The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-21
IT HAS THE RIGHT RING.
Stevenson Handles tho Force Bill Forclbly.

1
$500 people assem- bled in the Farmers
| tobacco warehouse at noon to-day to hear
Hon. A. e. Stevenson's speech. He was
escorted from his hotel by distinguished
citizsns of North Carolina in carriages
and large procession OF mounted men
| from the country adjacent to Ashevillo.
General Stevenson was introduced by
Hon. G. T. Rowes rs "a distinguished
! grandson of North Carolina" and whom
| he arose to speak there was loud applause,
| continuing several minutes.
General Stevenson began by paying
| tribute to North Carolina, saying that her
history and traditions wero as dear to
him as anyone present.
| It would be impossible to overstate the
importance Of tho pending politica! COL
test, especially to the people of the South
ern States. With them it is not merely
| question as to who shall be elected Presi-
dent of the United States or what shall BIZ
his policy on taxation and expenditures.
The question is of deeper importance
and far more reaching in Its consequences.
Shall they have the peace and protection
of life and property which result from
stable government Of States by their own
people, or shall they be menaced by a
repetition Of the evils Of the reconstruct
ton period7
The present contest is between the Re-
publican and Democratic parties. Which
Shall it be? To you the practical ques-
ton is: Will you have your State gov
ernments remain in the hands of your
own people, or will you have q return to
carpet-bag dealing and misrule7 Have.
you 30 soon forgotten the sad lessons Of
the past? I address mysolf to men
| whose former affiliations have been with
tbs Democratic party, but who incline
now to cast in their political fortunes with
the Third party, party absolutely with
out hope of success in tho pending con.
test.
Either Harrison or Cleveland will be
the next President and it is equally
certain that either the Democratic or
Republican party will control tho next
Congress. Your support now of the
Third party candidate or the Third party
is simply declaration upon your part
that in this great struggle, involving self
government-it may be, the protection
| Of property and Of the hearthstone-you
| are content to remain idle spectators.
Let the issue be plainly presented.
! It is we'll to recall some of the evils
! from which the Southern people escaped
by the overthrow of carpet-bag domina-
tion. Fully to recount the injustice,
wrongs and outrages suffered by some of
the Southern States during the era of
X
Az You we'll know the Republican party
had complete control of Alabama from
| '68 to "a. The best citizens of the State
we're disfranchised. They were utterly
| p0werless to protect themselves against
| those who, under forms Of law, sought to
rob them. All departments of the State
/ government were in the hands OF those
| who prostituted legislation and courts Of
justice to their own selfish purposes.
| During this saturnalia OF misRovernmen
| the plunderers of the people were men
| who, in many instances, held high place
among them from 'C8 to IA when the
can Legislature, increased from $8,000,-
| 600 to more than SIS, 100000. A large part
Of this indebtedness was created by issu-
| irg bonds to build railroads that were
never built. In addition to this, munich
pal indebtedness and County indebted
ness were enormous.
By earnest effort the State was redeem
! ell by the Democracy in '74and the era of
| carpet-bag rnisrule and plunder came to
| an end. What has boen the result7
Alabama fourteen years later under the
government OF her own people has re-
duced her enormous debt more than one
half and the taxable property in the State
| has increased nearly one hundred million
| dollars.
In North Carolina under the reconstruc-
| ton policy-the Republican party-car-
pet-bag rule was in '6S substituted for the
! government Of the State by its own peo-
| Pile. From mountain to sea the State
| was in the clutches Of plunderers. Dur
| ING the first session OF the Legislature,
both branches of which had large Repub-
| iican majorities, bonds Of the State to the
amount Of 325 1850, 900 were authorized to
L. n
| Sl4, 900, 900 for tho avowed purpose OF
building railroads were actually issued
and not mile OF railroad built.
Is 1t possible that the people OF North
/ Carolina have forgotten how this Legisla.
. ture robbed them of their school fund?
For the education Of their children the
State held 1920, 900 of bonds of the Will
mington and Weldon and the Whining
ton and Manchester Railroad Companies.
| This was sacred fund and should have
been sacredly guarded by those in power.
Was it 30 guarded? The Republican
State Legislature in order to pay the e1-
Ties sold these bonds for Sl5S,00o. So the
poor children OF tho State were robbed OF
| this school fund by men who were
solemnly pledged TO it's protection.
! Those were but part Of the schemes
devised by this Legislature to plunder
| the people. By the close Of the Legisla-
| ture the debt Of the State had been in
creased until 1t exceeded one-third of the
taxable property of the State. You nsed
hardly be reminded that during this long
night Of horror, the administration OF
justice was only mockery.
The triumph Of the Democratic party
in '76 wrested the old North State from
those who had ROBBED the people OF their I
4 &bo ;Vhk ~
pet-bag rule the State of North Carolina |
was openly and unblushingly plundered.
Official corruption reached high water |
mark. The State was literally prostrated,
and the robbers were those who sat in
high places Of power in the Legislative |
halls and in the courts Of justice. It was
during this era that distinguished Re- |
publican declared that "the Treasury OF
South Carolina had been 80 literally gut
ted by thieves who had hitherto had pcs
session of the State government that there
was nothing left to steal"
Stevenson then cited wrongs inflicted |
on Missouri from the close Of the war to |
1872, and continued
Mississippi, Louisiana and the other |
States of the South. The history Of one |
is the history of all. It was to the people |
dark night of injustice, wrong and out
rage.
In many instances illiterate and cor
rupt men were sworn ministers Of law. |
The administration Of justice was the |
merest mockery. Not content with rob-
bing the people of their substance, every |
attempt was made by those in power to |
foment discord and hatred between the |
two races. During the four years of the |
Democratic administration of the national |
government, Northern immigration and
Northern capital found their way to the !
South to degree unprecedented In our |
history. Under Democratic ascendancy |
millions Of Northern capital sought in
vestment in the South. Its resources are |
being developed and career of pros
perity it has not known since the war is
before 1t.
The purpose OF the force bill Is by intinl-
idation to control the election of Repre-
sentatlves In Congress. This is to be
accomplished by substituting Federal |
officers for election officers provided by |
State law. In other words, the officers
you have selected are to bo displaced and
their places taken by agents OF the party !
in power.
You need not be told that such legisla-
ton argues Enthusiastically lack of conf
dence In the people. This bill passed the |