The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-20
oCALAIsM NOT DEMOCRACY.
Wade Hampton Gives Reasons to tho ALI
ance Masnates-He Quotes the Ccsla
Platform TO its Own Condemnation
and Points Out its Anti-Demo-
cratic Features-A Strong and
Calm, Argument,

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. lG, 1893.
Messrs W.D.Evans andJ. VIM Stokes.
Gentlemen: I was out of the State
when your open letter to Inc was pub
Iished, and did not see it until friend
sent to me copy of a paper containing
it, few days before [ left Columb bia.
This has been the cause of my delay in
replying to it, and do so now with
entire frankness.
Let me say, before discussing the
questions you PROFOUND, that have
never charged that Aliiancemen were
not Democrats, uor have [ ever de-
nounced the Farmers Alliance, though
I do not agree with some G. the de-
mands announced in their platform.
I am in full sympathy with every le-
gitimate effort to relieve the burthen
Of that great class-our farners-a
class to which I have always belonged,
and shall always cooperate heartily
in any movement for their relief.
1t would make this communication
too long should I enter into discus
sion Of all the questions you have sked
me, 80 I shall endeavor to give my
reason for saying that mo man who
uphoIds the Ocala platform can prop
erly claim TO be Democrat"
In your letter yoa "summarize the
several planks 10 the Ocala platform" "
but it strikes me that you have omitted
in your summary some Of the most i'm
poltant planks in t lat platform, and
in order that I may supply this omis-
sion on your part subjoin the Ocala
platform in full. AS I have seen no
modification of this declaration of the
principles upheld by the party you rep
resent, nor any reputation Of the doc
trines enunciated, take it for granted
that this platform embodies the de-
nlands and declares the creed Of the
Ocalaites.
THE ORIGINAL OCALA PLATFORM.
!. (a) We demand the abolition of
the National banks.
(b) We demand that the Govern
ment shall establish sub-treasuries in
the several States, which shall issue
money direct to the people at low
rate of tax, not to exceed 2 per cent per
annum, on non-perishable farm pro-
ducts, and also upon real estate. with
proper limitations upon the quantity
Of land and amount of money.
(c) We demand that the amount Of
the circulating medium be speedily in
creased to not less than $50 per capita.
2. We demand that Congress shall
pass such laws as will efectually pre-
vent the dealing in futures of all agri-
cultural and mechanical productions;
providing a stringent system of pro-
cedure in trials that will secure prompt
conviction, and imposing such pen
alties as shall secure the most per-
feet compliance with the law.
3. We condemn the silver bill re-
Gently passed by Congress, and de-
mand in lieu thereof the free and un-
limited coinage of silver.
4. We demand the passage Of laws
prohibiting the alien ownership Of
land, and that Congress take prompt
action to devise some plan to obtain
all lands now owned by aliens and
foreign syndicates and that all lands
now held by railroads and other cor
porations in excess ofsuch asis actually
used and needed by them be reclaimed
by the Government and held by actual
settlers only.
.. Believing in the doctrine of equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none we demand
(a) That our national legislation shall
be so framed in the future as not to
build up one industry at the expense
of another.
(b) We further demand a removal Of
the existing heavy tariff tax from the
necessities of life that the poor OF our
land must have.
(c) We further demand a just and
equitable system Of graduated tax on
incomes.
(d) We believe that the money of the
country should be kept as much as pos
sible in the hands of the people, and
hence we demand that all national and
State revenues should be limited to the
necessary expenses Of the Government
economically and honestly admins
tered.
6..We demand the most rigid, honest
and just State aud national govern
mental control and supervision Of the
means of public communication and
transportation, and, if this control and
supervision does not remove the abuse
now existing, we demand the Govern
ment ownership of such means Of COM
munication and transportation.
Z. We demand that the Congress OF
the United States submit an amend
ment to the Constitution providing for
the election of United States Senators
by direct vote of the people Of each
State.
Now, I shall compare this platform
with that of the National Democratic
party, and think that all intelligent
and impartial men will admit that the
TWO platforms do not conform, and are
in many most important principles
antagonistic.
Your platform demands "the aboli-
ton of national banks;;" such demand
is not made by the Democratic party. It
may have escaped your memory, if you
ever knew the fact, that these banks
hold charters which will not expire
until 1907, 80 that there would be some
difficulty in the Immediate abolition
of the national banks
You demand 1.-The blishment Of
sub treasures in the several States"
Every lawyer Of prominence whom I
have heard express all opinion on this
proposition declares it to be unconstitu-
tional. The Democratic party can
scarcely adopt an unconstitutional
measure, and it seems TO me that this
cardinal demand might at least be
called "a fallacy."
You "condemn the silver bill recent
ly passed by Congress, and demand in
lieu thereof the free and unlimited
coinage of silver" Il this demand in
accordance with the Democratic plat
form?
Your platform demands the owner
ship of railroads and telegraph lines by
the Government, under certain condi-
tions. When the people take into con-
sideration the fact that the amount Of
capital invested in railroads is twelve
billions of dollars, and that the Govern
meut would have to pay that enormous
sum to secure possession of these roads,
the proposition that the Government
should purchase them-for l take it
you would not advocate the confisca-
ton of this proper,y-will strike all
sensible people as decided fsllacy.
Should the policy advocated in this
,,lopl- rf x.onr y,lotforpo ba o6ontn6 the