The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-26
A LECTURE on DEMOCRACY.
Speech of John Gary Evans before the
September Conven ton He Says
that the Democratic and the
Ocala Platforms Embody
the Same Principles.


September Conven tion He Says
that the Democratic and the
Ocsla Platforms Embody
the Same Principles.
Especial to News and Courier.
COLUMBIA, September 20.-Tbe
speech of Nominee John Gary Evans
to the convention last night was an
important political event. 1t has put
the position of the convention in its
strongest and best light, and has de-
Tended as best could be done the mixed
platform that was adopted. 1t was one
of the best speeches Mr.. Evans has
made, and the text Of the address ia
given in full. He said:
Gentlemen of the Convention and
Fellow Democrats: Few men, gentle
men, ir the history of our State have
been, honored as have been tonight
by you. Recognizing the fact of
my youth [ have felt that I can, in
deed, thank you from the bottom of
my heart for this honor. I would be
false to myself if l told you I thought
this is the happiest hour Of my life. I
1 feel that the responsibility resting
upon my shoulders is, indeed, great,
but T feel that with the united Democ-
racy and with the people of South Car
olina, whom you represent, supporting
me in my effort for honest government,
my efforts will not prove futile, and
that the will Of the majority of the
people of South Carolina will be car
ried out at all events. Applause
Our government is government of
the majority, and should I be elected
to the position of Chief Executive of
your State I feel that T would be false
to you should not carry out the will
of the majority, when it is fairly ex-
pressed, at all hazards. Applause.]
We are, gentlemen, Democrats. We
see here men who fought for the prin-
ciples Of Democracy; We see here men
who sat upon the laps of their mothers
ana heard OF the brave deeds of their
fathers, who fought for States rights
men who sat there, children then, men
now, Democrats nOW-men who inn
bibed Democracy with their mothers
milk. Tell me that those men, tell me
that those gray-haired sires, could be
false to South Carolina!
It comes with bad grace from any
South Carolinian, seeing your COM
plexion, seeing and hearing your prin-
ciples, and hearing the voice of South
Carolina expressed at the ballot-boX,
to say that this grand old State is not
safe in your hands. [Applause.] There
are some citizens of South Carolina
who are fond of attaching q tail to
their Democracy. We are Democrats.
We are not Cleveland Democrats. We
are not any other kind of a qualified
Democrat. We owe allegiance to no
man. We owe allegiance to the prin-
ciples which were fought for by you
and your fathers and my father, and
those principles must be maintained at
all hazards. LApplause.
Why, we have reached a state in the
| history of our country which was pro-
phesied by your own statesman, Cal
houn. We have reached a state now
where parties are not defined by prin-
ciples, but are drawn by geographical
lines. We find true Democracy in the
South and West, the home of principle,
whose men fought for States rights,
and who are against centralized gov
ernment. We find on the contrary the
opponents of Jefersonian Democracy.
which means equal rights to all and
special privileges to none-we fnd
those men living in the North and
East. We find an effort to centraliZe
| the government confined to a section
which has grown rich upon the sue
cess of principles which have robbed
the farmers of the South and West.
What is our Democracy? In 1896, I
make the prophesy here, that the South
| and the West will be called upon TO re-
deem the Democratic party from the
! plunderer and the monopolist and the
| milionaires who are growing fearful,
| if they do not have Capitalization of
the government, that those millions
| will become the halter which will sur
/ round their necks.
A great deal has beer said in your
convention about Democracy. A great
deal has been said by people outside
| who attach tails to their Democracy
against you. In natural history we
! read that the ape as he grows old be-
comes suspicious of his tail. It worries
him mentally and physically until be
dies, believing that that appendage is
the cause of his death. Snch will be
the fate of such Democrats in South
Carolina. [Applause.l
There sembled in Ocala under the
| Southern sun, under the shades Of the
palmetto and almost "Down on the
S'wanee Ribber," a body of the honest
yeomanry of the country. Those men
did not 60 there as politicians, not as
representing party, but they were
there representing the agricultural in
terests of this nation. They set forth
there certain principles which are COM
monty known as the Ocala platform.
Those principles were set forth as
principles that were necessary to rescue
their government and to save your in
terests, which is the basis Of all wealth,
agricullurists, from the clutches of the
Northern Shylock.
We who are dependent on agricul-
ture for our existence sympathized
with them. We said in our couven-
ton, "This is true Democracy and we
endorse it here" and endorse it now.
[Applause.] But they say it is nov
Democracy. Bear with me a minute
and let me show the ignorance of GER
tain people who criticise aid condemn
Jou. Let me show you that those peo-