The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1892-04-06
LET US HAVE PEACE.
The People as a Rule Will Do Right
When They Know Right.
Their Errors Are Errors of Judg-
ment and Not Of Conscience-Hear
Patiently Both Sides Of the Cues
tion-Concerning State Bonds.

StSN1S
held by many of my friends Of past
years at whose hands I had received
repeated manifestations of kindness
and esteem, my pen has long been
still, my voice silent.
Deeply as I have always desired
the approval Of those to whom shall
always be grateful, I have never for
a moment believed they would esteem
me more highly if I should purchase
their praise at the sacrifice Of my
principles.
While I would willingly preserve
the silence I have so long maintained,
recent events have suggested to my
mind the propriety Of discussing
briefly one or two topics which ap-
pear to me to be of supreme import
ance at this time.
No word Of censure, no spirit of
complaint, DC language OF bitterness,
no line of abuse, no syllable Of in
vective or of contumely, shall dis
fure the page on which these lines
are to be written.
It must not be forgotten that while
we differ in opinion we are of one
family. The men who achieved their
wonderful triumph in 1890, are the
same brave veterans who bore the
brunt of the battle in 1876. The
writer was one among those who diff
fered with the vast majority two
years ago, though he was ready when
the heated canvass was owe to bow
in submission to the expressed willo If
that majority, and proved his fealty
at the polls by casting his vote for
the regular ticket.
But a breach has been made in
our RANKS which may be, and ought
so-ppeeNIy neaSsSS INC 1awar
conference Il Columbia was, in The
Judgment of the writer, a necessary
step in this direction. It is not my
purpose here and-now to discuss the
merits of the platform adopted by
that conference. It has gone to
Judgment before the high tribunal of
the people, and from their verdict
there will be no appeal. This much,
however, is to thepurpose here. That
platform commits the members of
the conference and the people theyrep-
resented to the support of the regular
ticket to be nominated by the Demo.
cratic convention in September. The
danger Of a boil, of an Independent
ticket has been virtually removed,
and so much of that paper it seems
to me we may all endorse.
But it is possible nov to do more
in the way of healing the bleeding
wounds of the party. The questions
upon which we are divided NAV be
quietly discussed, the claims of the
different candidates calmly presented,
the speakers patientlyheard, and
degree of repose of mind SO zee
sary to the comprehension of argu-
ment and the reception of truth,
carefully maintained. I have supreme
confidence in the patriotism of the
people. Their FRO r errors of
Judgment and not of conscience. All
men are falIible, all men make mis-
takes. The people as a rule will do
the right when they know the right.
Then, why not have all the questions
fully ventilated, clearly Illuminated
by hearing patiently both sides so
that We may be prepared to separate
truth from error.
It will perhaps seem a strange as
ISOLATION of ideas at first blush, but
this question of peace and unity, of
harmony within u ranks bears some
relation to very important ques-
tons of government. The State
owes S6,OO0,O0O which happens to be
due next July. We have been aim
ing for years to maintain the credit
of the State so as to refund this
debt at a lower rate of interest. The
State bonds are now bearing interest
at 6 per cent. To replace those
bonds with new paper bearing 4 per
cent. interest means a saving of
$4,000 a year to the tax payers.
This could have been easily accom-
plished two years ago when South
Carolina securities were worth one
hundred and three cents on the dol
lar. They are worth now only ninety
three cents on each dollar, and I'M
less the credit of the State is speed
lily restored the opportunity to re-
duce the interest on Il public debt
will have been lost and the burden
Of six per cent. interest must be
borne for many years more. [ shall
not attempt here to show why the
credit Of the State has been so seri-
ously impaired in two short years,
except to say that the result has not
been surprising to some Of us and
I.{ - - ,oN j l.