The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-06-27
THE YORK MEETING.
GREATEST INTEREST IN TIE FIGHT
FOR THE SENATE.


Butler Makes a Coed spsech-S 81 NJ ps's
ot,he Speeches Made by tie Different
Cat d,dates.
YORKvILLE, S. C., June 19.--Tnings
warmed up little at today's campaign
meeting. The crowd got somewhat
enthusiastic. The best of humor. how
ever, prevailed. Everyone went away
happy and contentei, and no anger
was shown. Today's meeting empha-
sized one thing strikiDgly, the audi
ences do not care three snaps for any
thing except the Senatorial debate.
The enthusiasm was below zero until
the central figures, Butler and Till
man appeared. Then the voters br2ced
tnemselv up, and were all interest and
showed their feelings They listened
to the others, they laughed and noted
the argument. but when General But
Ter was announced there was decided
change in the atmosphere. A complete
change had come over the scene.
Chairman J. Steele Brice, In opening
the meeting, begged that this be made
a repetition of the model meeting held
here two years ago. Tue Rev. MIR. w.
G. Neville made the opening prayer.
JOHN GARY EVANS
was introduced as "from Edgetield," y
but he promptly corrected the state
ment that be was from Aiken.
He continued: Whether We be Re-
formers, independents or Conservatives
or Republicans our interests are one.
That banner can 60 with the one un-
der which we have won, Equal rights
to all and special privileges to none. "
We are not Populisrs or Communists,
but are working for one interest. We
now have a ring of entirely new peo-
pie. See to it that you are not dlcta.
ted to by the bosses. No man has the
right to fear for the interests OF his
State, of the people. Nearly all of the
measures advocated in our platform
have been enacted into law. There IS a
demand for a constitutional conVen-
tion and that has not been acted on.
The Constitution you live under was
made; by a people who had no interest
in YOU: yet we are told to keep this
DANGEROUS Constitution. l tried to
amend it and was voted down. We
pay too much to the classes whose In
terests are not ours in proportion to
the taxes paid. That means If this
country ever gets into the hands of the
carpet -bagge1s the negro has equal
rights in all your schools. There is
great danger in this provision. The
schools should be put under the people
through the Legislature. Vote for a
constitutional convention. New York
has outgrown her Constitution. and
ours was modelled after theirs. Every
Confederate soldier is stlgmalizad in
your own Constitution as rebel.
We"Reformers" have started out on
the platform of the Alliance. Those
demands are today the only true De-
mocracy. We have been called all
kinds ct names because we have had
the boldness to make the party 60 back
to old Jeffersonian Democracy. We
are fighting for principle and If we
keep it up we are bound to win. |
stand upon every demand in there. 1t
is claimed that we have done nothing
for the people. We refunded your DEBT
with an annual saving of SoO,O0O a
wear. We actually had men 60 to New
York and say the debt would be repu-
dated. They ran DR.. 3 ates and Gov.
Tillman out of New York by their ma.
licious reports. Thew even wanted to
continue the debt at 6 per cent. when
they knew negotiations were pendlng
for the settlement of the bonds. The
next year the bill was telegraphed to
New York. Why was it done? For
political purposes. They were trying
to fy-blow the whole debt. we went
over to Baltimore and placed the
whole thing and they went away like
they had their tail cut. Hurrahs.] A
patriot of South Carolina wanted the
State to fail in placing the bonds.
They are all coming over, out we
must not baptiZs too many at one
time. Don't let them all in at one time
They may break the plank. We have
even converted the State. The scales
on his back are too thick to let him IN
with one scraping. We have to marx
him with red star and'anolEt him
and baptize him before we let him IN.
About this time a train passed by
and Evans said: Let her roll!' and LII
wait. The dlspensary law IS the best
thing YOU have ever had. We found
South Carolina drunk as lord. We
could not take away the liquor at once,
we took it away gradually. we to0k
temptation away from the boys. Ii
decreased drunkenness oyer 10 pei
cent.
The audience did not seem to be II
the humor to applaud, and cnly dld 80
when he made good point or laugh
able suggestion.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL ELLERBEE
was in good trim. He said that, al
though he had been cussed and dls
cussed, he had no intention OF apollo
gIzing for anything he had done. My
cousin, for he is nv cousin, l5 some
what ashamed of me because as plain
farmer | can't speak like he does.
When | am elected he Will cali me
cousin, and then III give him trial
justiceship. [Laughter;I
When | went into office l found the
property not fully assessed. L sent ou'
circulars to my auditors to increase
assessments to the full value OF the
property. We have Increased the val
uation of the railroad property &c
about 100000 as it now STANDS to
day. We raised the South Caroilna
and Georgia road to $4,000 per mile
and that was when the bonds were
worth on the market about SI,OOO,OOO
It's the same thing with the other
roads. The Columbia and GreenVl!le
bonds were worth on the market ST.,
600 and we assessed it at S1O,oOO. lei
they cried we were trying to ruin the
State. oo
Recently we got over 100000 that
escaped taxation, and yet this property
is no higher than any other. You al
remember the bank cases. L only or
dered the auditors to tax the property
according to law. In the NeWberrJ tn nOe
Bank case the bank showed S3O9,OOO II
stock and surplus. The auditor as
sessed them at S230,0OO, but the Cour'
fixed that at $4,000, which IS les:
than so per cent. | am sorry TO say
when | came in found shortages.
told the sheriffs to enforce executions
and we are making better collection:
than they ever did. ,,,
Mr.. Ellerbee told a very laugnaOlt