The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-08-09

Plo WIZ paws upon tnem aC the pOlls.
at the Inman Alliance we met Mr..
Duncan face to face, recited our char
ges IN his presence and before tlfteeu
hundred people, and we can prove Ivy
every person present that he did not
= answer single one.
On the other hand, he appealed to tho
prejudice OF the people because he was
D farmer, when Mr.. Duncan Is no more
OF farmer than his opponents,
having held office in Columbi4 for
many years. lie claimed that the IGx
changs had reduced prices, when lie
Knows that the reduction in tho price
Of all manner Of goods is owing to a
contraction of currency, for the same
prices rule In States where there Is no
Alliance Exchange as IN South Caro-
INA. lie boaSted of reducing the rail.
road freights on fertilizers, but did not
tell his people that he also permits
these roads to charge one.half cent per
mile more passenger tariff than the
same lines exact in other States; and
while the rates OH third class freight
from Baltimore to Spartanburg are 4S
cents, goods are hauled through our
city and $50 miles further on to Ath-
ems. Ga., for only 25 cents! Mr.. Dun
can says this Is attributable to tho fact
that those Georgia cities have water
transportation. This Is not true 80 far
as Athens Is concerned, for It is fifteen
miles further from water navigation
than Spartanburg.
Now 1t was far from our desire to
mlsrepresent Manager Duncan, and It
Is also our earnest desire to have this
business investigated to the very bot
tom by the State Alliance. We stated
Doth through our paper aud on the
stand that IF a full and rigid investiga-
ZION OF our charges were made, and it
was shown that we had done the ALI
ance Exchange or its manager the
slightest injustice, that we would
cheerfully and freely make the correc-
t1on. So with this end in Wow, we
transmitted to the State A lliance by
DR.. NJ. o. Rowland, delegate from
lSpartanburR county, the following
communication:
"TO the State Alliance:
II have called attention In the Pied
mont Headlight to the reports which
had come to me as its editor, concern
Ing the management Of the State ALI
ance Exchange. whereby the Alliance
men were charged excessive prices
for fertilizers, sewing machines aud
, other articles; and the manager Of the
Exchange having entered into con
troversy with my paper. in which he
. denies the reports; and Alliancemen If
different parts Of tho State having
l manifested considerable interest II
having the correctness Of those report
l established or refuted; and inasmucl
), as the manager Of the Exchange ha
. constituted mo the prosecutor in tn
- matter and the representative of tn
complainant; 1t is a matter Of vital ir
terest to the future usefulness OF the A
n lance Exchange that these reports b
0 inquired into.
II respectfully petition that com
u mittee Of five Alliancemen be appoint
ed by your honorable body, who shal
be authorized and empowered to make
3 full, complete and thorough investi
CATION OF the business management of
the Exchange during the past three
years. aud that they have power tc
take testimony OF witnesses, to receive
testimony of witnesses, to receive an(
collect letters, papers and documents
|. to appoint bookkeeper If necessary
and to make their report to the presi
dent Of the State Alliance; and in order
, that It may be fairly, impartially and
satisfactorily done, that the manager
OF the State Exchange be permitted tC
select two OF the committee, your peti
toner two, and these four to select the
fifth. which last shall be chairman OF
the committee, that said committee be
required to accompany their report
|
take, and all the letters, papers and
} other documents which they shall col
lect. TIL. GANTT."
NOW, we ask every reasoning ALI
man In South Carolina is not the above
proposition entirely fair to both Mana.
ger duncan and Ourself, and whom he
had made the prosecutor? We pre-
sumed that the honor Of tho order, and
consistency to the professions and plat
form, would demand Of the State Ali
ance that the very bottom facts be got
ten at in this Exchange business. fo,
3 as an honorable body they could no,
. afford to endorse anything that smacks
OF Wh1teWashing or a cut-and- dried
report. All we asked, and what alone
Will satisfy the people, too, Will he that
the business transactions Of this State
/ Exchange for the past three years bt
!, thoroughly ventilated and laid before
Alliancemen. That there is wrong
somewhere, and some one Is to blame
we are thoroughly convinced. We are
prepared to establish every charge that
we have made, and defy Manager Dun
{ can or his friends and hackers TO Gc
/ cept the perfectly fair proposition tha
= we have made above, and let tho All
ancemen read the testimony taken by
an impartial committee, chosen jointlI
by the accused md the prosecutor.
And again the proposition that W,
made was the fairest and best tha
could be made, for to have the conven
3 ton investigate tho Exchange busines
would require at least week, and no
cessltate an expenditure OF larg,
! sum of money, in summoning witness
eB and examining bills.
Manager Duncan publicly stated
both at lnman and West Springs thai
he would bring our charges before the
J meeting of the State Alliance at Aiken
3 and where we would he summoned tt
8 appear. We chetrfully accept thi!
proposition, and made all OF our ar
rangements to attend that convention
! were our prasencs asked. But to our
+ surprise we had no notification to at
l tend said meeting, and the first intima
tion received 10y u9 that these charges
t had come up and we're disposed Of was
a telegram In tho GreonviIle News, 1
bitter anti paper, and which WAS du
pllcated In tho other ring-rulo sheet,
over our State; and 80 elated were
these papers over what they Thought
defeat for q man who had fOnOht thou