The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-17
MR.. KING At AN9REVILLB.
A THOROUGHBRED ALL1ANcEMAN AND
FARMERS MovEMENT-MAN ON
THE SITUATION
Opposed to Constitutional COnven-
tiOn...OppOsed to the Thrae.DOI-
lar Poll Tax---OppOsed to the Re.
peal Of the Lien Lnw..-OppOsed to
Qualified Suffrage.
In Favor OF the Largest Liberty for
All and the Least Tax Oh the
Bone and Muscle.
Speech Of Hon. j. n. King, at Antre.
willie, August IL, 1892.

willie, August IL, 1892.
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies' and Gentlemen:
We are here to-day for the purpose OF dis
cussing, and hea.i Ing discussed, the political
issues OF the times. 1t Is the duty that eV
cry aspirant for political office, owes to the
people he aspires TO represent, to go be fore
them give his views upon al questions that
would likely come before him for Legisla,
tion, and am before you now for that pur'
pose.
The people should pay attention TO what is
said by the candidates 30 they could vote In
telligently on the issues before them, and u
eide iu their own minds whether the aspl'
rants views are In account with their own or
not. People often vote for candidate SIM
ply because he is Il good fellow end has never
made All enemy. Don't vote for such man
be never had an opinion Of his own, ana II
he did, he never had the manhood to defend
There arc great questions pending before
you for your ADJUDICATION, they have been
discussed all over the State and county, l
am a supporter OF Gov. Tillman and of his
administration. Most OF the Legislation
of the present Legislature WAS wise and con-
servative. But differ with Gov. Tlllman on
certain measures that are al this time be In y
discussed. Let us discuss those matters calm.
ly. Don't let us fight among ourselves and
sink the ship; let us agree upon some plan
that will lead US to part OF salty. Inc Lrst
question TO settle is whether the demagoSue
or the people shall rule-that is for you 10
say.
have but one vote to cast, and Intend TO
cast ~ according to the dictates or my own
conscience, and not by the direction or nny
man or sci OF men. My friends, 30 and do
likewise: If you do any other way you are not
men, you are nothing but dumb driven cat
I shall take up the subjects before US for
discussion IN regular order. The one that
seems 10 be of the greatest Importance is
whether we shall have Constitutional C'r-
vention or not? say | nm opposed u cali
ing Il convention and Will give You my rea-
son for the position that occupy. L believe
our present constitution Is as good US we
could make under the present Status oil the
white people of this State. We have ~ good
q constitution ny any State IN this America
Union. We could not better IL In my opin-
lon r. we have II convention. If there ~ any
thing wrong with the present constitution we
can remedy IL by amendment by your own
votes, without the cost or one dollar. Where-
as II we have Il convention IL VIII cost you
more than one hundred tnonsanu ooIia1s ,,J iJi
n com encemenD which Is nearly n one mil
tax. Those who favor call fora convention
call our constitution an old rag. sorry the
word rebellion Is in II. Rebellion only oc-
ours in one OF the sections. IL reads thus.
"No debt constructed by the hand OF the re-
bellion shall ever he paid" They sny that Is
an Insult 10 the old soldiers. Washington
and Lee were called rebels and as long as we
are in such good company we should he salis-
fled.
But again. they say one section of the con,
stiiutiop saws that "All schools supported
wholly or In part by the public funds shall
be open alike to the colored and white chill
dren of the State" | believe our Supreme
Court would hold that under our present sys-
tenn of school management that both classes
have equal rights under the law, these de-
fects can be remeied by amendment and II
you elect me ns one OF your representatives.
will offer q resolution To allow you to vote to
change those two sections Of our constit tuition.
Our constitution has QG) sixteen amendments
made to-
The tW iii school tax was put into 1t by
amendment; only two votes was cast against
IL in Abbevlle County:
Tie homestead law has been amended. SO
you see you can get what you want rcinedled
i'm the Organize laws by amendment without
money and without price. We are told that
Charleston has two Senators and Abbeville
only one, that Is not right, II my friends Will
examine the records OF the Legislature they
will find that voted for the resolution 10 de-
priye Charleston OF one OF her Senators. We
can remedy this by amendment which haye
already voted for and will vote for again II
have the opportunity.
