The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-12-15

Let INC soHpB Eeopie FeuSe ana Think. 80
When the Tillmsu-Irby- Shell trio fofmo-
lated and promu'ged The. .,aaior;ops. Shell
manifesto II was very es. abat
under the cry Of THE Pssaf7 MI
the great main aim was to 49, ins out
and the outs in. as fast ss :!.s :s.ss .: inc
various officers then "in' expired. The
program was skilfully arranged and adroiily
carried out. The trio g,t the first fat official
nre climbing the tree for more and richer
fruit. They are brushing away every OBJ
stacle to their progress upward. and with the
ail # their Newspaper organs here and
there over the State, they ale throwing
political trash in the eyes Of their deluded
followers to keep them from seeing The un-
scrupulous oligarcby which is now govern
ing South Carolina.
The demagogicnl cry Of aristoc attic cor
ruption and oppression in the past and
ioui-mouthcd promises cf "retrcncbment
and reform" in the future captivated q
majority of the best people Of the State
and they "r,llied round tho flag" Of
the trio with unprecedented unanimity
and blind faith. Official changes, from Gov
ernor to cons able, was the great essential
frat chilled for, and the people responded
promptly. "Turn the rascals OUT was the
shiboleih secretly poured into the ears Of the
cxci'ed people, and "thc rascals" were
turned out, according to orders, and will
continue to be turned out, without reference
to merit, ability or past services to the
State, until every vestigc Of anti-Tllmanism
il erased from the official list.
Nearly al the important high salaried
Offices have been parccilcd out TO iufuen, isl
ftvoritcs Of the triumvirate. Reform is lost
sight Of and the leaders and press of the Re-
form movement nppcar to be keeping !. 49,
Of sight and hearing Of the people, while
they toss the fat Offices from one to another
in rotation.
This is becoming So transparent that sub.
stantial men who two years ago believed in
no one and no'hiug but Tiilman and Reform,
now express alarm at the dangerous con-
! ccntrat Oh Of governmental powcr in few
men and the sad lack of independent citizen
ship exhibited by the people in tamely sub
mitiing to the dic'ation of an arrogant
Columbia clique. 1t is not infrcqucnt that
we hear go ii, honest thinking hllianccmcn
| suggest that there is evidently too much
| money in the government mes, for those who
occupy it, t. give thought TO the promise,
H., Al, 10 -,
| il, and that they do not intend to be pushed
out ~ long ~ they can keep the people and
| their representative submissive tp their
sweet will.
| II the concentration of wealth in II few
| individuals has been the great cause of the
political Cpl res ion aud the financial distress
Of the country, We earnestly warn the pco-
| pc o: the greater danger to their rights aud
liberties il; .hc i,'niu tcn'icncy OF blind party
politics to ccntralizc the State and Federal
government in the control of n few aspiring
politicians.
The people arc beginning to get restless
under the whirper-n leadership to which
they are subjected, without Rny prospect or
hope of ref run being in view. They are
| saying in onrinous tones We have followed
our Reform leaders for three years and by
| our votes male the ckanqcs in the or
| ...~y s"SS.stru, unucr tner solemn promises
of reform but what have they done for us
We can neither sec or feel any reform. Our
taxes arc increased, the State and county
offices are increased instead of being re-
duccd, and there has been no reduction in
| salaries While we are making numerous
demands upon the national government TO,
reforms which may benefit us or our chill
drcn in the loHg future, had we not better
c,n our own patty State officials to account
and dcmdmd of them such reforms as will
give us n'm' st immediate relief. We are
poor now, aud We want relief now.
That is not picture OF our own imag ma
ton. We hear ii, in substance. at least
almost daily and from influential farmers
too. They have got the changes, now they
want the reforms in the government.