The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-09-10


interfere in this race and your deter
animation to avoid anything like dicta-
tioH. rs h1s nccn shown by your public
utteranccs. UaV, III. repard this Us a
serious crisis, nnd. as III tiiue past,
your wise leadership ana advice have
brought the Reform movement safely
through grave pcrils, we feel that you
should now take the helm and give an
Oppression to your fellow citizcns of
Your opia!2n Of the situation.
*. L. NJ, SWEENEY,
.iAmEs; NNRrOG,
w. II. G. i5NTE,,
j. GARY WATTS,
w. a. NEAL,
J. WM. STOKES,
+ G. LATiMER,
Md utncrs
The following is ,ne reply OF Senator
Tillman, in which hi! views arc stated
unequivocally:
TRENTON, S. G., Sept. ,, 1896.
Norton, W. Il. &. { Dates,.. ,.'.i =. S';.ry Gary
Watts, w. a. Neal, }. a. Sigh. j.
ID. Nj. Shaw, n. &. Latimcr and
others.
GeLuenien. .oYr letter Of this date
has just beer raGciYcu: aha as H., teaOr
demands prompt unswcr, | reply at
once. | had intended to say and do
nothing IN the Senatorial race, but
rrLagniAc in you my strong personal
and pu,iC,.et friends and coad tutors,
who have atwnyo tnH ,ipnr l., uail
upon nc both for advice aud work, if
need be. What | may say may serve
only to give an explanation of the
caUseQ that have produced Il threatened
disaster ra.har bi.II aycrt it You
ask me TO take tho helm Wncu the
snip Is already in the breakers. AS q
true man ! must do SO, even though at
XII. late day | might we'll ask why yon
have not Uai.c.ii on me sooner. | regard
the election of Governor lii, ai.u nCw rs
Il political necessity. Isay this without
the slightest disparagcmcnt to his OPP
?ohc,v. There is necessarily diiler.
cncc OF opinion utnons; our people a.. TO
the fitness and qualifications of these
two gentlemen for the nigh Office
PANIED. But this is not u personal con-
tGSt. aAd Governor Fans alleged short
conings ana Judge tarles dualin nca-
tions cannot now enter as factors in
the consideration Of the question by
the true Reformcrs Of the State. TO
tlpse address myself because | know
too wei th9t H0thinE can say will
have any weight Wllh those who have
fought mo with such intense bitter
ness in the past and who now fight
Evans rs the exponent Of Reform. The
llcfGrm movement had its origin in
the demand Of The people, the common
pe""'". for recognition - Coycrnmen.
tai uilalrs. IL swept the State anu
assumed absolute control Of all it's de-
partments. General Earle opposed it
with bitterness in 1870, but his manly
acQuiescencc In tno Result Won ti.c
respect and esteem OF all of his oppo-
.heDts, so much SO that he has since
been ho60red by an election to a Judge
ship. He cannuV therefore complain
that the Ref0rmcrs are uniorgiving.
The question is, has he earned the
United States Senatorship? and is he
in sympathy with the men who are to
give 1T to him il he receives it,
Herein lies the csscnco Of tho whole
matter, and ho himself, time and again
on the stump, bas declared ompbatic-
ally, 81 am not a ltcformcr," thus MAX
ing Il subtle appeal to his old support
crs by an avGwal Of still being one Of
them aud rcpudiGting those who had
honOred him.
When the campaign opened at Man
ming, General Earle withdrew from the
race because he felt that he could not
win against Governor Evans alone, and
only rc,entGrcd it at tho last moment,
when he hnI bGcn Informed Of MIR.
Duncan's cntry aud speech; Indicating
q fight between Itef0rlncrs by which
he could hope to profit.
He did not enter the canvass actively
until he had watched its course for
two weeks, ard with subsequent events
the public arc familiar. Suffice it to
say, that whilo Mr.. Duncna hung on
like a slcuth hound and doubtless fully
expected to be elected, his role has
been that OF the cat who pulls chest
nuts out OF the fire for others to cat,
and he has injured the ltoforn move:
mcnt moro than any man who has ever
been in it. While he has had the sat
lsfaction OF being pattcd on the back
by Che News and Courier and The State
as having 'd0De the work, while Earle
got the votes tho spectacle has beon
presented of tho man VINO was solcctcG
by the people to take my place and
assume leadership in tho State, boing
attacked BY slandcr; first by the anti
newspapers and thon have him SLAM
dercd repeatedly from every stump by
q Rcformcr who failed to furnish any
proof. While it is well known prin-
clple OF logic that you can not prove q
negative. it has been demanded of
Governor Evans to prove his innocence
when there was no evidence 20 provo
him guilty. He has committed tho
tatal blunder, contrary to my advice.
OF noticing Mr.. Duncan just enough 70
keep him as q factor in the election.
no failed to notice the only charge
that was really Of any moment; viz;
what hc Is said to have said to Mixson.
Governor Evans entered upon the
duties OF his office pledged to enforce