The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-14
The Abbeville Meeting.
Abbeville Press and Banner.

Abbeville county was held in the court
room last Monday. The meeting was
called for the purpose Of hearing candi-
dates forsgovernor make deliverances
as & to tiiieix views aud opinions of pub
lie questions that are of interest to-day.
Invitations to speak were sent to Cover.
nor nor 3 Z. TiIlman. J. E. Tiodal. W.
D. Evans, John Gary Evans, W. H.
Ellgf6s, DESsnSIsss1 si Roapeaa nal lent.
GsHsernos & tint defmsa. 3 q s
Msssrs. aJohasry slgssns, W 81.
TmmernaR aaa Or. San pson Pope
I sfeasp6 81 siasi itaRoUa 20 daddfess-
ed the people.
The other invited speakers declined
the invitation for various reasons:
aRAea i o.. s4#rsespefa:
Dr.. Sampson Pope. then came for
ward aad spoke somewhat as follows:
Mr.. president aud Fellow Citizens :
In obedience to your kind invitation
I appear before you to-day to give my
views on the State and National issues
which are attracting the attention Of
the public mind to-day. Every man
in this country has right to run
for Office, and the people have right
to know the political principles which
may govern them who asks Office at
their hands. For this reason, give
mine cheerfully, deemiog it your right
to know them. Although it may
not please you in everything, you are
nevertheless entitled to them
would scorn to accept Office with
out giving my views, aud I would be
untrue to myself if allowed you to
vote for me under misapprehension
Of the facts.
I have been identified with the Re-
form movement since 1884, when
some members of the Legislature
took counsel together for the further
ance aud the accomplishment of the
great ends which that party then
had 10 view. You reccollect that we
we're derisively called three for-a-quar-
ter statesman.
In the August convention in 1888,
without concert. We found that out Of
800 We had 146 delegates.
We put up General Earle for nomi'
nation for Governor. He pulled down
his name at the last moment, but We
polled for him 146 votes.
B. R. Tillman when we failed to
nominate our man, said: Il have
fought Richardson as hard as anybody,
but I move to make the nomination
unanimous" :"
Afterward, when B. r. Tillman was
nominated, what did the small minor
ity do? That small minority refused
to make the domination unanimous.
That is the way they did US, aud
yet they say all the bitterness is within
rs. They are full Of bitterness for us,
aud can see not;,ing good in us. They
can't even spell Reform. They spell il
Re.s-f.a-v-m. But despite all their
efforts We are gaining strength. We
are stronger now than We we're il
1892.
On our side we had the Farmers
Movement and the Farmers Alliance
that educated our people as they were
never before educated. Now, sixteen
year old boy knows more thaa grown
men used to knov.
The Alliance has done noble work
and stand fat-footed on the Ocals
demands. They are Democratic
Each and every one of them is for ths
good of the people.
Free coinage is recognized in The
Chicago Democratic platform, but it il
not recognized "up yonder." favo,
the ratio sixteen to eoe.
believe in the income tax. L
is right and proper. The only
mistake about it is. that it ought tt
have been separate Bill, instead o.
being made part of tue Tariff Bill.
But I am digresiog. l will e
back from National politics to State
politics
The Reform Government has me-
the strongest and hereest opposition
from tae first.
The Attorney General gave decision
that the Coosaw lease expired March l,
1900, Tillman told them their lease
would expire on that day They
vouldn't give it up but forced US into
litigation. In the United States Court
we gained the case for the people O
South Carolina.
Every daily newspapers in the State
save one. was against the common
wealth and for no other known reason
than that Tillman was Governor
We had litigation with the Railroads
They were against us. Under the
protection of the United States Courts
they prevented US from collecting a
large amount of taxes that was due tt