
Is departure in morals that the christians
among the farmers might do well to study.
II is true Capt. Tillwan denied this charge
but it is so much like his action in reference
to his charges against tho State officials
which he opped as soon as the State was
swept by whirlwind of excitement, that
one is forced to believe the correctness of
Anorum's statement. The slander has been
hurled into his teeth from every political
stump in the State without any attempt on
his part t. justify 50 fool an accu satiou.--
Surely the farmers will see that the election
OF Is. X. 1illman is declaration TO the
world that cur democratic government is
polluted, our representatives debauched, our
commissioners bribed aud our court, COR
rnpt.
Some men support Capt. Tillmau because
they believe the state is as badly tax.r:dden
now as il was during the radical regime
For their benefit submit the following com
psrison
During the 6 years Of radical rule the
average annual return Of taxable property
was Sl6o,239,143 and only Sl39,374, 1928
during the IL years of democratic sup-cm-
COY, reduction of $50 9,S64,Sl5. 1t is an
interesting fact to notice that this reduction
OF nearly ten per cent. was after the State
had had several years ef prosperity. Nu-
merous cotton factories, and long lines of
railroads had been ruilt in the State,
greatly enhancing the value of property
adjacent to these factories aud railroads, the
additional return Of railroad property alone
being $ll 100000. II is we'll known that
property sold above its market value during
the radical rule, rs il sells below now. No.
tice, too, the difference in taxes levied
during the two administrations are 81 mills
in favor Of the democracy 1t is shame
that tho democracy needs to be defended
against the ignorance of it's household. -
Others say there has been no stealing bot
too much extravagance, and n change il
needed. Well. where does the blame lie :?
The last legislature was composed mostly of
farmers, elected largely in sympathy with
the Tillnan schedule, aud that legislature is
responsible fer having voted the largest ap-
preparation since the days Of radical SIN.
And since the state officials could use the
money only for the purposes for which it
was appropriated, will it not show more VS.
dom in changing the complexion of the
legislature than the State officers.
There are others still who say Cap. Till
q a rnGnrmar apl nn0ht - ho II
He will do wei if he succeeds in reforming
himself. The abolition of the lien law is
the only reformation that he has definitely
hinted at. The lien law does no harm on
the Statute books. 1t takes two TO make a
valid lien. The law forces no one TO give
or take lien. There are landowners vino
prefer giving lien to mortgage. 1t is
more simple aud less expensive. The land
owners. however, are independent Of the
lien law and would suffer no serious detri-
ment if it was abolished. But the moment
you legslate its death the tenants only Sc
curiy as we'll as his best friend, is zone.
l heard an enthusiastic Tillmaniie say, kill
the lien law and the Alliance will take care
of the tenants" So far as my observation
goes, joining the Alliance no more changes
the nature of the white man than it does
the color of the black man. II he demau
oed DIG interest ana gilt-edge paper ON ad-
vances before he joined he viii not forget
self ofter lie joins. And here l want to
say that the farmers have contributed ms
much TO the abuse Of the lien law as the
merchants
neither give or take lieus, but am in
position to know that some farmers charge
tenants bigger prices on advances than the
merchants. The tenants are led to believe
that they are only paying the me!ch ants
time prices and the result is that the mer-
chants are made to shoulder the iniquity o.
the farmers as we'll as their own. But the
farmers wrong doing is no excuse for the
merchants taking advantage of the lien law
to opFress the needy. The merchant, how
ever, runs oil the risk. There great many
slips between the planting and selliog of q
crop. If disaster comes, the farmer, so far
ne supplies are concerned, has had living,
while the merchant is out of pocket the e1-
tent Of the advances made. Thirty DER
cent is about the merchants average time
price, and that is about rs cheap as he can
do risky business. He would prefer to
turn his goods over and over for cash at
a small per cent. to selling at 30 per cent.
Ny, g., e. q.