The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-06-26
THE CAMPAIGN. MEETING.
Full Report of the Speeches of the Candidates for
Governor---a Synopsis of the other Speeches.

4
The campaign meeting for Anderson
County, as arranged by the State Execu.
tive Committee, was held in this city,
Wednesday, 18th inst. Those who seek
/ to be the standardbearers of the Demo
cratic party in the approaching election
we're heard by large, enthusiastic and,
with a few exceptions, orderly gathering.
The main features of the meeting, inclu-
ding the arrival of the several candidates,
their welcome at the train, and the escort
of Capt. Tillman to the place of speaking
by large number Of admirers who drew
his vehicle, have already been referred
to in these columns. The audience,
which consisted of from 1000 to $500
persons, embraced representatives of
every section of the County. The stores
of tie city we're closedin order that the
attendance upon the meeting might be
increased. Both the supporters of the
Farmers Movement and those who OPP
pose its method and candidates, we're out
in force, there being no material dispar
agement in their respective numbers.
The meeting was called to order by DR..
S. NJ. Orr, chairman of the County Exc
cutive Committee, who bespoke for the
speakers fair and courteous hearing.
He urged the audience to preserve that
order which would reflect credit upon the
County, and contribute to the success of
the meeting.
Gen. Bratton's Speech.
The frat speaker was Gen. John Brat
ton, of Fairfield, who, after an appropri.
ate introduction by Chairman Orr, spoke
as follows:
Fellow citizens and the Democracy of
Anderson, which took so prominent a
part in the array for Anglo.saxon liberty
which we formed to rescue ps from the
thraldom of class government, I am
| here to appeal to your discretion and
judgment to cling to those. principles
which governed US then, and which alone
can secure our liberties with the dangers
surrounding us now. There is no differ.
ence between us as to the necessity for
1.-THE preservation of the Democratic party.
We are all agreed as to that. The only
question of difference for you to decide is
whether shall we cling to the principles
which have steered us clear of dangers
thus far and apply them to the new con-
! dition of affairs, or whether cutting loose
from them we shall rely upon the new
and progressionist idea Of combination.
Throughout our entire country we have
combinations of capital called trusts,
which have been organized to throttle pri.
vate industry and private enterprise, and
political combinations, to throttle the
rights and interests of private citizens !;
and the question is whethsr ne shall or
not depart from the support of the prin-
ciples of the party of the people, and the
only party which has ever been organ
lied for the enforcement OF the Constitu.
tion. To secure the rights of any we
must secure the rights oil all, and the
Democratic party is the only one which
in the past has sought to do this. That
party, in the first place, Was formed and
arrayed to resist encroachments upon the
sovereign will of the people, and to
enforce the authority of the people, and
every party which has been arrayed
against it has been arrayed to encroach,
more or less, upon the rights of the
| masses These combinations for all pur-
poses to which the spirit of the age is
| tending, distract The attention Of the peo
ple from the main stake for which We are
struggling. The only bond of union and
harmony between the Anglo saxon peo
pie in this country which can be effective
| 10 relieve us from burden and to secure
our full and just rights, is the bond of
principle-that principle which is en-
bodied in the Constitution of our coun-
try. All these combinations which tend
to distract our attention from the main
objects which we are seeking to accom-.
plish are risky and dangerous to our lib
critics; and if ne will be governed by the
laws of experience we will find that this
grand array of the principles Of the Con-
stitution has been invincible against all
outside opponents. The only danger and
the only thing that it has ever succumbed
to has been internal dissensions and con-
tentions. The Democratic party of the
United States held the Government, with
q few exceptions, for nearly hundred
years. A few errors we're made, as is
bound to be the case as long as human
nature is frai, but for nearly hundred
years it held the Government in allegi.
ance to the power and will of the people.
Their energy, their individual industry,
and particularly our foundational pur-
suit, the agriculture of the country,
reaped the benefits of their own work
and prospered and increased. We lost
that control of affairs BY reason of Inter.
nal dissensiops and contentious within
the party. We first heard of free soil
Democrats, then State sovereignty Dem
ocrats-some of you are old enough to
remember tbat-and then old line Dem
ocrats, aud another power, which used to
be called the old Federal party, stepped
into Office, took possession and so far as
the United States Government is con-
cerned we are now subjected to the
oppression of class rule to the con fusion
not only of our political rights but of our
right to reap the benefit of what we earn.
The Democratic party then was very
much in the condition that our party is
now in this State. It had defeated all
opposition, and the people were prosper
Gus under its rule, but dissensions led
them away from their only reliance to
secure the liberty which ia guaranteed to
them by the Constitution. We are pre-
cisely in that condition, and | now beg
to warn my countrymen against the dan.
ger of internal dissension and strife.
When the day comes in South Carolina
that we will have the farmer Democrat,
the merchant Democrat, and the lawyer
Democrat, 1 assure you that it will not
be long before another power that will
sweep the field and rob us of our rights
will step in. (Applause.) We are far