The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-06-30
to Wednesday when it reassembled at

to Wednesday when 1t reassembled at
balfpaSt eleven o'clock. Prayer vas
offered by the Rev, Alfred Henry.
None of the committees being ready
to report Senator Palmer, of Illinois
was invited to address the Convention.
a committee brought Senator Palmer
to the front, and when the gray haired
Senator was seen coming down the aisle
TO the desk a cheer went up which soon
grew.
"Gentlemen," cried Chairman Owens,
cit is not necessary for mo to Introduce
to you this war horse OF Democracy.
MIR. Palmer put his hearers III Il pleas
ant mood at once by a eOmical story
and some light comments on the crowd
The key note of Mr.. paImer's talk was
unity and co operation. 1--WE want no
skulkers in this great fight. Every
man must work." he said ana the sen.
Clmcnt was cheercd roundly. Select
Sol'd, llrm Democrat for this contest
ana put the banner in his hand and
then rally about him." said Palmer.
"llill is the man." came voice from
up III the shadows beneath the roof
and the name of the New Yorker was
caught up and shouted until from shore
or sea or faces IN lower regions a shrill
hiss shot out into the clatter of sounds.
1T grew until the cheers and Kisses died
away.
When the aged speaker claimed Hi
hoiS would be Democratic C, the shouters
were wild in their enthusiasm.
The committee on permanent organ
lZatlon then reported VIM. l.. Wilson
Of West Virginia as permanent chair
man, 5. Il. Sheerin of Wisconsin for
permanent secretary and the list of as
slstant and Vice-presidentS and secre-
tarieS by States. On taking the chair
MIR. Wilson spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Convention: l thank
you heartily for this honor. shall tlyt,
meet the duties of the high position to
which you call me with spirit of fairness
and equality that is Democratic. This
to perform. We owe much to our party.
We owe much to our country. The mission
OF tile Democratic party is to fight for the
under dog. When that party is out of
power we may be sure that there is an un-
der dog to fight for, and that tho under dog
Is generally the American people. When
that party is out of power we may be sure
| that some party is in control of our Gov
crnmcnt that represents section and not
the whole country; that stands for a class
and not the whole people.
Never was this truth brought home to us
more detiantly than by the recent Convcn-
tlon at Minneapolis. We are not deceived
as TO the temper and we are not in doubt
as TO the purpose of our opponents. Having
taxed us for years without excuse and
without mercy, they now propose to disarm
US u, OF 1urtNer power to resist their eXac-
uonS. RepuOlican success in this cam
palgn, when we look to the party platform,
| the party candidates or the utteranccs of
party leaders, means that the people are to
he stripped of their franchises through
| force bills in ordar that they may be strip
| ped of their substance through tariff bills.
Free government is lf-gOvcrnment. There
| Is no free government where the people do
| not control their own elections and levy
| their own taxes. When either Of these
| rights is taken away or diminished a breach
| is made, not in the outer defence, but in
| the citadel of our freedom. For wears we
have been struggling to recover the lost
right of taxing ourselves, and now we are
| threatened with the loss Of the greater right
or governing ourselves. The loss of one
| follows i'll succession the loss of the other.
When you confer on the Government the
power of dealing in wealth you unchain
every evil 1t can prey on and eventually
destroy free institutions, creating excessive
taxation class taxation, billion-dollar Con-
crosses, corrupt civil service, a debauch-
ed ballot-box and purchased elections. In
every campaign the privilege of taxing peo-
pie will be bartercd for contribution to
victory new Mckinley bill to repay these
contributions with taxes wrung from the
people.
For every sef.governing people there
can be no more momeutOus question than
That OF taxation. 1t is the one, as Mr..
burke truly said, around which all the
great battles Of freedom have been fought.
1t is the question out Of which grow all the
issues of government. Until we settle this
question wisely, permanently and Justly
we build all other reforms on a foundation
or sand. We and the great party we rep.
resent are to-day for tariff reform, because
1t Is the only gateway to genuine Demo-
cratic government. The distinguished
leader who presided over the Republican
convention b1aSted that he does not know
what taliif reform is. Whoever said that,
let us hope, with that charity which en-
dureth all things and believeth all things,
That he Is truly as ignorant as he vaunts
himself to be. Unfortunately the people
are not so ignorant of the meaning of pro-
lection, of protection which is dealt to them
in the bill that bears his name. We see
that meaning ''writtcn large" to-day in
Frustrated agriculture, in shaclled COM
merce, IN stricken industries, in the COM
pulsory idleness of labor, in law-madc
wealth, in the discomfort of workingmcn
ana the despair of the farmer. They know
ny nard experience that protection as a
system or taxation Is but an old crafty
to pay the expense of the Govcrnmcnt.
They Ihey know by bard experience that pro-
aectlon I.o as system of tribute is but an old
crafty scheme by which the powers of tax
atlon OF the people is made the private
property OF few of the people. Tariff re-
form means to rcadjust this system of tax.
atloD and to purge away this system of tri =
butte. 1t means that we have not reached
the goal of perfect freedom so long as any
citizen is force d by law to pay tribute to
any OTTER, and until our taxes are proper
toned to the ability and duty of the tax
payer rather than to his ignorance, his
weakness and his patience. Governor Nc
hinley charges that the Democratic party
DclleVes in taxing ourselves. am afraid,
senticmen, we must admit this charge.
What right or eXcu Sc have we for taxing
anybody else with continent for q country,
with freedom and intelligence as the instrl-
ments for It's developments? We stand dis
Graccd III the eyes of mankind If wo cannot
and if we do not support our own Govern
mGnt. We can throw that support on
other people only by bcggary or by force.
If we use one, we are n pauper nation; if
we use the other, we are pirate nation.