The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-05-11

jury nave the effect OF breaking the
unity OF the Alliance, in supporting
my efforts as its official head, to build
up and maintain the true principles of
the Order.
The exact truth is, did not seek the
! nomination of the presidency of the
State Alliance, but on the contrary ex.
pressed to many OF those who ap.
preached me on the subject, that |
preferred to decline, and l am sure
that every member of the State ALI
ance who voted for me will bear me
| out IN the statement: that | cid not in
| the slightest degr6e express or imply
any such pledge, nor was any such re-
qulrement laid upon me by any one
whomsoever. | did say after my cleo
ton that | would do all within my
power to build up and advance the in
terests of the Order, which / have
done, and will continue to do. 1t
might be Interesting right hero to in
quire of the Governor, whence comes
this newborn zeal for the welfare and
safety of the Alliance on his partp l
believe that at one time he was made
President of the Edgelield County Al
lance, and that Notwithstanding he
had published far and wide-to show
his diSinterested patriOtism-that he
wanted no Office save that Of a trustee
Of an agricultural college, yet he did
not hesitate to embrace the first oppor-
tunity to hold Office Of another kind.
When Alliancemen all over the State
revert to his defiance of the Order and
its principles, as he demonstrated it at
the meeting of the State Alliance at
Spartanburg, they will no doubt look
upon his great and sudden Alliance
virtue in this case as somewhat ludi-
crous and grotesque. In the last count
he charges me with "treachery, to the
people and to the Alliance" in that |
injected into the railroad bill of '9l
"two Objectionable features" viz: The
right OF appeal on the part of the rail
roads TO the courts and the feature of
the bill which allowed the election OF
railroad commissioners by the General
Assembly. TO any one with the infor-
nation and intelligence of a school
boy a reply to these charges would
seem superiluous: Mr.. Tillman, when
lnaugurated Governor took solemn
oath to sustain the constitution of this
State and ofthe United States. l, with
every other member Of the Senate and
House OF Representatives, took the
same oath. The constitution unques-
tionably 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 Governor Of a great
State, who has sworn to sustain the
constitution thereof, feels justified in
proceeding seriously and deliberately
to Washington and apparently under
| cover Of secrecy asks the chief execu-
tive OF the nation to decapitate a man
who, as State Senator, refused to bctray
his trust by denying to the citizen his
| nights, under the constitution--fOr in
| its last analysis that is what this rea-
| son, as given to Mr.. Cleveland. means.
SO far as relates to Bunch McBee
having suggested to me that the right
of appeal be inserted in the bill, L have
to say that Mr.. McBee never once men
toned the matter to me; nor to the
best of my recollection did he ever dis
cuss the bill in my presence. 81 have
been told,' by the best authority, that
the railroad men, after falling in their
efforts to defeat the bill in tt g House
and Senate, cOnGurred very fully with
the Governor in his desire to deny the
right OF appeal to the railroads, as that
would have rendered the whole act un-
constitutional and consequently nuga
tory. Again, incurred the displeasure
OF the Governor by GLOWING the Legis-
lature to elect the commissioners in
stead Of the people. AS a matter Of
serted in the bill to have the commits
siOners elected by the people, one ev-
cry two years, but it WAS thought best
by some OF the reform Senators not to
do so at that time, for the reason that
there could be TO election by the peo.
pie Till the next general election, and
that as matter of necessity the Legis-
lature must elect as the nearest ap-
proach to the people. 1t was also
thought best not to increase Opposi-
ton to the passage of the bill by insert
ing that provision, inasmuch as the
same Legislature would sit the next
winter, when it would be easy to amend
the act. In these flimsy reasons given
by the Governor for his course he
again Oyerreached himself, for it Is
Well-knOWn that the reform Senators
had bare majority in the Senate. ana
that without their united support no
part Of the bill could have been passed
Why did he not blacklist them all? In
this connection | 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 and conduct it
on the floor OF the Senate. In this
railroad bill this duty was devolved
upon me to make all motions, offer
| amendments, ETC., as agreed upon. SO
1t will he readily understood that each
of The other reform Senators is as
chargeable with this crime in the Gov
ernOr's sight as am.
l have thus given the facts in this
case in refutatiOn of the tissue of per
versions and misstatements made in
the Governors charges against me,
and | feel happy in the knowledge that
there are scores of men who are pos
sOnally acquainted with every clrcum.
stance mentioned and who can testify
to the facts as | have stated them,
some of whom have already done 50 by
letter.
In conclusion allow me to call atten-
tlon to some things that are significant
In the Governors statement. He dis
claims any desire to do me harm. and
then stamps upon my character the
words "betrayal and treachcry." lie
says the Alliance has nothing to do
with it, either directly Or Indirectly"
and yet tries to defend his conduct TO-