The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-09-18

speech from my able friend from Edge
field, and if he had not seen fit in max
lug his argument TO criticise my silence
on Saturday [. sir. would not stoop to
engage 10 this debate 1t is too small
matter. too petty matter. Mr. Presi.
dent. for members of the great Con-
stitutiooal Convention of South Carolina
at its very Threshold to ioject partisan
feeling. 1t was all very rice Mr.. Pres
ident, for him, after arraylDg the Re-
formers against the Conservatives, in
order to split US to pieces in one Of the
most bitter speeches he ever made, to
appeal for peace have never joined
With politicians of this Stale in crying
peace. All that was mere preteDce to
gain Office. But the election is over
We are here IS the representatives Of the
people We, above all people in the
world, should have peace and harmony.
The gentleman dares to criti-
else me because dared to exercise the
the right Of a member to vote as I pleas
ed. [ did not intend it as special
compliment to NJ. G. Butler, but I throw
it back in his teeth that nothing NJ. c.
Butler may do will ever disgrace the
name Of Butler in South Carolina. 1t
will live (facing Senator TiIlman and
shaking his finger at him. when you
are dead and forgotten Loud ap-
placse am not the champion of Mr.
Butler. | have fought him as earnestly
as aoy man and no man in this State
had more to do with bis defeat than I
did. Gen. Butter went down. He was
guilty of an indiscretioo. He was
iguominiously defeated by you sir, (.urn-
ing to Senator TiIlman) and you should
have had magoanimity enough to let
this man pass and not follow him into
this convention We are not here as
the adherents of any man So help me
God, | will not vote for any law that
vii not FL both factions 10 this State.
(Applause
dare to remind him facing
Senator Tillman), and say to you,
sir, and hope you will never
forget it, for the people never will.
that NJ. G. Butler is as good nan
as Joseph W. Barnwell. You say
Butler disgraced himself Where
does Barnwell stand |? lie was the
first man in this State to oppose
the will of the people and he had
courage enough to run on the
Haskell ticket. Has he disgraced
his name? No sir, he may have
disgraced himself. but never the
name of Barnwell But he is not
such an Objectionable character. He
was good enough to enter into
written contract that would have
defeated the will of great ma.
jority Of the people. My friend
signed this contract with Mr. Barn
well and had 1t been carried out
woaid have meant ruin to South
Carolina. 1t comes with i'll grace
from a man who makes a contract
with an independent to say that any
nan who voted for Butler county
disgraced himself-to tell me | ID
graced myself
VIII you allow me modestly to
I say that have had something to
do with the organization of the
Reform movement in South Carroll
ma? | thank God tina; have al
ways voted and acted for what I
thought was the best interests Of
the people of South Carolina |
will challenge him to say if there
is man in this State that has
done more for him personally and
politically than |, and yet he dares,
after going home to meet his
! daughter, to reprimand me- /
thought he went to see a sick
daughter. Why didn't he stay
here, Mr. President, and answer
that speech on Saturday? AS for
myself, took no offense at the re-
mark of the distinguished gentle
man from Edgefeld C. D. Tlllman)
that it would be a long time before
Butler's equal would be in the Sen
ate