The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-05-16

Hon. Thos. P. Mitchell, Woodward, S. G..
Ny Dear Sir Your letter of yesterday
received. AS You ask for a prompt reply, |
answer at once. Having been the recognized
leader of the Reform party or factien in the
State sinee is WEanis.sion innAffsl, 1886,
and haMae See4E very ~'praSonncada and out
spoken in my speech at st. Louis last Octo-
her, and more recently in my interview of
April 9th, ult., / did not go into details in
answering your letter of April 18th because
thought it entirely unnecessary. ! had no
thought OF keeping any opinions OF policy
/ hold on public. questions hidden-as / am
NOT a straddler or dodger in politics or any
thing else.
l will, therefore, answe as clearly as
know how, in order to satisfy all who may
care 60 know how I stand.
The financial policy advocated By the Alli-
ance embraces three things:
I. The abolition Of national banks, and
the issue Of paper money direct by the United
States government.
2. Thefree coinage of silver at the ratio OF
Is to /.
3. The increase of the circulating me-
diums, gold, silver and legal tender green
backs, 10 at least $50 per capita, of popula-
ton
These fundamental ideas or demands are
accomplished by the scheme for a government
system of banking, Incorporating the sub
treasury idea and the lending of money to
the people at a low rate Of interest.
To the three propositions 2et forth above
I can and do give my earnest support
and will strive, If elected Senator, 10 see
them Incorporated into Law and become the
fixed policy of our government.
also can advocate and fight for all the
other ~.sdemands'' except that I doubt the
wisdom or praciicahility afs the government
owning and rg1nf1g aHsE4ilroads telegraph
ard ,de16orS Hrs. IW5ll take accession
dursngth kahpSign to d1seass all thesesn1et-
se4sfuHys sNheaone essehaiaEpoiat orr 1hichs
/ differ with thesAllia16esH the lending of
money TO the people. could easily dodge
behind the ''or something better" if 80
misded, bat my selErespect and my duty to
the people who have shown such love and
trust in my leadership will not allow ne
to quibble or shirk, whatever consequences
mar follow this asowal. / would be un-
worthy of the honors they have conferred ca
me in the past and of all trust whatever if
did not come out boldly and tell them the
truth. This Is thewore obligatory on me now
because l am seeking to enter national poll
tics. In 1892 ! didonot discuss national
questions or oppose the incorporation Of the
Ocala platform in the State Democratic plat
form ia Nay because l saw there was danger
Of our hotbeaded Alliancemen splitting off
into a third party-the fatal blunder which
caused Mr.. Cleveland's nomination and we'll
nigh destroyed the Alliance in all the other
Southern States. Had our example in South
Carolina been followed in the other Southern
States Alliance ideas would be the predom-
inant oues in all the South to-day and our
national administration would not be con-
,rollec by allied mug-wumps aud Repub-
licans and traitors. lam differently situated
nov, being q candidate for the United States
Senate, and honesty compels that one who
votes for me shall know how | stand. | am
unalterably opposed to the rational gov
eminent lending anybody money. The
Alliance is not consistent Swheag it de-
mands the abottfoa of nationalx banks on
the grounds that the system @isf unjust
and robs the people Tin all of which
concur for the benefit of a privileged
few and then turns -aFoond AID asks that the
government lend money to the farmer under a
similar. system on the same terms. It is u
transfer of a special privilege which should
never have been granted to anybody, from
the banks to the holders of cotton, wheat, &C.,
and cannot be defended, because two wrong
never make one right. But without going
further into the argument, which can be
amply discussed this summer. must remind
you tina. 10 spite Of all our efforts to restore
silver to its place, the moaey power has
succeeded in its long cherished purpose Of
demonetiziog it. This was accomplished
through the unwise leadership of those
Southern Alliancemen who left the silver
Democrats at the critical time to organize the
third party and enabled Clevelaad's hench-
men to divide many Southern delegations
and control others so that be got the nomina-
ton in spite of bis record on silver. Now,
as South Carolina set her sisters a wise
example in 1882, it is incumbent on her to
repeat it in 1894. 1t is time to be formulat-
ing the platform aud marshalliDg the people
for 1896. Abating not one jot or little
of the demands which can be defended and
upon which we can 60 into the country in the
hopes of carrying the next Presidential eiec.
ton, we must eliminate all radical and