The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-17

lIlOuSUFOSlUy.
mississippi is held up as an exam,
pie to South Carolina. There is NO
analogy between the political coudi-
tions of these two States. In Missis-
sippi the whites were not divided, but
working together. There was not Il
faction there standing ready to appeal
to the negroes, and use him at the first
opportunity to crush the power of the
farmers. But in South Carolina our
white people are divided, and will con-
tinue to be divided. Turn 50,0 900 negro
voters loose upon our State, and you
can't manufacture Il magnifying glass
large enough to discern the remains of
the Reform movement.
But let us dive still further into this
report Of Senator Tillman's suffrage
committee and We will see where. from
the hour Of its adoption, that the poor
white voters in our towns and cities
are DISTINGUISHED. Here is the clause
that speaks for itself
AT any special elections in incor-
pOra ted cities and towns of this State
for the purpose Of bonding the same.
oil resident owners Of property in said
cities and towns Of the assessed value
OF two hundred dollars, who are
qualified electors under this cOnStitu-
tion, shall alone be entitled to vote
1t matters not how honorable and
intelligent and upright he may be, Il
voter living IN Spartanburg city can
have no voice in voting on the issuing
Of bonds unless he is worth $500.
When you begin to restrict the
suffrage OF white men there is no tell
ing where it will stop. There is where
the danger lies. Only Il few days ago
Senator Tillman worked for. voted for,
a RI if,l 4 ri,
mitting the incorporated towns to ex-
empt manufacturing enterprises from
taxation for series of years. The
poor laborers in those mills had no
such clemcncy extended to them.
They must pay their street and their
poll tax, and even a tax upon their
Eot, kettle and mattress, while the
rich Northern investor is allowed to
go scot free. Now | can not see what
consistency Senator Tillman can say
that those operatives, who honestly
sustain the government, shall not vote
in certain election because they
have not 5000 worth of property, while
the wealthy stockholders in that mill
3nd who were exempted from taxation,
have Il right to vote? This is not in
keeping with the address that Senator
Tillman made upon the stump when he
wanted Office.
"I have unsheathed my sword and
thrown away the scabbard ! am in
the battle to the end. No poor and
uneducated white man will lose his
vote. IL have tho power to prevent ii.
L shall denOunce this outrage upon the
iioor OF the convention, and | shall de-
nounce it upon the stand before the
people. We can preserve white su-
premacy in South Carolina without
either disfranchising or humilating a
single white voter. Th report Of Sena-
tor Tillman's committee certainly vim
dicates the position of the Piedmont
Headlight when it opposed the calling
of the constitutional convention. 1t
would have been q Thousand times bet
ter never to have had that assembly
meet than let it pass the suffrage quail
tication proposed by that committee.
You will find every conservative ap-
plauding and endorsing this plan, for
the simple reason that it will strike
down the vote that they could never
secure, and give them political control
Of our State.
81 believe that some Of the members
Of the committee signed this report,
at the earnest solicitation OF Senator
Tillman, without due consideration or
approaching It's danger. | do not
know how Il single member OF the con-
vention stands upon its adoption, but
you can say to the poorr and uncducat-
ed white voters Of South Carolina that
they have in John l.. Nj. lrby Il friend
who will Stand by them to the end, and
will fight this monstrous proposition to
the very last ditch"
Senator, why did you vote for the
name of Butler, for the new county, in
stead of Saluda?'
" am glad you have asked me this
question, for desire to state my posi-
tlOn and my reasons in language so
plain that all may understand. [ did
not desire or intend to honor the name
OF Ex-senator M. Q. Butler, but had
in my mind at that time the name of
William Butler, one OF the most gal
liant soldiers Of tho Revolution, and Il
hero from whose loins' sprung q long
line OF the ablcst statesmen and war
riOrs that our Statc'has ever produced.
Did VIM. Butler, the founder of this
lllustriOus family, today survive, he
would be a Rcformer. When our State
was howllng wilderness, Butler left
Virginia on horseback, his wife riding
behind him, because lie could not hold
families of the Old Dominion. Hc
built cabin upon the Saluda river,
and when the war Of the Revolution
broko out, did heroic battle for his
country. Two OF my great uncles fell
fighting in his command, while II nun
Der of the family names in the upper
section of our State are linked with
that of Butler. My great uncle mar
ried William Buffers daughter and
her dust now reposes in the family
burial ground at Red Bank, in Saluda
County. Pierce Butler, another heroic
soldier OF this name, fell lighting be-
sides a brother Of Ben Tillman's at
CherabuseO, Mexico. Other Of that
name have occupied high and distin-
guished positions in our State, and
have rendered their people faithful
and valient servlcc. Whom Nj. c..
Butler was q youth Of Is years, George
d. Tillman was elected for the Leg
islature from EdgcficId County, on the
creation OF this new county, to bo
known as Butler County. For 45 years
re people OF that section contended
fnn ho name, the committee unani-
mousI me- :. rasorted the name OF Butler:
%nd %ili ~ I voted t foS ~. Butler in view at
tbe t,e tnU timo nave ave NJ w. SSeo D. Tillman cx