The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-05-23

ton, bat an Industrial Union"for the
protection Of the farmers against impo.
s;tions frou other sources. | do not
believe in secret political organizations
we had a sad experience some years
ago With them. Watever concerns
the political welfare of our people,
shouid be open to the fullest. freest.
most public discussion In order to
prevent imposition on the people, the
light must. be turned on from all points
Of view. I recognize no master 10 this
country, except the people. Caucus
rule should not be allowed to usurp the
rule Of the people. l will, therefore,
say I will pledge my loyalty 70 the de
mands Of the Alliance, so far as they
meets the demands Of my judgment.
aud | cannot hold them above loyalty
to party caucus, because I make no
pledges to ..party caucusessS and deny
the right of ''party caueuses' or any
other caucuses to command pledges
from nae, to surrender my conscience
and judgment to its dictation.
Coming now to the demands. permit
nese say by way Of preface, shasthere
seems to be a very grave misappreheo-
sion in the minds of some people as to
the power of a caucus over its members.
[ have attended Democratic caucuses
since l have been in the Senate, but
nobody dreamed Of biuding any mem
Der Of she caucus to- vote against his
Judgment For instance, Democrats
and Republicans differ widely among
themselves, Oh financial questions. A
caucus is held for consultation, aud
financial topics are discussed, but in the
Senate and in the House each man
votes as his Judgment dictates ; some
may favor the free and Unlimited coin
age Of silver at one ration and another.
Some may favor the ~sub-treasary plan
of the Alliance. aud after a consultation
in caucus they vote for or against either
proposition, when the occasion arises.
Nobody is bound by the caucus. unless
he chooses voluntarily to be so bound.
No oaths are administered, no pledges
are enacted as requisites of party fealty.
If there -were I would attend a
party caucus.
In~regard to demand .'6rst" Of the
Alliance, l will say the sub-treasury
plan has been abandoned, and there
fore it is unnecessary to discuss it. In
my Judgment a ''better system" would
be attained by the repealof the 10 per
cent. tax on State banks Of circulation,
aud I trust the Alliance will take that
up aud make it one of the demands"
1 cannot, of course, discuss this pro-
position at length in this connection.
but take the liberty of handing you u
of my speeches, delivered in the Senate
at the last extra session. in which | have
attempted to elaborate the argument 10
favor of the repeal. and beg you to do
me the favor to examine it. ] think
that you will find that if this tax should
be repealed we should have "a safe
sound, flexible currency" and enough
of it. l favor the free and unlimited
coinage of silver aud gold at the present
legal ratio of Is to /, and advocated it
before the Alliance vas organized, and
am grati6ed to know that the Alliance
has adopted my platform on this subject.
Fifty dollars per capita is not too much
currency for a country like ours, but
the trouble with q present financial
system is not so much the per capita
amount Of currency as the inequality Of
its distribution, some sections of the
country have much more than fifty dollars
per capita. while in our section. I doubt
if we have Two dollars per capita. If in
our State we could be guaran-
teed twenty dollars per clpita, if so
much vas needed for the transaction Of
our business. I would compromise on
that : we should then have about twenty
millions of currency in circulation,
whereas I doubt if we now have two
millions. If by the repeal of the 10
per cent. tax the States should be per-
mitted to authorize banks of circulation,
we should have just as much currency
as u local wants required. aud no
more, but we should have enough. |
favor an income tax, aud shall have an
opportunity to vote for it in the pend
ing tariff bill. l concur 10 the
..demand' ..that the money of the
country should be kept as much as posi-
BILE 10 the hands Of the people, and that
all national and State revenues shall be
to the necessary expenses of the
government, economically and honestly
administered" This is good, sound
doctrine, and I heartily subscribe to it.
l can gee no objection to Postal Savings
Banks" although a measure of that
kind would be largely tentative 10 this
country, and should be adopted With
caution and circumspection.
The second general ''demand." as to
the public lands, is sound and in ac-
n-... ao