The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-07-17

willing I'd use every Hleduo "!thii
our power to aid in the overthrow of
the small but designing clique now in
possession of the government, which
has busted itself in the reorganiza-
ton of the courts and militia for the
purpose Of perpetuating its power
and which has been so emboldcned
with success in former revolutionary
steps as to declare, under cover of
the unconstitutional registration laws,
it's determination to hold conven
ton Of it's own making and liking,
and disfrauchise the vast majority of
the voring population regardless of
constitutional prohibitions.
1t assigns as it's reason for such
unnconstitutiona! and revolutionary
steps that a Constitution must be
made to prevent what they are pleas
ed to call "negro domination and to
establish "white supremacy which
means, reduced to it's essence, the
supremacy of the faction now in con.
troll.
AS the facts of history themselves
prove, we deny that there has ever
been desire or attempt on our part
to dominate the government. With
the large body of US voting, most of
whom are illiterate and poor, there is
not as much danger of our control of
government as there is of the labor
ing classes in MASSACHUSETTS. New
York or Pennsylvania who with un-
limited suffrage, contrasted with Till
mantle following. do not control.
While we are entitled to partici-
patton in the government commen
surate with our wealth and intelli-
gence. representations is onlya second
ary consideration compared with our
right to retaiAour right of suffrage,
which cannot be annulled by any cons
stitutional means.
Under our theory of self-govern-
ment, in order that every man may
possess the means within his person
70 protect life, liberty and posses
sions. the governing power is divid-
ed into as many fractional parts as
there are male adults, to each Of
whom is decided an equal portion,
designed to be used in a representa-
tive capacity and the ballot made it's
instrument.
As under our form of government
all officers and administrators of the
law designed to be the creatures OF
the governed, and are therefore the
servants of all, to whom they must
look for return to all continuation in
Office. which means protection for
all, the danger to the governed in
such form of government does not
exist half so much in poverty or
illiteracy as the accumulations oI
vast fortunes by the few, the inhu.
ence of which may be used to
swerve the servants of the people
to administer the government or law
in the interests OF few to the detri
ment of the many. Besides. if there
is to be privileged class govern
ment. restricted to persons possess
ing certain amount Of property OF
education. what reasons are there for
not further restricting the governing
class to few college professors OF
millionaires
By making the officers Of the law,
who shall be the servants of all, the
dependent creatures of class only.
you make them the willing or unwill-
ing tools OF that class alone, and they
will be bound to construe and admin
lister the law to please members there
of only, in which system it is appa
rent that the class sborn of power is
without even as much protection as
slaves whose masters ballots protect
them.
Such form of government we had
in limited degree before the late
war, when the free negroes, the un-
privileged class, had to have guar
dians by whom many were deprived
of freedom and property. Any form
of government (if we may dignity i,
by such a term which forces a class
of people to contribute to its exis-
tence without voice, whose con-
tributions in the hands of the privi.
legged class eare used as engines ol
oppression Is worse than that among
savages, where all men are at least
equal By natures God and the con.
sti,ution of the United States we
have been made free men and guar
dians of our own rights, and our bal.
lots given as peaceful weapons of de-
fense, and no honest and loyal citi-
zen is willing to deprive US of them,
and we shall fight the flesh. the devil
and all his imps through every court
a.