The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-11-05
NO. IA.

| 0ioh miS Sht 10 necessary anuNngnt IL
out with the negro rather than un.
dergo the humiliation okan examina.
tion that would be Greek TO them.
But for this illiterate class where
would your Reform movement have
been in tHis State? If in 1892 they
had gone to Mr.. Sheppard our leader
| would have been defeated for the Gov
ernorship. II you take these votes
away, with their friends who would
follow them, from Senator Tillman and
give them to Buffers side he would
have been elected to the United States
Senate.
In conclusion, Mr.. President the
members of this convention seem to
think that this report, however wrong
and unjust 1T may be-. must go through
unless something that the committee
thinks better is presented. That is
not the question. The real question
In this fight Is, is this plan better than
the present law ? l boldly announce,
sir, that 1t is far worse, because under
the present laws, even If the Supreme
Court should set aside our registration
laws, that the eight-box law can and
will maintain white supremacy. With
this committee report it will be impos-
sible for the Democratic party in South
Carolina to continue in control. There
Is no use to disguise or deny it. There
are two factions in This State and
they are here to stay. If you adopt
this report and Iishonor, degradeaind
humiliate the honest but illiterate
white man below the negro who hap
pens to be able to read and write, he
will forsake the party he belongs to
and seek protection in the primary and
go to the faction that stands to him.
For causes that | need not mention,
the factions are closer together than
many OF you imagine. Some asay that
this plan will qualify 25,O0O or $4,000
negroes. l frankly tell you that II it
does not enfranchise 10000 or 10000
the chances are good that these 10000
may hold the balance of power in a
very short time. -.
Now, Mr.. President, I~~@aTn both
factions in this convention. If you
strike down, humiliate,' or degrade
these humble but genuihe heroes you
will NOT only do an unarateful act, but
you-wiff regret as long as
you live.
L am no coat tail swinger, thank
God! never hung on to any mans
coat tail and sneezed every time he
took snuff. | would rather be a man
than an office holder. The people of
Laurens County thought enough of me
to send me to the Legislature in 1886,
when Mr.. Tillman's highest ambition
was only to be IL trustee Of Clemson
College, and there remained until
the people OF South Carolina sent
me to the United States Senate, |
have always tried to be honest and
I could not swing to the
coat tail Of any man to bc President
OF the United States. When those
people, ut home, took me from the
plantation and elected me against my
will, the newspaper men can report
tnat IL they wish ! admitted upon the
stump that didn't think | could be
elected, but that | would make the
fight. There are delegates here who
know that that is the truth went to
the Legislature and my record was
consistent throughout. am a Re-
former, and l believe that my record
as a Reformer will size up with that of
any man in South Carolina as u Re
former.
There are many reasons why an effort
to speak ON this occasion is unpleasant
to me. | honestly and conscientiously
believe that this report submitted by
the suffrage committee is in violation
OF the basic principles that have guild
ed the people of this State since 1890
For some time it has seemed to me
that the revolution that swept this
State from Pickens to Georgetown and
from York to Beaufort had been mis-
understood.
realize, Mr.. President, that this is
not in its strictest sense 4 political
gathering, although it mas reminded
me often of a political debating socic-
ty. | would not, if II high sense ~
duty did not impel me, inject in this
body anything like political speech.
There arc reasons, however, that de-
mand some such treatment OF the sub
ject, and will not shrink from the re-
sponSibility which demands that plain.
frank and honest uttcranccs be made
by me.
From 1876 until 1890 this State was
governed by the white people. 1t was
claime1 in 1886 on to 1890 that it was
not u Democratic government-that
the people were not controlling it and
the rule OF minority was governing
this State. The first contest was mad 8.
by the people in 1886 aga INST the con
tinuance OF this minority rule. For
the want OF organization, proper dis
people failed. This contest was rene we'd
in 1888 and the people failed again,
but the strength exhibited in their
struggle showed that success would
come in 1890. With still greater vigor
and determination tie fight was com
menced anew in the spring of 1890 and
eliminated in the success, from cOrO-
ner to United States Senator, OF the
majority of the people of South Caro-
lima in their efforts to control this gov
ernment.
The issue in effect was that instead
OF the nominees of the party being
selected by convention. or the few,
they should be selected by primary
election in which every white man
should be sovereign and that one
white mans vote should count for as
much as any other. TO be more en-
plicit that a plowboy, whether educated
or illiterate, should have the privilege
OF DemOcrat-that Of dcposlting his>+
vote In a ballot box and that its power
should be az great as that Of ,Oankers
ballot-perfect equality without dis
elimination on account Of education
or property as against poverty and
illiteracy.
BY an overwhelming unprecedented
majority the Democrats of the State
rallied to the support OF this PROPOSE
tion which had been denied by fac
tion of the party, who in effect claimed
that an intelligent, property
minority had the right tOrulc and gov
ern as they had done heretofore. This
faction was defeated in tue State con
vention that nominated the Governor
and State officers, and when an appeal
to the general election was made Il
crushing defeat was again their lot.
They were not satisfied and Uituncra-