The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-04-26
WADE HAMPTON,
Vice President, National Association
Of Democratic Clubs.
GOV. BLACKS LETTER.

My Dear Sir: At the recent meeting
OF the executive committee Of the Ma
tional Association of Democratic Club
at which you were good enough to ap
pear as vice president for South Caro-
lima, it was resolved to push the organ
ization Of Democratic societies through
out tho Union with all the energy az
our cOmmOnd.
We believe that this is especially nee,
essary In the South, not only for the
reasons heretofore given publicly by
you, and personally to the committee
Du. for similar reasons advanced by
many distinguished leaders of the De-
mocracy In that section. The really
great interests Of the South, that Is to
say, unhindered by any intermeddling
central power at Washington, freedom
OF elections and the development of her
vast agricultural possibilities. unYexed
by adverse and oppressive Federal tax
alton, depend entirely, it appears to
me, upon the continuance Of the Dem.
ocratic party in national power, and
that, again, upon the intimate and cor.
dial association of the Democracy IN
Southern States with the Democracy
North and West. We should know
but a single platform Of principles and
we should be animated by but a single
purpose. Our interests are not diver
gent but complementary. Whatever
Injuries you, iDjure us, whether the in
Juries be to your liberties, as citizens
OF our common country, or to your
| commerce, or to your agriculture, or to
any other industry. But unfortunate,
ly Southern Democrats, since recon
struction, forgetting to some extent
the hideous perils they had passed, and
relying upon their great natural ma
Jorltles, nave, In some places, neglected
their organization, allowing strange
heresles to arise and fatal divisions to
threSten the party. / am not intend
ing TO say that this Is peculiar to the
South. 1t ls Too frequent elsewhere.
Is there remedyp 1t seems to me
plain. With the sa yacity Of an expe.
rienced and enlightened statesman. YOU
have very clearly pointed 1T out, and sc
have many other devoted Southern
men. You need to maintain the clos,
est political relations with your Dsmo.
cratic brethren in the Union, You
want to embody yonr people upon dis.
tinct Democratic principles, In a dis
tinct Democratic organization, which
embraces the entire -cnuntry, and moves
with a common impulse. Heretofore
we have met only In the national cam
paigns, but there our relations cease.
There isno further intercommunicatio
But system Of Democratic societies,
embracing the whole Union, active
every year, and all the year uniting the
great multitude Of primary societies In
State and national associations, in con-
slant fraternal correspondence and in
warmest sympathetic touch one with
another, Is, it seems to me, The ideal
practical relationship which should pre-
vail between us. Such an organization
Is presented by the National Associa-
tfon Of the Democratic Clubs. Its
principles are thus formulated In the
second article of the Constitutions:
The objects of this association are as
follows:
TO foster the formation Of perman-
ent Democratic clubs and societies
throughout the United States, and In.
sure their active cooperation in dis.
seminating Jeffersonian principles Of
government.
TO preserve the Constitution of the
United States, the autonomy Of the
States, local elf-government, and free.
dom Of elections.
10 resist revolutionary charges and
the Capitalization Of power.
TO oppose the imposition Of taxes be.
yond the necessities of government
economically administered.
10 promote economy In all branches
70 the public service.
TO oppose Unnecessary commercial
restrictions for the benefit of the'few at
the expense Of the many.
10 oppose class legislation, which
depoils labor and builds up monopoly