The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-05-27

began with great deliberation bu
warm ed up to his work rapidly. Hi:
attack on Tillman was intensely inter
esting. Time and again he was loud
ly applauded by his friends in the con
vention and the occupants OF the gal
leries. He spoke as follows:
If were to consult my own feeling:
I should not utter a word on this ques
ton; but, Mr.. President. occupying
the position that I do, holding higl
trust rs the guardian of the Democra
cy Of South Carolina, were to fail tc
respond for the grand old party wher
she has been challenged, (and shame
for iD by her greatest beneficiary
say. Mr.. President, rot an i'll will, bu
in truth and candor and honor, to the
people OF the State, that when thi:
"Edgefield Democrat" as he has 81
proud Y proclaimed himself upon thi:
floor, challenges the party over which
| have the honor to preside. that
should be recreant 10 my duty i
I did not defend it.
When this Edgefeld Democrat, who
was taken from lowly position, bu
an honorable one, and raised to the
highest in the gift OF the people oI
South Caroline, proclaimed himself
as an ''Edgeield Democrat. l must
say thai | knew before what 40
''Eigefield Democrat" was. Gap
plause Mart Gary was an Edgefeld
democrat. (Applause.) But, Mr.
President, Mart Gary was not that
kind of an Edgefeld Democrat. Mart
Gary was South Carolina Democrat
CHEERS And I speak for Laurens
when l say that grand old Laurens
has no such Democrats within her Dor.
ders. (Applause.)
Now, Mr.. President, where are We
| regret that l have to talk so plainly
as am talking here tonight-who are
we? Where are we? How come we
here in this conven:ion2 You have
all heard Of the manifesto that was is
sued in 1890 1t is prominent docu.
ment. The people of the State have
the right to known about it. ]
had something 10 co with the revis.
ion of that document before it was is
sued. That document was at first so
framed that it addressed all the people
of the State-white, black, Repu blican
and Democrat alike. I entered my
protest that unless it was changed. I,
as Democrat and loyal son of the
State, would not 60 into it. was
willing to make the fight under the
machinery of the party: to capturs
that machinery that the people of the
State might control, and therefore at
my suggestion the words ITO the peo-
pie of the State" which included all
classes and compleXioas, were changed
to ITO the Democrats of the State, "
and the words "We will abide by the
result of the September conuention, y
inserted at the end. I insisted upon
that because I was Democrat and un-
willing to destroy the Democratic par
ty of the State. Under that flag the
people of this State put the govern
ment of the State into the hands of the
Reform faction. But for that pledge
in that manifesto the March con7en-
ton would have failec.
We came in claiming to be Demo
Gratis. We are enough Democrats to
elect our governor twice, and that
dear. old, rotten party, as some call it
now, was good enough to elect some
people to the United States Senate, but
it amt good enough to elect some peo-
pie to the Presidency Of the United
States. Now, that's what's the matter
with Hannah! (Applause and laugh
teri
Are we, Reformers of South Caro-.
lima, to be mere tools in the hands OF
any manl Are we TO acknowledge
the fact that we are carried IN his
breeches pocket to be delivered at any
minute2 I will tell you, sir, that l
for one am not to be carried in the
pocket Of any man, 1 was opposed to
boiling in 1890. when I think my
friend, the Edge6eld Democrat,
thought a bolter worse than a Radical.
Am I, the legal head of the Demo.
cratic party, to sit as tamely as a sheep
and allow the party 10 be delivered
into the hands of the enemy Oh, my
dear, Reform friends, I am talking
plainly and honestly to you, and if
you fall out with me, I am sorry for
it. -Four years ago you were such
Democrats that you required the elec-
tors nominated by this convention
to sign pledge to vote for the nomi-
nee of the Democratic convention.
Are you going to hold the party re-
sponsible for Mr.. Cleveland's policy 2
The party cannot be held responsible
for Cleveland's policy. You had as
well hold the M thodis; church respon-
sible for the action of a minister in it,
and say That minister has gone
wrong and I am going to leave the
church and go to the Baptists." There
is no one more sincerel y and honestly
for free silver at IL to than I am
but I am not prepared to dodge this
issue. And you men who are going
to run for the legislature, you sign a
pledge reading, Il am willing to abide
by the result Of the primary, and still
you are dodging and unwilling to
abide by the result OF the national
primary.
The idea of Is men out Of Oh going
into convention and saying to the
balance, We have got to fix this plat
form; We have got to name the man,
and we have got to be above suspicion,
or we are going to bolt" Why, that's
simply ridiculous. If that's the way
you are going, you had as well stay
at home Why not propose to turn
the whole matter over to South Caro-
lima and let her run it.
The convention ought to instruct its
delegates to abide by the nomination.
The freesilver men need not be afraid.
They will control the convention by
at least hundred majority. And yet
you say we must go there and run the
thing or bolt.
Here is possibl. candidate for the
Presidential nomination within the
hearing of my voice. have no ohjec-
ton If they nominate him in Chi
cago I will do as much for him as