The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-05
FAREWELL TO THE DEMOCRACY.
DIR. POE JOINS THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.

DIR. POE JOINS THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
fIc Gives His Reason For the EIyolu-
tions--Wants TO Belong to IL Parry
That Favors Honest Elections and
IL Protective Tariff.
Dr.. Sampson Popo was asked by u
representative OF The State what he
thought of the political situation.
Ut is hard" he replied, TO foreten
just at this timo what will be de-
v,lopcd in the future, but bolieve
that L am sale in saying that there is
much political unrest. Tho convcn-
tion now about closing it's labors has
framed Constitution for tho people
which, il submitted to them would be
rejected by largo majority There
are too many Objectionable features in
it to refer to all OF them, but tho suf-
lr,sSe clause Is tue most objectionable.
1t places the power in tho bands Of the
respective boards of registration to
refuse any man not Of their political
views, and predict that thousands of
white men will be disfranchiscd by
them and more than l00,0 900 negroes =
III TACT, as In Mississ %, | 90 not ex-
pcct lO,OCO negroes to nc registered.
This power comes from tho Reform
members OF the convention, aided by
some Of the Conservative members.
1t Is lntcrdcd by the Rcformers II
pcrpctuato themselves in power. That
1T is intended to commit fraud under
the suffrage clause has been admitted
on the floor Of the convention.
"Tho Conservatives have developed
but four ablo mcn-Mcssrs. George
Illlman, George J0hnStonc, cx-Gov-
ernOr Sheppard and MCGowan. The
Reformers have developed only thrco
or four-Senator lrby, Mr.. tillcrbc.
Ex-Governor Tillmnn and Mr.. Burn.
None OF tho latter have had the moral
courage to meet tho issues arising as
statesmen, unless it be Mcssrs Elcrbe
aud Burn.
" The suffrage clause is IL disgrace
to tho civilization OF the age and is in
conflict with the Constitution OF tho
| United States and il was adOptcd
whilst the lag Of the nation Iloltcd
over the hatl Of the convention. | was
amused this morning, in the convcn-
tion, when | SAW Ex-Governor Tlllman
wrought up to such Il pitch on having
tho homestead section amended that
he moved to strike out the whole
section, and although the vote was put
on the same moJlon coming rom
another member, it was lost by !, vote
OF liz TO IL. Moral !; Statesmen (?)
should never lose their temper and
attempt to do foolish things. Many OF
tho poor whitc men OF the STATIC are
uneasy lest they loso their right to
voto, aud well they may be, for tho
Constitution puts il in the power Of a.
Tow white mon in each county to re-
fuse thcm. predict that Il ma jUriLy
OF these men will leave the Reform
ranks and seek safety clScwhcrr"
Will tho action Of the convention
| IGaU TO DlltItul l,hununS in l..
SL;ttc?'
Yes, there ave IL large number of
white voters in the State who now icci
lrcC To make new pTrty ulirnmcnts.
The Republican pdrLy OF Inis State will
IN The next campaign consist OF l5,UUD
white Republicans. who have not
voted slncc 1876 or who have come Of
ago since aud have not voted, of %
600 Conservatives and RcfOrmcrs, VINO
Will seek II new party alignment, and
OF that part OF the negroes to be re-
81 rtcrcG VINO will not follow Tillmar. .
wv nat arc the causes Of this change
thht you speak Of III the Conservative
and Reform ranks :?
1t Is due to several causes: First
the opportunity is offered Of forming
Republican party without bcing
taunted with gone to the negro =
second, tho frauds pracLicud in the last
Clct1tou, tilIH. Ilic ODJHcLlOnaDlt
features Of the new Constitution,
coupled with the fact that it was called
by fraud, and the fact that the mem
bnrs, although unswurn, do not pro-
pose to rcfcr their work to the people
for ratification fourth, protection Of
our manufacturing industries, which
carries with it protection Of labor and
OF agriculture, and bring trade to our
merchants; in fact every avocation
gets its proportiOnato bcnoiit.
The protection Of from ono to one
and half cents per square yard of
cloth produced is what keeps our mills
tho land would be closed, and yet they
sell their cloth only for from ono
| eighth to one-lourth cont per yard
profit This protection duty enables
tho mill men to pay thJ mill opera
tivcs good wages, the operatives buy
surplus vegetables and other products,
including wood, from the farmers.
They spend their income freely with
the merchants and others: thereby
putting in circulation large sums Of
money.
best conducted mills in the South, pays
out $40 900 per month to It's operatives,
nearly all OF which goes into ci"cula-
ton. The other mills in the State pay
out sums in proportion to the help
employed. There arc now, or will DO
in six months, 1000, 900 of spindles at
work In South Carolina, spinning 500,
600 bales of cotton. Those mills will
pay out 100000 por month as wages,
and will buy (at present prices) $2O,-
coo, 900 worth OF cotton per year. 1t is
fact known to every farmer who
sells to the mills that they get from
,rfl En- ,,tk >f
per pound more for their cotton by
reason Of the location of these mills
among us than they would got If wo
had no mills and they sold to specula |
tors. |
g So it is to the interest of every citi- |
zen to favor protection, and interest |
governs the world. The Republican
party is the party Of protection, not
only OF manufactures and labor, but
also of the rights OF the citizen under
the Constitution of the United States