The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-21
sUMTER. S. C, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 81, 1894.

people Of the United States from the
tariff to slavery. War eusued and
resulted in transferring four thousand
millions Of slave property to the
North 10 the shape Of United States
Bonds, in creating a great national
debt, a high tariff, great State, city,
town and corpor.ion debts. which today
are a mortgage upon all the products
of labor. aud by means Of which the
South and West are mulcbed of sever
hundred millions annually in interest
alone. Hence it is that the farmers
who cwned eighty per cent. of the
property of the United States own but
twenty-five per cent.
The whole teaching Of the Alliance
is designed to allay passion and destroy
prejudice. sectional and local. And
why? That reason and justice might
assert their power, that measures may
stand upon their merits, and men of
sincerity administer the laws with
..equal rights to all and special privi-
leges to none" appeal to the whole
people against TIE passion and pre-
JUDGES which threaten to invade the
Courts, the juries, the schools, che
colleges. the churches and the whole
social machinery. 4 appeal to Re-
formers especially, for harmony in orr
ranks. Shall men inspired with a
high purpose, who have worked together
nobly for popular rights and political
justice, bring reproach and possible
danger to their party by suspicion and
re-crimination? We want unity in
our ranks and peace and justice for the
whole state. The principles Of the
Reform party are right. They will
stand the test Of all fair criticism. The
government is as honestly administered
as eve in the history Of the State, and
it will continue to be as long as it
remains in the hands Of the white peo-
pie, or any faction Of them. But
should re divide into two political
parties. they will surely, in the end
appeal for negro votes. and then
corruption and disgrace will follow.
What are the Refcrmers ~coptending
for? To secure a fair consideration
of all measures affecting the interest Of
the people under agreement that any
OF. all measures about which a difference
of opinion might arise, shall be settled
az the primary election. The object
being to secure without danger to
honest government, free political action
aud progress ; such as IS secured to
states of homogeneous population. by
two political parties.
The farmers through the Alliance
seek to establish such a political status.
as will of itself develop the best talent
rot only of :nis class, but of the whole
population to aid in averting further
ruin to them and to the Republic it.
self.
They want men Of humanity, and
men of sincerity.
The first step to this end is to get out
Of our old ruts, get rid Of prejudice aud
passion, and let men who aspire to
public honors know, they cannot
secure them by coquetting with a few
convention managers, but by winning
the confidence of the people. We
cannot 60 backwards, Influenced by
any supposed plan Of device of the
Conser natives. Neither fear Of the
opposition nor mistrust of our friends
should deter US from doing right.
I know that some of my friends say
that l amatoo conservative, and perhaps
they are right. I am more conser-
v~ative as ! grow older. I risk less
in business enterprises, while forty
years effort to reform myself has given
me greater charity for my fellow men.
I may be therefore. too conservative
But my whole experience has taught
me that rashuess is folly. that passion
is lunacy, that extremes are dangerous.
History shows that all great popular
movements have come short Of their
aim BY passion, by the extremes to
which they went and 10y the inordinate
ambition Of men.
The Conservatives, although with
the advantage of a monopoly of
political experience and training, were
easily defeated, because passion bereft
them Of reason, judgment and justice.
Let it warn the Reformers.
A convention of the Colleton plan
is right, not to make nominations, but
to lay down a platform on the lines
We have been moving. to organize the
Reform forces, to secure their unity
and full strength, aad to devise some
means Of avoiding confusion in cboos-
ing electors at the Democratic primary.
Or if possible to secure a direct pri-
mary, which in my judgement is the