The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-04-02
TMman Sticks 10 Il.
THE PARTY IS BOUND TO SPLIT.
HE COUNSElS A WITHDRAWAL BY
SILVER DEMOCRATS IF THEIR DE-
MANDS ARE NOT GRANTED.
Columbia Register.

| Ever since the publication OF Senator
Iillman 'ssletter to Rev. Mr.. Reid, OF
Spartanburg County, in which he ad,
vised bolt from the National Demo.
cratic party If free silver was not made
plank in the platform, there has been
u great doal Of discussion and uncer.
tainty as to what wonld DO done in this
State. 1t has been said that Senator
Iillman had changed his opinion but
| The Register publishes communica-
tion from him today in which he gives
his reason for leaving the party under
certain conditions. The cOmmunica-
tion is by far the most important poll.
tical document that has been written
in years in this State and is bound to
create decided sensation. The letter
is as follows:
Editor Register: l have just read
in your issue Of March Goth the editor
ial Stick to the Party -; and if were
disposed could justly complain at its
tenor. Brushing aside any personal
feeling rs IL no concern to the people
and desiring only to present to them
in as brief space as possible the exact
| status and the reasons actuating my
| conduct, as their servant, I ask space
| to review the political situation and to
answer some of the statements in the
| editorial in question.
l will premise what [ shall say by
the remark that | am not accustomed
ond have never felt it necessary to
have my views on public questions
reach the people Of the State through
| any other mouth than my own; and
| while Mr.. Latimer and l are personal
| and political friends, l have not at
tempted to make him the medium of
| communicating q change OF opinion,
Ia hi Ia
| change may appear to the Editor OF
The Register. AS a matter CT fact,
Mr.. Latimer informs me that the cor
| respondent Of the News and Courier,
| with his usual inaccuracy, has done
| him an injustice. He did not speak
| the words or authorize the statement
credited to him. He had conversa-
| tion with the reporter in private
way, which has been distorted and
grossly misrepresented. AS far myself
L am only confirmed in believing the
advice contained in my letter to Mr..
Reid to be wise and the best course to
follow.
In the condition Of unrest in South
Carolina and mid the contentious of
ambitious politicians seeking to gain
advantage of one another-though
the Reform movement shall be split in
twain and the people of the State dis
tracted and torn, into fraction-I feel
that it is my duty to clearly dctine
what conceive to De tho best policy
for our people to pursue. l ain not
striving to put down any one man or
put up another. / have no purpose or
! intention of attempting the role of o
| political dictator ; but as q man whom
! the people have honored, and in whose
judgment and leadership they have re-
posed degree Of confidence and trust.
| imposing q heavy responsibility, /
shall speak and speak plainly. II my
advice is not needed l shall make no
| complaint, but IL may as we'll be dis
tinctly understood that in this crisis
those who may epdeavor to divide the
Reformers or absolutely surrender to
the influence which has destroyed the
National Democratic party will have
to meet the issue on the stump if it
becomes necessary. | will not permit
the people to be misled and deceived
under pretence Of loyalty to Democracy.
My duties here are OF character
which leave no leisure for campaign
speaking in South Carolina and | have
accepted invitations to make addresses
In ST. Louis, Denver, and New York
city in the near future, but | can and
will 60 to South Carolina if it be neces-
that nobody can misunderstood or
pretend to misupderstand, my own
position, and give the reasons why, in
my Judgment, this policy is the only
wise and proper one. Every white
Democrat in South Carolina should
participate in the election Of delegates
to the May Convention and see that
the men trusted to represent them are
true and loyal to the principles we
have been contending for. We should
send trusted delegation to Chicago
with a platform Of principles clearly
| laid down by the State Convention as
| q basis for their action. And on the
one overpowering and burning ques-
tion OF finance we should demand of
| the National Democratic party clear
| and unmistakable utterance for free
coinage of silver at 16 to /, the issue
of all paper money by the government,
in sufficient volume, and system OF
banking which will provide against
the concentration and congestion Of
money in the large cities to the detri-
ment and ruin Of the country. There
are other planks Of great Importance,
but they are few, and the platform
should be brief and clear cut. The
masses never are capable of studying
more than one great question at o time,
and in proportion as they arc distract
ed by contending ideas just so are they
divided and defeated.
If we fail to got the National Con-
venton to give us q platform of the
character outlined and O. loyal candi-
date on it we should withdraw. Why !?
Because in the present condition OF the
Democratic party in tho United States
there is absolute antagonism OF pur-
pose and feeling existing between tho
two wings. The difference is as great
as between Democracy and Republic
anism. 1t il just as pronounced, as
irreconcilable, as bitter as the feeling
which existed at the Charleston Con-
vention in 1860. The struggle then
was for tho extension of slavery in the
TERRITORIES, and the party split asunder,
nominating two sets OF candidates.
Now tho issue is whether money or
the people shall rulc. AS sec it, it is
bound to split again when it meets in
convention. Even though" to quote
the language falsely attributed to Mr..
Lat mer, :. tho goldbugs are disposed
20 deal fairly with the silver mon and
to put up ticket to represent both
q y vi. l..