The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-08-22

know them too well. You know
l have tried to be the exponent of
them. You know l have loved those
principles You know | have voted
for those principles. The only
opposition in South Carolina to-day
to the principles of the Reform move
ment is based on prejudice. No
reasonable man, especially no reason
able white citizen, can object to the
principles of the Reform movement
in South Carolina. They cannot.
(Cheers. Those principles are laid
down even by our own statesman,
John g. Calhoun, as the grandest to
perpetuate popular government and
embodied in the Farmers Alliance
principles upon which, | might say,
depend the success and prosperity
of the agricultural people. Cheers.
Can there be any objection to that ?
Can there be any objections to those
interests upon which we are de-
pendent? We are dependent upon
the agricultural interests and must
recognize the principle upon which
depends the life of popular go, ,ern
ment in this Union. A combination
of the South and West alone will save
popular government in this Union
and that will be expressed in 1896,
if my judgment amounts to anything
CHEERS. The combination of the
power Of wealth against the agricul-
tural interests and laboring interests
is to day concentrated in the East !;
that concentration can only be
defeated by the solidity and unani-
nifty of the South and West, ex-
pressed through their organization,
which is the mouthpeice and which
speaks for the bone and sinew in our
land. (Cheers And when / hear
my countrymen oppose it l feel like
saying to them, "God pity them !;
they know not what they do.''
Now, fellow citizens, united in our
ranks, we are confronted to-day by op-
position which has not reason behind
it, an opposition that cannot succeed
under the laws Of God nor under the
laws of man, because that opposition
is founded upon a basis which can
never succeed Your principles must
prevail, because they are far removed
from sectional and class privileges,
and you say we want a man Who has
the nerve and ability to stand by
them, and that man shall be the man
to represent us. (Cheers. This
is the voice of South Carolina, which
will prevail next November in spite,
of, you might say, the assiduos
attempt to array one class against
another class or one people against
another people. But we are united.
We have canvassed the entire State
of South Carolina. There is no
dissension in our ranks, but our
opponents are alert, they are anxious
to make it appear that there are
dissensions. When ] look before
me and see my fathers old soldiers; !;
when | look and see before me
lawyers, doctors, merchants, farmers
and laboring men when see be-
fore me the bone and sinew of
popular government. l think it Is
arebuke to our opponents when they
say that the Reform movement Of
South Carolina is composed of any
particular class.
Now, one word as to my com.
petitors. We have fought this fight.
We have fought as brothers. We
have not fought as enemies, as our
opponents tried to impress upon you !;
and | have this to say about the
noble Reformers who went into this
fight, who opposed me. they never hit
below the belt. Cheers.
know we are brothers. We are
arm in arm fighting for your cause,
and when the people express their
opinion, their choice, there lie no
dissension and when the attempt is
made to make dissension these
opponents of mine are ready to rise
and say: "Thus far shalt thou 60,
and no further" This is the voice
of the people. Cheers.
We have fought for our principles
upon one platform, and the people of
South Carolina are unanimously, |
might say in favor Of those prlnci.
Piles. When l say, the people, |
don't mean those who are actuated
by prejudice and animosity, because
they are beyond the pale of citizen
ship. They cannot reason and have
no right to be called true citizens.
Cheers.
| will not detain you longer. At
future occasion [ will announce
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