The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-05
CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONS.

UUNUhhDDlO lOIyAI QUhDlloNN'
Extracts rrom/ the Speech of Hon.
Joseph l.. keitt Delivered at Alb
bevilIe. August Sd, 1896.
Mr.. ChairmSn and Fellow Citizens con.
slider it privilege to be permitted TO address
as intelligenyand attentive an audience as l
witness here today. / conceive 1t to De tne
on the issuss involved in the CongresslonaI
campaign; I am sure there are some mere 10,
day who Can bear testimony TO the lact maj
at the tirst campaign meeting l coah6ed PEG my, my,
self exclusively to the issues. and did not
critlcise either of my opponents: -oa NM
At that meeting MIR. Latimer charged me
With beng Popus n aso abs State not Sea to
partci bate in the primary election. HIS
stateme ent WAS n misrepresentation, and he
has made 1t TO individuals all over the Dis
trict | have forced him 10 correct 1t from
the stand Mr.. Latimer charges me here to.
day with being PopuliSt. and even goes 80
far as.'to say that the Executive Committee
will rule me out on the 18th of August.
Mr. Latimer-I did not say the Executive
Committee. l said the people. l said the Elk.
ecutive Committee had received your money.
Mr.. keitt-Ies, sir; you said the Executive
Committee. The Executive Committee has
accepted my pledge and the money, and DC
not fear any elimination.
In coming before you. gentlemen, as can
date for Congress have nothing 10 c3nceai,
My political course is one OF record: nave
Grange. Parties may change, but principles
never change. voted idr Weaver four years
ago because he represented the principles OF
the Farmers Alliance and the platIorm OF it the
had embodied these principles. Voleo LOT
him then for the same reason lhat VIII
vote for Bryan now. 1t is because the enact
ment of these principles Will promoIe the
q, nj ra nd proSDerty of our people.
have never Joined a Populist organiza-
tion. 49,
Democratic party OF Newberry County.
was a member Of the May Convention OF
1892 and made the declaration there, that
would always abide the nominations OF every
Convention and primary OF the white people
OF South Carolina. And 1 have never failed
to support them in the General Election.
The people OF my county know that voted
for Weaver, but l command their confidence
and respect.
Last year was elected In the primary as O
delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
This year l was endorsed by three clubs OF
my county as a candidate for Congress. Not
Congress, of the Democratic County Conven.
ton Of Newuerry county composed OF con-
servatives and reformerS without one dis
senting vote. L ask you, gentlemen, If Mr..
stances to impugn my Democracy. II there
is one man, more than another. VINO has no
right TO speak of anyone as Popuiist, that
man is Mr.. A. G. Latimer.
He tells you that voted for Weaver, and /
have never denied 1T. tell you that he par.
ticipated in the nomination Of Weaver and
this worked against him. The District Alli-
ance Of the third District met in this building
on the second Friday in February, 1892. A
convention OF all the Industrial organizations
OF the United States had been called to meet
in st. Louis on % Of February OF that year.
The District Alliance considered carefully
t,a If on 6pnQnnG !!
the general sentiment that they could not be
enforced through either OF the old political
parties and independent action was necessa.
ry. Mr. Latimer enthusiastlcaliy favored
this course The facts / have related are we'll
known TO a number OF gentlemen upon this
floor.
i was elected by the District Alliance to at
tend the st. Louis Conference, but on account
Of domestic affairs could not attend. Mr.. Bow
den and Mr.. Latimer went and they were the
only representatives OF this State.
The Industrial Conference occupied three
days. / read from the National Economist Of
proceedings after adjournment. THE Con-
vention then on motion of J. f. Wiletts ad-
journed sine die" "Immediately upon the
adjournment OF the Industrial Con ference
last evening. DR.. Macune asked the delegates
10 form themselves into a mass meeting TO
elect com mittee 10 confer with the Execu
tive Committee of the Peoples Party, TO
make arrangements TO hold a PRESIDENTIAL
nominating convention, aud to fix time and
place." "This being assented TO DR.. Macune
nominated General Weaver as chairman"
THE election was unanimous, Il. w. Cole
man was elected secretary"
Gen. Weaver made short address, then
"By unanimous consent, committee OF ff
teen was appointed In accordance with Or.
Macunes idea. the mmittee being G. II. Van
Branch, Georgia, &c. After song. by Mrs.
Mitchell the meeting adjourned. Now. gem
tlemen, l assert that Mr.. Latimer WAS in this
meeting until 1t adjourned. Deny 1t, sir, If
you dare.
Mr.. Latlmer-I do deny it. Read the piece
have marked.
Mr.. Keitt-You can read any thing you like
from the paper.
was division among the Southern delegates,
and / was In IT.. "And while Alliance and
Third Party songs were sounding through the
Exp osition Hall, 1t was being whispered that
a split was developing among the delega-
ton. The Southern wing OF the convention
was protesting against the Third Party
idea" 1t was afraid to cut loose from the
Democratic party. This caused an undercur-
sion TO run beneath the sweeping waves OF
song and oratory on the surface.-(National
Econ omiat, March 5, 1892, p. 5s4.
MIR. keitl-You have read from the proceed.
ings of the Industrial Conference. Moses and
Livingston left that Conference. They did not
attend the mass meeting. l ask you Mr..
Bowden If MIR. Latimer and yourself were not
In the mass meeting that appointed the COM
mittee to cooperate with the Peoples Party
committee in calling Presidential nominal
ing convention, and remained In IL until
adjournment.
Mr.. BOwden-Yes sir.
Mr.. Keltt-But 1t did not end here. On his
way back home Mr.. Latimer met a gentle
man from this State Oh the train.
Mr.. Latimer-Ah! That's George john
stone.
Mr.. Keitt-No, sir; 1t was MIR. John C:
Cary Of Seneca. You convinced him that
you favored the Populist party and you said
that It would sweep over the country like q
lon until John Irby suggested that you make
the race for Congress. II does not become
you, sir, to cast slurs upon what you call
Populist of Oconee and Pickens, as you did at
Lowndesville several days ago.
Mr.. Latimer claims great credit for the re.
solutions adopted by the May convention Of
'02. The resolutions said that 1.-THE nomina-
tion of Grover Cleveland would be prostitu..
tion OF the principles Of democracy; A re
pudiation OF the demands of the Farmers
Alliance. And surrender OF the rights OF
the people TO the financial Kings OF the coun-
try" He sacrificed his principles when he
worked to elect Cleveladd after these deolara.
tions. Ask him If he would vote for Cleve.
land now had he been nominated by the last
Chicago Convention. He says he would not.
Fonr years ago he sacrificed his principles
and now he is ready to sacrifice bis party,
and Tor what.
Mr.. keitt-Tes, for one.
Mr.. Latimer says that he was denied the
patronage of the District because he would
not vote to repeal the purchasing clause OF the
Sherman Act. 1t Is true that the repeal OF
that Act was serious blow to the farmers OF
our country. Itsent the price OF cotton down
two cents per pound. But this reminds me OF
an incident conf tied with IT.
was District Lecturer at the time the Ex-
ira Session was called. We usually had lee
ture meetings on the evening before the
County Alliance met here. | remember well
the July meeting OF g3 1t was In this hall.
Mr.. LatImer wanted the Lecture Board to
consent to his support of President Cleve-
lands policy in repeating the purchasing
clause OF the Sherman Act. He told US that
he feared that II he failed to do 80 the price OF