The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-18
GoYERNoR TILLMAN'S SPEECH.

8Gytu9O& Oh paper tuaL e8pSClSO W
!. speak. When I first began my career
Seas q politician, which was in 1886, be-
ing unused to public discussion, and
naturally nervous, I wrote idown
what wanted to say in order to keep
from forgetting it. Well, I have had a
pretty rough-and-tumble time since
then, ,.and have learned to- depend on
my head to furnish the words, WINE tber
they were exactly, grammatical or pol
sSshed or retorical and if have found
-Ahe facts and the ideas don't care a
snap for the manner in which they are
dressed. lAphlause.l
Now, in rising to address you upon
the subject matter Of the resolutions
presented by the committee, if what
shall say, should really cause any good
-or. do me any credit, must necessarily
5 ShFesh some straw which others have
beaten and who have done it more elo-
S quently and ably than can.
propose to take bird d's-eye view Of
the political, fnancial and commercial
condition Of the country.
lam plain, blunt man, as you have
discovered. say what I think and
believe, and when get through Iauit.
Laughter and applause Therefore,
Ishan not worry you.
TWO POLITICAL QUESTIONS.
In turning your eyes backward over
the pages of our past history you fnd
that prior to the war there were two
great prevailing political alissues-slavery
and the tariff. The war grew out Of
the desire of the South for free trade
rather than the preservation of slavery.
we wanted to get off to ourselves, in
order to sell our products in the best
market and buy in the cheapest mark
OF. There were then only two great
.questions, and last year ~e we're told
shat there were still two great ques-
tons the financial question-slavery
having happily passed awsy-and the
tariff We were led to expect that
4when this Democratic Congress- met,
with majority in both branches and
the executive sent there by the people
for the first time in thirty years, the
tariff would be one OF the main ,ques-
: lions to which il would address itself
We find, however, that Congress has
been called in extra session to solve the
other question, the financial question,
which I have always contended was
the burning question. CAppiause. |
And today it is the most burning oues-
ton in American politics and has
brought the West and the South to-
{ gether and made men who for twenty
years have been mortal political enc
mics act here as band Of brothers.
[Applause.l
It is true that for short period be-
fore the war, during the time of An
drew Jackson-Old Hickory-the f.
nancial question and the question as to
whether money in the hands Of q few,
TO be manipulated by them, should run
the country or the people SHOULD run it,
: was burning question, and the tariff
: and slavery questions both dropped
aside until that matter was settled to
won his fight against the bank III spite
ofa subsidized press such as We now
have advocating the gold Standard.
Now the same issue confronts Us.
THE WHITE SLAVE.
siad the financial qDestion!was a
burning question. While we had hoped
that the question of slavery had for
ever been settled and that 1t would
never again be an issue before the:
American people, it confronts US DOW.
But alas the color Of the slave has
changed the slaves are no longer
black, bat are white men. LApplause.l ]
What do mean by slave? Tell me,
gentlemen, what more absolute condi-
tioa Of servitude can possibly exist
than that of the farmer, who in the
Language of the eloquent gentleman
from Missouri this morning (Mr.
Eochran} has far twenty years, since
1878, been making his crops on failing
market and has grown old hoping to
pay of the mortgage on his property.
:fApplause.l Who, in the language of
GowpeT,
Has lowered his bucketinto an empty
well
And grown old in drawing nothing up.
lApplause.l
At the same time has seen men reap
the fruits of his LABOR, and grow rich
beyond the dream of avarice, million
aries multiplied until they cannot count
them, while paupers-white slaves
have been multiplied ten thousand
fold fer every millionaire.
And what are we confronting now?
The single gold standard face TO face
right here. 1t isn't theory but pen
atty that confronts Us. SIT is a coudi-
tion," in the language of Mr.. Cleys-
knd. The Sherman law repealed and
silver demonetiZed ss money of final
account confronts US. I believe the
people ofthe United States will rise in
their wrath before they will permit
such wrong. But with that law re-
pealed and silver no longer a legal ten
der, before the terrible wrong to the
debtor can be righted, millions will be
pauperized and become tenants where
they now own homes in fee simple.
The liquidation of debts and mortgages
will 90 on under the gold standard with
one half of the metallic currency of the
world destroyed and the capacity to
psy debts reduced one-half. It will
tske two bushels Of wheat or two
one before. say, If we are not con-
fronted with human slavery of the
white race in this country, where are
We? IAppiusse.] Because, ifthe titles
are gone to the homes that these men
struggled to obtained for themselves
and their families, and they become
tenants, subject to the hurniliations and
the tyranny of the money power, what
have you made of them but serfs like
they have in Europe? Serfs, az the
gentleman said, and new form of
aerSdom. They talk about the dishon-
est dollar, they talk about the 5S cent
silver dollar! My God my country
men doesn't the same amount Of silver
ssbuv as much wheat and corn as it ever
did? Which is the dishonest dollar?
phst which has remaihed parity with
all other products, OR the one which
will buy twice as much as it ought to
buy, Che gold dollar? lApplause.l