The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-05
of the Republican Senators

IulS DouOCraClC GrcSlueuI aOSOh
plished what was not possible for any
Republican executive under the cir
cumstances to have brought about. A
change of the party in power mad lett
a large number of offices IN MS GIT
with which to buy votes" .,
In discussing the "honest meaning"
of parity of gold and silver in the Sher-
man law, he said:
| The OBJ iect was to have them assist
each other, to hold silver up by hold
inc cold down, and an honest Secretary
of fhe Treasury, who should have re-
stoned his office rather than submit it
the dictation of a besotted chief, would
have paid out silver to protect the
Treasury from the gold gamblers and
bond robbers, as the law and his oath
of office required. But, alas, the old
breed of Southern statesmen like Cal
houn, who, after life spent in the
public service, had to be buried at pub
| lie expense ami his debts paid by the
State of South Carolina, is no more.
No wonder the Senator from Massa-
chusetts feels warranted in twitting
us with the decay of Southern states
manship and charging us with dis
honesty. He charges it, however, in
another connection and as aiding and
abetting this Judas from Kentucky,
who, after brilliant career of twenty
wears and more as leader and cham
pion of the silver forces, has, in his
old age, come to this pitiful pass.
1.-The South bows its head in shame
at this exhibition of moral cowardice
and despises the renegades; but I must
remind the Senator from Massa-
chusetts that there is as yet only one
moral turpitude and treachery to be
charged against these men. The
Southern Congressman and Senators
who came here poor, are still poor.
They have not become millionaries
like some of their Northern brethren :;
and there is no credit mobilier steal,
or Colfax scandal, or Belknap bribery,
chargeable to any Southern man. Let
him remember these things and keep
back his sneers and taunts.
The Senator contended that if there
has been one idea more persistently
and prominently presented to the
American people by President Cleve-
land than any other, it had been the
iniquities of the tariff and the de.
mand for its revision. In season and
out of season, with "damnable itera-
tion," he had sung this siren song in
the ears of the farmers. In this con-
nection he quoted from messages Of
the President of 1887 and 1883, and
said he did it for "the purpose of
pointing out the evolution of tryant
and of showing the transition from a
conscientious, law-abiding chief magis
trate to an arrogant and obstinate
ruler who ignores the law and issues
bonds at will and issues them under
a statute that is subject to the sus-
picion that it was intended to be tenn
porary and limited in its application,
instead of comforting discretionary
authority.
"He not only issues them, but does
it secretly. with his: law partner as
a witness to the contract, and has
created the suspicion in the minds OF
millions of his countrymen that a
President of the United States can use
his high office for private gain"
He differs with the Republican par
ty only in one particular OF the tariff
and on that he has blown hot and cold
as his pet hobby, and will 60 down
in history as the most gigantic fail
ure of any man who ever occupied the
White House, all because of his vanity
and his obstinacy.
ITO make good this charge" Mr..
Tillman argued, that when President
Cleveland came into power in March,
1898, and could have called the Senate
and House (both Democratic for the
first time since the war; to carry his
policy into effect, he did not call an
extra session to give the tariff reform
to the people, but intead called Con-
gress together to stop the coinage of
silver. He the President, had waited
until the object lesson the panic
made to order by his fellow conspira-
tors, had swept like a cyclone over the
country, prostrating all business en-
terprises and industries and the news
papers had howled in chorus in the
ears of the people that the coinage of
silver was the cause of the monetary
crisis"
Discussing the repeal of the pur-
chasing clause of the Sherman law
which followed, he said: Democrats
and Republicans We'd with each other
in the furtherance of the policy which
had been formulated and steadily pur-
sued by the Senator from Ohio and he
has the proud satisfaction of knowing
that he has brought the party which
he so hates to its knees and has lived
to see many of his old antagonists en-
listed under it banner sit at his feet
and acknowledge his leadership.
when the Senate met, there was
an acknowledged majority of men
open and outspoken in their determi-
nation to stand by the white metal and
who were elected on that issue. But
the process of debauchery began.
Vote according to my will or you will
have no Offices Vote according to
my will, and if your people do not like
it will take care of you The news
papers raved and abused the Senate.
The bankers telegraphed and wrote.
Chambers of commerce passed resolu-
tions and slowly the Senate yielded.
In ninety days the deed was done and
the claims were riveted on the wrists
of the toiling millions. Did the raid
on the Treasury stop2"
Discussing then the tariff bill which
passed in the regular session follow
ing, he said: ut is true he the Presi-