The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-08-26

george w. Williams.
Nacoochee, Ca, Aug. 22.
Bourke Cochran Gets Roasted
for Slandering the South.
Washington Post.
Our very good friend, Hon. J. G. S
Blackburn, the senior senator from
Kentucky, must have been 10 hurry
when, just before leaving Washington
on Thursday last, be said
Il am surprised that the newspapers
which are disposed to be emiuently fair
in this 6ghs should allow this speech OF
Bourke Cockran's to pass without TAX
ing him to task for the only thing that is
10 it. I never believed that Bourke
Cochran was capable Of making SO dis
astrous failure as he did the other
night. he never answered nor pretend.
ed to answer nor touched upon single
pointin Bryau's speech made at Madison
Square garden The only thing chat
attracts attention in Bourke Cochran g
utterapce is conclusive proof that be
furnishes that be is far in advance of
any radical Republican stump speaker
in this country in this manner of malig-
nifty. He charges that the silver move
meat is conspiracy, the object of
which is to oversurD all the rights of
property. This conspiracy is composed
of silver mine owners Of the Of the west
and nnreconciled slave owners Of the
south. He insists that, having lost
their property in their slaves. as re-
suit of war. they DOW seek to destroy
the other property in order to balance
the account"
The Post is one of the newspapers
which; are disposed to emiueotly fair
in this 6ght," but we feel sure that, if
Mr.. Blackburn had stopped to think,
be would have realized shat neither
The Post nor any other self-respecting
newspaper is or could be under the
smallest obligation to treat Mr.. Bourke
Cochran seriously 10 the connection be
refers to. Let Mr.. Blackburn consider
for m oment who Rourke Cockran is,
and who are the persons be describes as
"the unreconciled slave owners of the
South. Can he see, can be mag
iue sny reason why such gentlemen as
Joho W. Daniel. Edward Cary Wal
thall, James K. Jones. George Gra-
ham Vest. FraBcis Marion Cockrell,
John T. Morgan. Isham G. Harris,
and scores Of others We might name
Gao be imagine sny reason, we ask,
why these gentlemen should need de-
feuse against Bourke Cookrao They
may be mistaken. bat at least they are
sincere, honorable, highminded, pa
triotic American citizens They have
inherited the character Of patriotic au-
cestors. They respect the traditions Of
families whose history is part of the
history of our country. Does not the
spectacle of this political Hessiau, this
truculeot adventurer. lecturing them on
duty aud honor, strike Mr.. Blackburn
as grotesque All we know of Cock
ran is that be was taken up by Tam
many Hall and sent to Chicago to de-
feat Mr.. Cieveland's nomination in
1892 that he delivered a tremendous
oration, which had about as much effect
on bis audience as the barking Of q
yellow cur around the corner hight
have had; that. a few months after
ward, he was one of Mr.. Cleveland's :
most assiduous toadies j; that be de-
claimed and Grated aud spustered 10
congress against the income tax, and
then voted for it when the time came /;
that Tammany Hall, disgusted with bis
coarse couceit. and indignant at his base
ingratitude, relegated him to the poll
tical obscurisy from which he had been
originally snascbed /; that uow be lends
bis lungs. his language. and his legs to
these who ean-if they will-give him
what be chiefly wants And that is
knowing quite enough.
No, no, Mr.. Blackburn. The gen.
tlemen of the South need no defense
against this imported blstherskite, this
staggering adveuturer, this prsfes-
sional soldier of fortune. Their repu.
tations, their motives. their claims to
honor aud respect are not at the die.
posal of Boarke Cochran, and The
Post, for one, declines to insult them
by such supposition.