This community is az intelligent as any
community in the State, and doubt II ten
men In this large audience have ever read the
constitution l say this with all respect to
your intelligence. DO you want 10 change
Something you have never read and studied.
I should think not. Read IT, study 1t, com
pare 1t with the constitutions OF our sister
States, and see wherein you could better ~ be-
fore you conclude TO cange it-don't take a
leap In the dark. 1t has been said we can
control the corporations Of the State without
a convention. ! can't zee what the constttu-
tion has to do with controlling corporations.
They receive their charter from Legislature
and they can be controlled by their creator.
II has been said better class OF men would
be sent 10 the Convention than goes TO the
Legislature. Why would better class he
sent? The same men or nearly the same
ncn would be elected to the convention that
81. ,t,ra ,sptt IL N
Sion and ISL five dollars day In View they
would stive all the harder TO get there.
Another reason given why we should have
81 convention Is that our present constitution
~ a Republican product; they go ON the prlh-
ciple that no good can come out OF Nazareth
n ia the same cry OF the Jews OF Q9OO) nine
teen hundred years ago. II Is Only sentl
meut Are we able 10 pay such large sum
we have n new constitution there will be de,
i,.rts in IL that will have to be remedled. AL
of our laws will have 10 be construed by
the Supreme Court and 1t Will take Il ION
lime to become famlllar Will the organic
law Of the land.
NE are familiar with our laws. You cnr
have most of your legal papers drawn oy
Notary or Trial Justice without cost, bu'
" hen we llnvea new constitution You WI
he compelled to go to good lawyer and have
him To draw your papers so That they VII
con form to the new order OF things. Then
youur friends of mine, they VIII become
hloaled bond holders; that rs perhaps PERM why 'h'
| nm not a prophet nor am the son of ;
prophet, but mark me, you VIII curse the DAY
| ihut YOU vote Tor Il convention. say mos
en- piaticuIly that would vote against Il re
solution to call a convention uni was Ill
rrcIed to do so by Il minority vote OF ih'
white people. Why If were to see n tarnnd'
tearing through this forest anu IL Gou,u t stni b
right TO do II. We are foolins with poIltica
| cycIone that might destory us II we call
convention You who have read the histor.
of this State know thnt STRIFE hnn mni'moS, nos
separated sixty years ago In the days OF NUN
fIration that have never been healed. Go'
deliver us from such Il lnte.
| am opposrd to qualified Snlfrage-it Is IL
new positiOn for me. When was your rep
rnspntatiye in the General Assembly bill
was presented to the committee on privilege
and elections recommending qunllled SUI
fringe | opposed IL then; opposed IL now ol
/ tho same grounds. II vii he a. bone OF dissen
sion among our people. We should go s!o'
In this direction. -,
There are men In THIS community WIG WIG
from no fnult Of theirs, are unable To reau IN
consultation of the State. They are good CT
LIENS, have made money honesty. They ar
educating their children and helping ~
church. Are they TO oe uehrtTeu W. oi .ae fs
But pass on To the three dollar poll TAX
which we have heard so much. l am oPpo'
ed to taxing the bone ana muscle OIL the IAN
while letting the wealth escape It's part OF IN
burden of taxutlon. II Is not right. II Is nc
iusI. IL Is Il discrimination against the poe
men of the country. ,,..
III would be II magnificent electioneerip
=. scheme for our friends here to come befor
The people two or four years from now, an
saw TO YOU we have given you good school
for nine months in the year and your tax a
.nssmeut has not been raised one cent, and S
il will appear on the tax books:
I will illustrate TO you what l mean. If ft
:, all purposes you are assessed (9) nine mill
: wnur property valued at (JOO five hundre
= dollars. Your tax would be iour dollars m
q iny cenis, now add three dollar poll IA
making seven dollars and fifty CENTS, yol
TAXES ure increased (GG 2-D sixty-siX and tw
,. third per cent, making your property OF