Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-11-30
Important Open Letter to Gen.
Wade Hampton.

The following is an open letter
addressed to.
Hon. Wade Hampton, Washington,
D. c.:
In a recent communication,
over your signature, in The State
we note especially the following
passage among others of
equally surprising tenor:
1.-THE time has come when the
line should be drawn between
those who stand upon the Ocala
platform and those who stand
upon that of the National Demo
cracy. No man who upholds, the
former can properly claim to be
Democrat"
A little further on refer to the
"fallacies OF the Ocala adherents."
AS the platform referred to by
you is the platform..o the Farmers
Alliance in this State, we, as re-
representatives. of that body of steady
citizens, who have never; voted
any bnt the regular Democratic
ticket, State and national, respect
fully ask that you point out the
fallacies in that platform, and
show wherein any plank of that
platform IA inconsistent with the
principles of broad Democracy
enunciated by Jefferson and
preserved unimpaired through a
century of struggle in the platforms
of the Democrtic party.
If we are wrong, as individuals
or as an Alliance, we desire to be
set right. Truth, right and justice
to all our objective points, and
light leading in those directions is
gladly received. Whatever the
source, whether highest or lowest,
whether from friendly or an un-
friendly quarter, light and logic
will always be accorded Il rational
analysis at least. This is the
teaching of our order and in this
spirit we address you, sincerely
desiring and expecting an answer.
And we may add that the great
organization we represent, compli-
sing not only the backbone of the
States industrial progress, but tie
majority of the people; comprising
the great majority of those who
barred their breasts to the bullets of
South Carolina's foes, and who
have furnished the great majority
of the vote by which Democracy
won the fight that placed yourself
| in the Governors chair and sub
sequently in the United States
Senate-that great organization
will expect an answer beftting the
memories of the past as we'll as the
exigencies of the present.
For your convenience in answer
ing we will summarize the several
nla,I-i III rne Uca1a pIat1orm
which you have denounced as
fallacies, and will Indicate the
questions we wished answered.
1. The first Ocala demand is for
the abolition of national banks
and the issue of the peoples credit
direct to the people upon such
security as the people can give
and at such interest as the
national bankers have enjoyed
for nearly thirty years past
Where is the .fallacy in THIS? Il
this uudemocratic? What is
fallacious or undemocratic in the
demand for an increase of the
circulating medium to the same
per capita ratio that existed when
the public debt was made?
2. We demand that Legislation
be enacted that will prevent q
relative few from gambling in the
peoples bread and meat and cloth,
ing, whereby millions of dollars
are forcibly wrested from the ne.
cessities of the people. Is there
anything undomocratic in that?
Where is the fallacy?
3. We demand the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at the
ratio Of 16 to 1, in order that oul
debts may be payable in the same
sort of dollars that we're current
when the debts were made. We
maintain that it is infamous to
require US by legislation to pay
the mortgages OH onr farms in
dollars that cost double as much
of our labor to get. Is this un-
democratic? Where is the fallacy?
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