Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-08-11
.MAYFIBLD MAKES HAY.
RIGHT KIND OF REA-
E. S0NING.
FFCTs AND FIGURES THAT
ARE ABSOLUTELY
yNANswERABLE. AND TlLLMANlTEs

And Sheppard1CeS Auko Mus1
Be Convinced by Them-A
Powerful Presentation for the
T;llman Administration.
Hon. w. D. May6eld, superin-
tendent of Education, yesterday
delivered the most. powerful and
comprehensive speech of the
present campaign at the meeting
at Union. he spoke as follows:
b Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND FELLOW DEMO-
For the first time during
Ibis campaign I appear on the
asst for speech; because of
special reasons I have not been able
to accompany the campaign party.
The many duties of my Office
during this, the Teachers Institute,
season have engaged my atten-
ton. I have thought it advisable
not to neglect them, and they
could not be postponed. If l may
lie allowed to borrow the words of
another, I will say that I have
attempted to carry out the idea
that "public Office is public trust. !"
The interests of the present
administ.ation-our administra.
tion-haye been we'll cared for by
Gouernor Tillman and the other
speakers on our side. In fact, /
knew they were fully able, more
SO than I am, to present our cause
with force and conviction. But it
is not right that thoy should have
to do all of the work, especially
during this exceedingly hot
weather, and I am here i'll my
plain and matter-of-fact way to
lend a helping hand.
am not possessed of the power
of elquence. 1 always speak plainly,
and attempt to drive straight to
the point by citing facts to sustain
my position. I hope to do so
politely to-day, and I promise to
treat those of you who do not
entertain similar views to those 1
entertain with as much considera-
tion and courtesy as you can
possibly show me. L recognize
that you are as much entitled to
your opinion as I am to mine.
This is a free country, and you
are a free people. I give you credit
for honesty of conviction and pur-
pose, and claim of you as much
for myself. Do not condemn with
out cause, or oppose without reason,
is all I ask. Hear the facts and
let them be the foundation on
which you stand.
1t is the spiritof intolerance among
our people that is the curse of the
State to-day. This spirit of
intolerance has done, and is to-day
doing, more harm than any other
one thing. Your neighbor is
entitled to your respect, and you
to his even though you differ in
your views politically, or rather
factionally. There is no necessity
for hot blood, or harsh words,
simply because you do not see
Things in the same way that others
do. Do not be guided by malice or
revenge in your actions, or what
you say, but by magnanimity of
heart and sound reason sustained
by facts. Prejudices founded on
unjust and unfair criticisms,
spoken and written, have often led
men astray; and blinded against
the truth by wild fanaticism, they
have been guilty of the most
desperate deeds, and have gone to
the furtherest extent possible. You
are Carolinians contending with
Carolinians, and I beseech you in
the name of the State you love and
are trying to serve, in the name of
the honor of your homes and
respect for yourselves, in the
name of good morals and common
decency, to dismiss and remove
from youths unfortunate spirit
of intolerance that now possesses
you; leave off all unjust accusa-
tions, ordinations and recimina-
tions, and be guided only by that
which is sustained by facts and
reason and founded in truth,
I turn now to the campaign issues
and hope to discuss a few of them
on the high plane of reason and
argument, and will endeavor tc
sustain my positions by citing
facts and figures. 1t is awfully hare
to make speech filled with figures
interesting, and 1 ask youl
indulgence.
In citing figures I will try tc
make them as interesting tc you al
I can, as we'll as instructive. You
may take down as many of them
as you can. I would be glad that
you would; l am sure you would
find them of service to you.
One Of the general charges made
against us, yor present State
officers, is that we are unwise
indiscreet, unsafe and unbusiness.
like men-amounting to unftnesl
and incompetency. The reports
of Ex-Governor Sheppard'l
speeches have made him say man.
times, if not Oh every stump, tina
he had grown up from the farm
and, as poor boy, won his way
in life upon his own merits
and efforts; that he wa
4 detected president of his bank o,