The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-10-15

ing where it will stop. There is wher
! the danger lies. Only few days az
, Senator Tillman worked for, voted fol
and carried through q measure pei
mitting the Incorporated towns to eS
empt manufacturing enterprises iron
taxation for series of years. TIL
poor labOrers In those mills had N
such clemency extended to them
They must pay their street and thei
poll tax, and even u tax upon thei
got, kettle and mattress, while tn
rich Northern investor is allowed L
go scot free. Now can not see wha
consistency Senator Tillman can sa,
that those operatives, who honestl,
sustain the government, shall not vot,
in a certain election because the,
have not $500 worth of property, Will,
the wealthy stockholders In that mill
end who were exempted from taxation
nave u right to vote? This is not il
keeping with the address that Senator
Tillman made upon the stump when b,
wanted Office.
81 have unsheathed my sword ant
thrown away the scabbard. / am il
the battle to the end. No poor and
uneducated white man will lose hi,
vote, if have the power ID prevent it
| shall denounce this outrage upon the
| floor OF the convention, and | shall de
nounce 1t upon the stand before the
people. We can preserve white su
premacy in South Carolina without
either disfranchising or humilating 8
single white voter. Th report OF Sena
tor Tillman's committee certainly vim
dicates the position of the Piedmont
: Headlight when it opposed the calling
OF the constitutional convention, 1t
would have been thousand times bet
ter never to have had that assembly
meet than let it pass the suffrage quail
tication proposed by that committee
| You will find every Conservative ap.
| plauding and endorsing this plan, for
the simple reason that it will strike
down the vote that they could never
secure, and give them political control
| of our State.
81 believe that some of the mem bers
of the committee signed this report,
at the earnest solicitation OF Senator
| Tillman, without due consideration or
appreciating its danger. 7 do not
know how 81 single member OF the con-
vehtion stands upon its adoption, but
you can say to the poorr and uneducat-
ed white voters of South Carolina that
they have in John l.. M. Irby friend
who will stand by them to the end, and
will fight this m0nstrous proposition TO
the very last ditch"
Senator, why did you vote for the
name of Butler, for the new county, in
stead of Saluda2"
am glad you have asked me this
| question, for | desire to state my posi-
| tion and my reasons in language so
| plain that all may understand. [ did
not desire or intend to honor the name
Of Ex-senator Nj. Q. Butler, but had
in my mind at that time the name OF
William Butler, one of the most gal
liant soldiers OF the Revolution, and a
hero from whose loins' sprung long
line of the ablest statesmen and war
riors that our State'has ever produced
Did VIM. Butler, the founder of This
illustrious family, today survive, he
would be u Reformer. When our State
was Il bowling wilderness, Butler left
Virginia on horseback, his wife riding
behind him, because he could not hold
his own with the rich and aristocratc
families OF the Old Dominion. He
built u cabin upon the Saluda river,
and when the war of the Revolution
broke out, did heroic battle for his
country. Two of my great uncles fell
fighting in his command, while u mum.
Der of the family names in the upper
section of our State are linked with
that of Butler. My great uncle mar
ried William Buffers daughter and
her dust now repOSeS in the family
battle-ground at Red Bank, in Saiuda
| County. Pierce Butler, another heroic
soldier of this name, fell lighting be-
sides a brother of Ben Tillman's at
Cherabusco, Mexico. Other Of that
name have occupied high and distin-
| guished positions in our State, and
have rendered their people faithful
and valient service. When NJ. c.
2ntlnr nf TX
| D. Tillman was elected for the Leg
islature from Edgeield County, on the
creation OF this new county, to be
known as Butler County. For to years
| the people of that section contendcd
| for the name, the committee unani-
mously reported the name of Butler,
and I voted for the name of Butler. |
did not have M. G.. Butler in view at
the time, and Mr. Geo. ID. Tillman ex-
pressly and distinctly stated upon the
| floor Of the convention that the name
| was not intended as an honor to M, G..
Butler. This Reform movement is
founded on great principles. 1t is not
| founded on passion. on hatred or on
prejudice. We are not a set of ghouls,
10 dig up the bones of the dead and
spit upon and spurn them. 1t is the
hOnored name of Butler for which
| cast my ballot. | have neither regrets
to offer nor apologies to make. fought
/ Butler for five years in the Senate,
and | fought his reelection last year.
He was defeated, and is a poor man
who had to leave his native State and
go elsewhere to seek employment by
which to make support for his family.
| do not belive in insulting the dead OF
bounding down the living. Senator
Butler dit. wrong when he became ar
Independent candidate, and he was
rebuked by his people with IL crushing
defeat. Let us now leave him in peace
and remember that he left portion o.
his body upon the battlefield OF Vir
ginia. If Senator Butler aspired fol
Office today | would oppose him, for he
does not represent the sentiments o
myself or my people. | condemn his
Independent candidacy as much Us any
one, but nothing that Nj. G. Butler Cal
do will cast reflection upon those ole
heroes, statesmen and patriots whose
dust repose in the soil of Saluda.
"Senator, do you expect opposition
for reelection to the United States
Senate ?"
"Ireally do not know. / UNDERSTAND
that secret caucus has alresdy beel
held, and slate ticket formed in Co
lumbia. But do not care the snap O
my finger for the machipatiOn Of tn
politicians. | have anchored my faiti
aud my hope in the people, and whe
, get the people on my side can bu
oil I,n nj / mt nf n