Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1892-07-28
REORGANIZATION of Oakway Democratic
Club-Addresses by E. E. Werner and
r. T. Jaynes-A Strong Showing for
Conservative Democracy.
OAKwAy. S. c. july 26. 1892


EDITORS COURIER: The Oakway Demo
cratic club was recognized at this place
on Wednesday, July goth. The usual
officers were elected and the club roll
numbers forty-sevep solid for Sheppard
and Orr, and ''still s4ere is more to fol
low"
By resolution of The club Mr.. E. E.
Werner, of Richland, and R. T. Jaynes,
Esq, of Walhalla. were invited to deliver
addresses on Saturday Afternoon, July
23d. They accepted and accordingly
were on hand in due time. The speeches
OF these gentlemen, we think, made a
lasting impression on most of those pres
ent.
Mr.. Werner lead Off in clear md for
chile speech. He began by showing his
profound love and sympathy for the
farmer and Farmers Movement. Ie
said he was farmer; that he went into
the field and sometimes got into the ditch.
He made his living by the ''sweat of his
brow as every honest man should and
did. But he showed why ne could not
support the present administration; that
it was unfair and unjust; that it discrim-
mated and antagonized without reason
the railroads and banks. He dwelt at
length on the harm done the State and
the danger threatened the people by Gov.
Tillman's method of antagonizing capi-
tai. He claimed that the present tight
ness in monetary affairs was due to this
fact in great measure. He thought
Tillman had proved himself a false friend
to the farmer-the poor man-and wished
to know why the people wanted to elect
him again. Warming up to his subject
on this point, the speaker asked: Eel
low-citizens, how can any of you vote
for him?" Mr.. W. NJ. Brown answered:
Because he is the farmers friend" Mr..
Werner then stopped and insisted on Mr..
Brown showing just one thing that Till
man had done for the farmer; but Mr..
Brown did not or could not show it. He
made mo reply. Inconclusion. hetouched
briefly on national affairs and explained
how greatly the South suffered on account
of high and unjust tariff taxation. and
how little Gov. Tillman seemed to care
about it. Taken as Il whole. MI. Yer
ner's speech made a splendid impression
and put his hearers to thinking.
Mr.. Jaynes then began by fcelingly and
impressively referring to his boyhood
days spent OH the farm, and how he had
followed the plow many day His
father was farmer, all his relatives were
farmers, and his sympathies went out to
them in common with all other farmers
of our county and State. His interest
was bound up in theirs. and, besides,
his professional and business success
depended largely on the welfare and pros
perity of the farmer. In short. if he
knew his heart. he was the farmers
friend. He came to speak on this occa-
sion as a private citizen who feels deep
interest in the welfaresof our State and
her people He first dwelt on the need
FOR reform in national taxation. The
present system Of tariff taxation and pen
sions bore heavily upon the South. Under
this system the South was being drained
of her resources. which went to enrich
the people of the North and East. He
drew contrast between Massachusetts,
and South Carolina to illustrate his point.
To-day it is estimated that the loanable
fund of Massachusetts is nearly $50 per
capita, while in South Carolina it is only
si2.4o per capita South Carolina pays
every year about S7.o00.00o as tariff taxa
ton, none of which comes back to us!
worthy OF mention, while the whol(
South ;jnvs SO, 100000 annually for pen
sions and gets back only about 800, ,MD$
Thus the profits of our toll are swept
away from us, and so long as the present
currents continue to flow the Southern
people will continue to feel the strin-
gency in money matters. The financial
flow is constantly from and never towards
us. hence the great difference in the
loanable fund OF Massachusetts, and
South Carolina. Therefore. the great
national issue is tariff reform, of which
Grover Cleveland stands as the exponent.
In this national contest Gov. Tillman
had little sympathy for the toiling mil
lions of America He had declared tariff
reform myth, and at heart Tillman was
a protectionist. For this reason he should
not be reelected Governor, for he was
heading for the United States Senate,
and. if he reached there, his ideas on
tariff taxation would align him against
the people-the toiling masses. The
speaker then passed some of our state
affairs in review. He showed how the
State had lost over 100000 on phosphate
royalty by the unwise course pursued by
the administration in the Coosaw litiga-
ton. He also dwelt on the credit of onr
State being impaired by the present
administration. But when he came down
to the three dollar poll tax, advocated by
Gov. Tillman, and showed how unfair
and unjust it was to 5he poor aan; how
hard the poor had to work to support
his family; how much easier it was for
the rich to pay ten to twenty dollars than
for the poor man to pay even one; when
he touched this point with a force and
eloquence seldom heard in this section.
the old lEen and the young alike hung
their heads in silence.
The speaking lasted for two hours,
each of the speakers occupying about an
hour. Our little club is jubilant over the
success of the meeting. The best OF
order prevailed and everybody seemed
disposed to listen and to think.
II your brilliant correspondent, Mr..
'Adelphos, of Fair Play, will come up
about Oakway he will find few men
who are white in principle as well as
color, and who will vote for Sheppard
and Orr. They are men who don't
believe in giving a man $500 a year SIM
ply because he has more ''brass than
brains" No, they are not all 'niggers'
at oakway.
would like to ask Mr.. Tillman's friends
if, in 1888, did not Mr.. Tillman advocate
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