The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-04-28

mas alluded to the farmers movement
and said that every feeling, every mo
tlon, of his heart was loyal to our agri.
cultural people. lie grew so eloquent
that he almost made me believe that he
had discovered the movement instead
OF myself. Laughter and applause.
well, tell you that in 1886 in conven.
tion 1 voted for Sheppard for Govern.
or and tried to elect him. Why? First
because at that time l knew none of
the public men of the State, and second
because we had been school mates and
were then and are now personal friends.
mere were then three candidates in
the lield-SenatOr COker of Darlingtoa 4 ,
John Ieter Richardson and Sheppard
who had received the office at the hands
OF Hugh 5. Thompson. The movement
then had two principal demands-.the
reorganization Of the agricultural bu.
reau and the establishment of Gil agri-
cultural college. | wrote to Coker and
asked him If he would support these
demands. lie wrote me back that he
would not, and l had Richardson ap-
preached and found that he was the
ring candidate: Voice: Tell us about
that free pass" Yes, I'll tell you about
it if you'll hush because L am not here
TO dodge anything. Cheers for Till
man: | then went TO Sheppard, and
we had conference. lie told me he
was IN favor of everything the farmers
association had demanded except the
abolition of the Citadel Academy-the
dude factory. | was then left in this
condition with Sheppard, who had been
my school fellow. A voice: "And
Judge Wallace's son-in-law."l Well,
yes, but that had nothing to do with it:
and why shouldn't | vote for him. and
especially after he came over and Joined
us? But what was the result? Col.
Lawrence Orr and VI. l.. Mauldin
headed the delegation from Greenville,
went to Columbia and were RESPONSE
bic for Sheppard's defeat in 1886. John
y. Sheppard had beaten Orr for Speak
er and he hates him for it to this day.
Colonel Orr: Didn't you vote for
llutson, who was opposed to the Agrl-
cultural College"?l Tillman-yes, and
Mauldin was opposed to it.
lColonel Orr: "NO, sir; he cast the
vote that saved the College,
Illlman--ln 1888 AGAIN asked Shep-
pard to oppose Richardson. lie said:
II will go to Columbia next week and
see about it, 1t was two or three days
before the meeting at Hodges. He
went down there and was converted to
the other side, and Lawrence Orr pre-
sided over the convention that defeat
ed Earle In favor of Richardson. Now,
these are the men who say 1--WE are in
IaVor or the farmers movement. On !
we do love our farmers so we'll that we
could Take you in our arms and en-
brace you" Laughter and applause
out now let us see what they have done
with our platform.
The speaker here compared the two
nt hnf l,n
Thirteen had omitted the demands for
railroad control and a constitutional
convention. lie then denied the
charges OF extravaganza, alluding to
the building of the inauguration plat
form, which he said was suggested by
the committees of the House and Sen
ate. lie then acknowledged that he
had alluded to some of the legislators
as drlftwood, and showed that the fail.
ure to carry out economies was not due
to his want of suggestion, but the
blocking of legislation in the Legisla-
ture. He quoted from his inaugural
and from his speeches to show that he
had been consistently in favor of re-
form. lie denied that he had acted as
a dictator. lie quoted a letter of Has
kell to The State which he said ex-
planned how the members of the Legis-
how that newspaper had tWitted the
legislators with being under his con-
troll and causing them to vote other
wise than haG been expected. lie ad-
mitted that Il good deal of time had
been spent in the election of a United
States Senator; that nothing was being
done, and that he therefore called upon
TWO Solicitors to assist in what admin
lstratlon measures embodied the views
OF the farmers platform. lie then
went on to show how these measures
were defeated, but contended that he
had carried out his pledges and that the
Legislature had failed to carry out
theirs.
AS part of the argument here he
quoted extensively from the party plat
form, stating in what respects he had
endeavercd to carry out his declara-
tl0nS. lie also entered into an elabo-
rate discussion of the causes which led
to the defeat Of several Of his meas
lres, and especially the railroad bill,
the Sherlil bill, and others. lie then
replied to some Of the statements that
he lost ground in the State, and con
tinued thus: Sheppard has claimed
that he will carry my township rs sure
as fate. Well, Gen. M. G.. Butler who
has had finger in this pie, has had a
heap to do with stirring up this town
ship, and so has A. T.. Butler, who was
sent home by the Legislature. and who
lives on the edge Of the township. They
haye been distributing The State free
gratis. | have been at home but sci.
dom, because have stayed in Column
bia attending to your business; but |
will say that will 90 home. make three
speeches, and if can't beat him in the
primaries ] will withdraw from the
race. Governor Sheppard, will you say
as much? l have gone, my friends,
through HI to get this Office, and |
have been told that no other man could
have led the movement to success.
Since my election ! have discharged my
duty as faithfully as | knew, and am
now asking this people whether they
think | have done it or not. ! made a
living before | got into the Governors
Office, and whenever the majority Of
the people say eve don't want you any
longer" | will retire without murmur,
The Governor recurred to his posi-.
tton as defined in his inaugural on the
three dollar poll tax, giving his reasons
for the recommendation,
SnpakiDO Of rho InIno uT,ll,.,