Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-09-04
Senator Marion Butler and our
South Carolina RefOrmerS.

We cannot see the consistency
in inviting Marion Butler, the
Populist Republican senator from
North Carolina to address an au-
dience of Reform Democrats in.
South Carolina. Senator Butler
represents principles i'll direct an
tagonism to the principles sup
ported by the Reformers in our
own State. In the first place he
owes his election to an unnatural
and abostionery coalition with
Republicans. AS a part of this
trade, he gave his support to
Pritchard, an avowed Republican,
all avowed Republican, and advo-
Gates principles and political
policy as widely divergent from
the views of our South Carolina
Reform Democrats as the poles.
Hence, there can be but two inter-
pretations placed upon the posi-
ton occupied by Senator Butler:
He must either believe in the re-
publican doctrine, or he has sold
out his honest convictions and his
people for Office and power. Again,
this North Carolina Pcpulist-Re-
publican senator believes in ap-
pealing to the negro and bringing
that race prominently forward in
politics. This was evidenced by
the fact of the Legislature that
elected him, and which body he
absolutely controlled, placing ne
groes in Office over white men, and
honoring Fred. Douglass by ad-
jouruing in his honor. Now, our
South Carolina Reform Democrats
believe that this is white mans
government, aud in order to en-
phasize and perpetuate this doc
trine, we have called a constltu-
tional convention with the avowed
end in view of disfranchisihg the
negro.
Now, we ask the intelligent,
thinking Reformers of South Car
olina, do they not consider that
Marion Butler was as n-uch out of
place in addressing an audience of
Reform Democrats in our State as
a Kentnckg drove hog would be
trying to lead a choir in Chris
tian church? You can't deceive
the people by any such rot. They
are not ready as yet to accept as,
their political guide and counsel
lor a man who owes his office to a
coalition with the party that has
brought such wrongs upon the
South, and for SO many years rob-
bed and oppressed our people.
And neither do they care to take
into their arms a man whose arms
a man whose garments are reeking
with the oder of the niger.
If the position of Marion Butler
is to-day right, then the Democrats
of South Carolina and other South
ern States were wrong in throwing
off the yoke of African rule in the
days of reconstruction; and in
stead of going to work and cap
turing their State governments
from Yankee Republican free
bootsrs, they should have gone in
with those robbers, and shared
the plunder of their own property.
The Headlight is dyed-in-the-
wool Reform paper, but we don't
take any of that Marion Bqtlerism
in our'n. We try to be consistent,
and practice what we preach; and
can't see any sense in organizing
our Reformers to combat the dan
gerous power of the negro one
week, and then fall down and wor-
ship a man who owes his Office to
degrading political amalgama-
ton with negroes. TO one week
denounce the ants for trying to
vote the negro, and the next week
honoring a man who has been
guilty of the very offense that we
condemned.
And neither do we believe that
the intelligent white farmers of
this State can be lead off on a
cold trail after Marion Buffers
Populist-Republican party. He
can secure the support of a few
ambitious ofice-seekers and po-
litical cranks, but the rank and
file of the Reform party have cut
their eye-teeth, and know the ring
of the true from the ring of the
false.
Our people do not intend to
ever agin be lead into the support
of any gold bug ticket; and neither
will they be lead into following
such a hybrid politician as Sepa-
tor Marion Butler. Sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof" !"
Piedmont Headlight.
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