Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1893-05-11

the influence of few Alliancemen,"
they unanimously conferred the most
honorable and responsible position,
within their gift upon one so unwor-
thy as he would have me appear?
If there was any presumption" in
that convention as to my being op-
posed TO the nomination OF Mr..
Cleveland, l was not aware Of it then
nor since, till the Governor makes
the bald statement, that such was the
case. To be entirely frank he makes
that statement in the face of indu-
bitable proof to the contrary, for my
position towards Mr.. Cleveland was
given to the press as early as Febru-
ary, 1891, and was printed in the
newspapers all over this State, and
in other States as well, and | know
he read my views, as then expressed.
The Alliance gave no evidence OF
looking upon my preference for Mr..
Cleveland as a betrayal of them,
either. at that time or since. More
over the convention voted down a
resolution to instruct the delegates
to Chicago, as the records show. As
to the resolutions afterwards adopted,
condemning Mr.. Clcveland's former
administration, it will be remembered
by delegates, who talked with me on
the way to Chicago, that | thought
the resolution as expressive OF the
sense of the convention must have
its bearing upon their action. /
went to Chicago, not as a delegate,
to vote in the convention, butt meet
the Democratic National Executive
Committee, in order to organize with
that committee for the work OF the
campaign. l associated with them
'openly" l confess; most of the com
mittee l believe were supporters OF
Mr.. Cleveland, and the results OF the
convention indicated that there were
quite a number of voting delegates
also, who were in favor of his Z nj
nation. l felt then as | DO now, that
|, as a free white South Carolina
Democrat, had as much right to my
choice of Mr.. Cleveland for the Pre-
sidency as Gov. Tillman had for his
choice. As already stated my posi-
tiou for Mr.. Cleveland was well un-
derstood before the May convention
met. No demand was made upen
me by that convention, and l deny
the charge that consciously de-
ceived any one, either by silence, OF
by speech. The next count in this
wonderful Indictment is that
pledged myself if elected President
of the State Alliance, not tc seek any
Office, etc., and this report, 81 an
told," is being very industriously cir
culated in Alliance circles as though
it were fact, which, if believed, will
as is hoped for by those who seek
my injury have the effect of break
ing the unity of the Alliance, in sup
porting my efforts as its officla, head
to build up and maintain the true
principles of the order.
i The exact truth is, | did not seel
} the. nomination OF the Presidency o
the State Alliance, but on the con
trary expressed to many OF those wh'
approached me cn the subject, tina
, l preferred to decline, and | am sur'
that every member OF the State Ali
ance arho coted for me will bear m,
out in the statement; that | did not
in the slightest degree, express 0
imply any such pledge, nor was an.
such requirement laid upon me b.
any one whomsoever. | did 81
after my election that would do a
5 within my power to build up an
advance the interests OF the order
: which have done and will contlnu
to do. 1t might be interesting RICH
l here to inquire OF the Governo
t whence comes this newborn zeal 70
a the welfare and safety of the All
: ance on his part? l believe that
e one time he was made President {
9 the Edgetield county Alliance, an
r that, Notwithstanding, he had pu'
: lished far and wide--to show his dl'
: interested patriotism-that he wante
c no Office save that of trustee OF a
r agricultural college, yet he did nc
hesitate to embrace the first oppo
o tunity to hold Office OF another kim
g When Alliancemen all over the Sta'
;, revert to his defiance OF the ord'
o and its principles, as he demonstrate
/ it at the meeting OF the State All
e ance, at Spartanburg, they will, 7
a doubt, look upon his great and SUI
d den Alliance virtue in this case
II somewhat ludicrous and grotesqn
d In the last count he charges me WI
d sstreachery, to the people and toll
e Alliance in that l injected into Il
d railroad bill of '9l ''two objectionab
le features" viz: The right OF appe
Ie on the part of the railroads to t
n courts and the feature OF the b
le which allowed the election OF Ra
r road Commissioners by the Gener
n Assembly. To any one with the
e. formation and intelligence of
IS school-boy reply to these charg
I'd would seem supertluous. Mr., IL
at man, when inaugurated Govern'
took a solemn oath to sustain t
" constitution OF this State and OF t
of United States. |, with every oth
H. member of the Senate and House
lie Representatives, took the same oat
to The constitution unquestlonat
n guarantees to the citizen the re
he of appeal to the courts, which RIO
he is one Of the bed rocks of civil llber
as and yet the Governor OF gre
a State, who has sworn to sustain t
re constitution thereof, feels justifi
n in proceeding seriously and delib
es ately to Washington and apparen
ed under cover of secrecy asks the ch
ut Executive of the nation to deca
ne tate a man, who, as State Senat
NJ refused to betray his trust by del
de inc to the citizen his rights, un'
to the constitution-for in its |
nv analysis that is what this reason,
he Given TO Mr.. Cleveland, means.