The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-23
columbia Register

Mitchell, chairman OF the
committee of the Farmers Aliiancs
G enclosing the following questions
which he had been ordered by the
a1lisnce to PROFOUND to all candidates
for cfiee in the gift Of the people o.
South Carolina:
"First. Will you discuss the alliance
demands in the coming campaign
particularly those relating 10 tne
finances Of the country, and defend
them against the enemies Of our order
second. Will you pledge loyalty to
the demands of the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union above
LOYALTY to party caucus and vote
: against any and all candidates VINO
decline to commit themselves to this
extent?"
To .h,s letter Governor Til!man re-
piled as follows: -....
COLUMBIA, S. c., April Is, 's4.
Hon. Thomas P. Mitchell, Wood
ward, S. c.. .....
Dear Sir: In reply to your letter OF
April 18th I desire to say: :,
Twill discuss the principles and pol
? icy of the alliance in the coming cam
paien and make myself clearly under
stood.
am q candidate for United States
senator and il elected will vote on all
2 ;onestions as my conscience and judg-
,nent dictate. But as I shall not, II
elected Senator, represent myself but
the people, would at all times obey
the instructions of the party in the
State to which I belong as set forth in
its platform. Yours respectfully
B. r. TILLMAN.
Yesterday Governor Tillman re-
ceiyed the following letter from Mr..
Mitchell:
Woodward, S. c., May IA, 1894.
Hon. B. R. Tillman, Columbia, 5. Z.
Ny Dear Sir: Your letter in ''eply to
the questions on the demands of the
alliance was duly received, and as DO
not think you made your position IS
clear as you might have done and
possibly not as clear as you INTENDED
to do, respectfully submit them again
for your consideration. am sure you
are with US ID this matter and l nope
YOU will come right out and say 80. l
can assure you, with my knowled &c OF
the sentiments Of the alliance and
those in sympathy with the alliance,
this course on your part will cement
them together in one solid phalanx
for your election to the United States
Senate and we will roll up such ma
jority for you that General Butler will
not know he was in the race. Hoping
TO hear f,om you by return mail favor
sbly in regard TO this matter, I am sir
yours fsterna!ly.
THos. P. MITCHELL,
Chairman executive committee,
To the above be replied as follows:
COLUMBIA, S. c., May Is, 1894.
Hon. Thomas P. Mithchell, Wood
ward, s. G.
My Dear Sir: Your lettesaof yester-
day received. AS you ask for 3 prompt
reply, answer at once. Having been
the recognized leader OF the Reform
party or faction in the State since its
organization in April, 1885, and hsv-
ing been very pronounced and out
spoken in my speech at St. Louis last
October. and more recently in my in
terview of April sth ult., did not 60
into details in answering your letter
Of April 18th because I thought 1t en-
tirely unnecessary. I had no thought
of keeping any opinions or policy 1
hold ON public questions bidden--as 1
am not straddler or dodger in politics
or anything else.
will, therefore, answer as clearly as
I know how in order to satisfy all who
may care to know how stand.
The financial policy advocated by
the alliance embraces three things:
l. The abolition Of national banks
and the issue of paper money direct by
the United States government.
2. The free coinage Of silver at the
ratio of sixteen to one.
s. The increase of the circulating
mediums, gold, silver and legal tender
greenbacks, to at least.$ $50 per capita of
population.
These fundamental ideas or demands
are accompanied by the scheme for u
government system Of banking, incor-
porating the sub-treasury idea and the
lending of money to the people at q low
rate of interest.
TO the three propositions set forth
above can and do give my earnest
support and will strive, if el.cted Sena-
tor to see them incorporated into law
and become the fixed policy of our
government.
I also can advocate and fight for all
the other demands" except that I
doubt the wisdom or practicability of
the government owning and running
all railroads, telegraph and telephone
lines. will take occasion during the
campaign to discuss all these matters
fully. The one essential point on
which I differ with the alliance is the
lending of money to the people. l
could easily dodge behind the cor
something BETTER" if so minded, but
my self-respect and my duty to the
people who had shown such love and
trust in my leadership will not allow
me to quibble or shirk, whatever
consequences may follow this avowal.
I would be unworthy of the honors