The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-07

! go 10 Inc IuCtlOn Gnat SttnuS 10 MN.
For causes that | need not mention
tho factions are closer tos ether thar
many of You imagine. Some say that
this plan will qualify 25.000 or $4,000
negroes. frankly tell you that If i,
does not enfranchisc 10000 on 10000
the chances are good that these 10000
may hold the balance of power in u
| very short time.
Now, MIR. President, warn both
| factions in this convention. If you
strike down, humiiatc on degrade
| these humble but genuine heroes you
will not only do an ungrateful act, but
something you will regret us long rs
you live.
am no coat tail swinger, thank
Cod never hung on to any mans
coat tail and sneczed every time he
took snuff. | would rather be man
than an Office holder The people Of
Laurcns County thought enough of me
| to send me TO the Legislature in 1886,
when MIR. Tillman's highest ambition
was only to be Il trustee rf 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
sincere. | could not swing to the
coat tail Of any man to be President
Of the United States. When those
people, at home, took me from the
plantation and elected me against my
| will, (thc newspaper men can report
! tnnt if they wiSh) | admitted upon the
stump that | didn't think could be
elected, but that would make the
| fight. There are delegates horc who
know that that is the truth. went to
the Legislature and my record was
consistent throughout. | am u Re.
formrr, and | believe that my record
us u Itcforlncr will size up with that OF
any man in South Carolina rs a Re
| GOrmCr.
! ThCrC are many reasons why an rtlort
to speak on this occasion is unpleasant
TO mt. honestly and conscicntiuusly
believe that this report submitted by
| the suffrage committee is in violation
| Of the basic principles that have guiu.
! ed tho people OF this State since 1880.
| For some time it has seemed to me
| that the revolution that swept this
State from l'ickcnS to Georgetown and
from York To Beaufort had been mis-
understood.
rcilllHc, Mr.. President, that this is
not in its stricJrs! SENSE Il political
gathering, although it has reminded
! me often Of IL political debating aucic-
ty. ! would not, il II high sense OF
body anything like Il political speech.
There arc reasons, however, that de-
| mand some such treatment OF the sub
lcct, and Will not shrink from tho re-
oponSl SlhlllLy which demands that plain
ranN anu honest uLtcrancuS bc made,
by me.
From 1886 anti! lS0D this State was
governed by the white people. It. was
claimc1 in 1856 on to 1880 tha5 it WAS
not :. Democratic gOvcrnmeut-thut
| the people were not controlling it and
the rule OF Il minority was governing
this State The first contest was made
{ Dy tho people IN 1856 aga :nSt the con-
tlnunncc uI this minority rulc For
the want OF organization, proper dis
ciplinc and political education the
people failed. This contest was rene wcd
IN 1855 and the people failed again,
but the strength exhibited in their
struggle showed that success would
come IN lNHu. With still greater viyo,'
and determination the fight WAS com
mcnccd anew in the spring of 1890 and
culininatcd in the success, from coro-
ner TO United SSutcs Senator. of the
majority OF the people OF South Caro-
llna IN thel" rlurts to control this gov
! crnmcnt.
The issue in effect was that instead
| w. '"" "''i'itcN vi Tue tGtfIS DclnS
selected by conventions. Ol. the few,
they should be selected bv primary
election in which every white man
should be sovereign ana that one
white mans vote should count for AS
! much rs any other 70 be more ry-
pilcit that Il plowhoy, whether educated
or lllI1cratc, shOniu nave the privilege
OF Dcmurrat-that oi dcposltinr his
vote m ballot box and that its power
snoulu DC Il great as that Of Il bankers
nailol-pcrtcct equality without dis
crlmlna'lon ON accuuut OF ruucatiop
, or property us against puvrrtv and
lllltcracy.
< by an overwhelming unprecedented
majority the Democrats OF the State
[ ralllcd to The support Of this proposr
l ton which had been denied by a fac
: 'lon OF the party, who in effect claimct
+ that an intelligent. property -Ownin.
minority had the rignL to rulo and GOV
I crn ;'s they had done hcrctoforc Thi
+ faction WIS defeated in t.Ie State cor
, Ycntion that nominated the Governor
} ana State officers, and when an nrpru
} 10 the general election WAS mace ;
crushing dcfrat was again ,hcir lot
iheN were not satisfied. :.nu vihuprr;l
; tlOn and abuse continued in the in5criu
, until the Issue waa IOlnnd again il
' again fairly and squarcly drawn. /
= was the hrst time la the history OF tn,
;, Democratic party OF this State tha,
n every Democrats vote should have thu
power OF which have spoken.
- Inc primary, through an electoral
n system, gave voice to The viii! of lh,
IL Democrats, and the REFORM movement
q OF which nave the honor of bcin,r
II member. emphasized its victory of iw,
ii years before. Again in 1894 the in
+ tcl!lGnnt. propcrty-owning minorit,
Q ana the l)emocratlc ma orily of tn
o State locked bayoncts on Tins issun
+ Tho pooplc won again and ordnrc,
d through their representatives in cor
4 vcntiOn assembled direct primur
for all the elective Offices of the Stat,
+ This was true. genuine Dcmocruc,
. The people were satisfied with it, an
: the first evidence Of the dcnia. or tn
t right IT At majority Of tho people t
: control anne in the spring Of this yott
when lumber Of gcnticmcn-abl.
honorable and influential upon bot
, sidos-cnmo 'ogcther and under u wri
\ | ~ NJ fp,,, hnt