The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-08-03
IN HONEST INQUIRY.


[NoTE.-The following article was
written for the Psoples' Aduocate, and was
rendered to the Editor of that paper for
publication, but he declined to publish
it.
Mr.. EDITOR: There may be no break
in the lines from your point of view, but
We can assure there is at least few con-
scientious voters that supported Governor
Til!man two years ago as reformer that
to day look upon him with feelings of
distrust, if not aversion, owing to an evi.
ident want of consistency. Now, as we
belong to that class of voters who not
only supported him in his canvass, but
also cast our ballot for his election, we
feel free of prejudice when We say that he
has utterly failed to come up to our ex-
pectatious as q reformer, and, therefore,
cannot get our vote on the S0th August
Our attitude towards the Governor from
the first was like that of great many
others who bad no especial admiration
for his personality, but believed him to
be honest and sincere, and incapable of
doing thing that he villi6ed and abused
others for doing, and, that he would not,
for the sake Of paltry sum, place him
self in the same category with those whom
he had denounced as bribe takers, and
yet it must be confessed by all that he did
this very thing. It must also be confess.
cd by some of US that this is not what we
call rugged honesty" Furthermore, We
would add that it certainly must take an
abundance of brass and cheek for can
didate to face constituency with this
reproach upon him. We don't believe
that Anderson County could produce the
man who would be willing to "face the
music" under like condition. Ifshe has,
however, we have some curiosity to know
who he is.
It will be remembered that Une of the
most important features of Tillman's
platform contemplated not only q reduc-
tion of Offices, but also scaling of sala'
ries, which the Governor promised faith.
fully to carry out, provided that q Legis.
lature was elected that was in sympathy
with him in this reform. Now, in order
to make a sure thing doubly sure, some
ofothe knowing ones met together, and,
unknown to some, and to the great dis
satisfaction of others, nominated ticket.
To one man this looked so much like the
"rirg rule" that had so recently been de-
nouncsd in the canvass, that he bolted the
ticket and ran race on his "own hook"
but was, of course, defeated. The regular
nominees were elected which were known
to De "simon pure" reformers. With
this outfit 1t was believed that there would
be no wabling nor twisting, and that the
Governor would move right on without
halting or moving till the salaries of all
officers were reduced and some abolished
altogether. It is needless to say that this
part of the platform has been complete
failure. The people have ceased to talk
about it, and I don't suppose now that
there is any one foolish enough to be-
lieve that IL will ever be done, If,
indeed, it was ever seriously contempla-
ted.
There may have been some difficulties
that stood in the way Of this reform that
the Governor did not understand when
be was canvassing for Office. Certainly
the people did not understand it, and, of
course, they we're in this respect sorely
misled.
Again, when Governor Tillman was a
candidate for Office two years ago he told
the toiling masses that they were paying
more than an equitable proportion of
taxes for the support of the government.
Now, We thought st the time that this
was not only first rate campaign thunder,
but that it also contained fair proper
ton of truth. We really felt that dis
ordinations had been made in our laws
against the poorer classes, and that more
than just proportion of the burdens of
government had been laid on their shout.
ders. We also entertained some faint
hope that these burdens would be 30 ad-
iusted by the reformer that no one would
have any just cause for complaint. But
has it been done? Has any steps been
taken or advised to be taken by the Gov
ernor that leads in this direction2 Ifso,
ne confess our ignorance of the fact. We
are powerfully impressed with the con-
viction that If the recommendation of
the Governor had been carried out and
materialized into law by the "driftwood"
Legislature, the taxes of the rich would
have been decreased, and the taxes of the
poor increased, some thirty, some sixty,
and some an hundred fold. The poor
white men can align themselves with the
Governor in voting, but when 1t comes to
tax paying of necessity be must align
himself with the poor negro with an in
creased taxation. Oh, what consistency |!
What immaculate patriotism What
sanctiied unselfshness on the part Of the
Governor to recommend to the Legisla-
ture three dollar poll tax for the educa.
ton of the poor and illiterate masses 1t
does really seem to us, to say the least of
it, that it is about the easiest and cheap.
est way an Office seeker ever paid off a
debt of gratitude to an admiripg constit
uency, even if it does not equalize the
burdens of government complained of.
We sometimes hear the farmers move
ment spoken of as the "laboring mans
party" Surely this can't be true, or else
the wrong man is at the head of it. All
labor organizations know that the rich