The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-05-10
supporting my efforts as Its official head,
to build up and maintain the.true princi-
nles of the Order.


to build up and maintain the.true princi-
Piles of the Order.
The exact truth is, I did not seek the
nomination of the presidency of the
State Alliance, but on the contrary ex-
pressed to many of those who approached
me on the subject, that I preferred to de-
cline, and I am sure that every member
of the State Alliance aOho voted for me will
bear me out In the statement: that I did
not In the slightest degree express or i'm
ply any such pledge, nor was any such
requirement laid upon me by any one
whomsoe1er. I did say after my election
that would do all within my power to
build up and advance the interests of the
Order, which have done, and will con-
tinue to do. 1t might be interesting
right here to inquire Of the Governor,
whence comes this new. born zeal for the
welfare and safety of the Alliance on his
part7 1 believe that at one time be WAS
made President of the Edge6eld County
Alliance, and that Notwithstanding he
had published far and wide-to show his
disintereated patriotism-that he wanted
40 Office save that of trustee of some
agricultural college, yet be did not hesi-
tate to embrace the first opportunity to
hold Office of another kind. When Ali.
ancemen all over the State revert to his
defiance of the Order and it's principles,
as he demonstrated it at the meeting of
the State Alliance at Spartauburg, they
will no doubt look upon his great and
sudden Alliance virtue in this case as
somewhat ludicrous and grotesque. In
the last count he charges me With "treach'
cry to the people and to the Alliance" in
that I injected into the railroad bill of 81
"two Objectionable features" viz: The
right of appeal on the part Of the rail
roads to the courts and the features of
the bill which allowed the election of
railroad commissioners by the General
Assembly. To any one with the infor-
nation and intelligence of school-boy
a reply to these charges would seem su-
perhuous. Mr.. Tillmau, when inaugura'
ted Governor, took a solemn oath to sus-
tain the Constitution of this State and OF
the United States. /, with every other
member of the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives, took the same oath. The
constitution unquestionably guarantees to
the citizen the right of appeal to the
courts, which right is one of the bed
rocks OF civil liberty, and yet the Cover
nor of great State, who has sworn to
sustain the constitution thereof, feels
justified in proceeding seriously and de-
liberately to Washington and apparently
under cover of secresy asks the chief ex-
ecutive of the nation to decapitate q man
who, as State Senator, refused to deny
his trust by denying to the citizen bis
rights, under the Constitution, for in its
last analysis that is what this reason, as
given to Mr.. Cleveland by Gov. Tillman,
means.
So far as relates to Bunch McBee hav-
ing suggested to me that the right of ap'
peal be inserted in the bill, / have to say
that Mr.. McBee never once mentioned
the matter to me; ; nor to the best of my
recollection did he ever discuss the bill
in my presence. II have been told," by
the best authority, that the railroad men,
after failing in their efforts to defeat the
bill in the House and Senate, concurred
very fully with the Governor in his de-
sire to deny the right of appeal to the
railroads, as that would have rendered
the whole act unconstitutional and con-
sequently nugatofy. Again, l incurred
the displeasure of the Governor by al
lowing the Legislature to elect the com.
missioners instead of the people. As
matter of fact was in favor of clause
being inserted in the bill to have the
commissioners elected by the people, one
every two years, but it was thought best
by some of the reform Senators not to do
80 at that time, for the reason that there
could be no election by the people till
the next general election, and that as
matter of necessity the Legislature must
elect as the nearest approach to the peo'
pie. 1t was also thought best not to in.
crease opposition to the passage of the
bill by inserting that provision, inasmuch
as the same Legislature would sit the
next winter, when it would be easy to
amend the act In these fimsy reasons
given by the Governor for his course he
again overreached himself, for it is we'll.
known that the reform Senators had
bare majority in the Senate, and that
without their united support no part Of
the bill could have been passed. Why
did he not blacklist them all? In this
connection l will also state that upon all
important bills the reform Senators held
meetings and agreed upon what they
wished passed, after which one of their
number was chosen to take charge of the
bill aud conduct on the floor of the SEN
ate. In this railroad bill this duty was
devolved upon me to make all motions,
offer amendments, etc., as agreed upon.
So it will be readily understood that each
Of the other reform Senators is as charge
able with this crime in the Governors
eight IS l am.
have thus given the facts in the case
in refutation of the tissue of perversions
and misstatements madein the Governors
charges against me, and l feel happy in
the knowledge that there are scores of
men who are personally acquainted with
every circumstance mentioned, and who
can testify to the facts as have stated
them, some of whom have already done