The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-08-09

today there is not in this broad land
an intelligent christian of whatever
name or creed but what regards it
as beuefaction to the world that such
q man as John Wesley lived.
In eighteen hundred aod ninety
there appeared upon the politica! arena
of South Carolina an anomaly 10 poll
tics. A man entirely unknown to fame
A regular one galius, wool hat horny
handed son of toll A full blooded
hay seed clod hopper and who had
only gained some little aotoriety by
newspaper controversies, in which
he always made his adversaries come
off second beat. He soon gained the
hatred, malice and envy of those in
authority simply because he advocat-
ed what Jefferson, Jackson and what
every true democrat should, that of
equal rights to all and special privi
|eges to none a Government of
the people by the people and for the
people, equal opportunities to ali, and
that the .fices should be divided
among those who merited them, and
not monopolized by chosen lew
But it was not until the campaign
opend in Greenville that his mighty
powers were developed, and, like
Abak of old lowered head and
shoulders above all his compeers
and proved himself to be an 0Iym.
plan of Olympia The opposing
candidates flushed with previous
victories, and intoxicated, as they
supposed, with superior intellect and
training laughed him 10 scorn and
expected after few speeches on the
hustings to send th:s presumptuous
plebeian, this demagogue, this crank,
back to plough handles aud corn6eld,
were he rightly belonged.
Little did they know the strength
which patriotism lends when liberty
strikes with every blow For as a
mountain stands while wind stoyms
roar SO did he meet his relentless
foes, and again and again sent them
back shamefully beaten. By the
subtiety of his logic, the spell OF his
eloquence. the force of his genius,
and the magnetism of his person be
swayed the multitudes and soon con.
vinced his antagonist and the
country be was no ordinary man.
at the very FIRST meeting be gen
Grated an embryo whiriwind which
gathered strength and velocity at
every meeting until soon the boasted
intelligence, wealth and press
with the bull doing, jeers, sneers,
vilifcations, vituperation, misrepre
sentation aud aspersions joined in
one miscellaneous, heterogeneous
conglomeration of propagandism to
stem the tide. But all in vain. In
his hesculean strength he scattered
them like chaff before the wind
Seeing the helplessness and impo
tency of their cause they actually
sent to Washington and Georgia for
help.
But these imported politicians, like
trees in the forest before tornado.
he swept aside carrying everything
before him and was triumphantly elect,
ed governor ofSouth Carolina; and in
four years, having outwitted the
statesmen, puzzled the lawyers and
confused the judges. aud having the
legislative, executive and judiciary
departments of the government. he
was complete master Of the situation
to the delight of his friends and the
chsgrin of his enemies and the utter
amazement the country, and placed
upon the statute books some of our
most salu:ary laws: instance, the pri.
mary law, in which the people are
allowed to choose their own candi
dates from coroner to United States
Senator, privilege all free people
should have, and which you never
had before; Floating the State bonds
at lower rate of interest, under the
most trying circumstances, thus saw
ing to the tax payers seventy FIVE
thousand dollars year; protecting
the farmers interests by really and
not by going through the farce of
Furnishing those who deal in fraudu-
lent fertilizers; The dispensary law,
which some of the best minds in the
country, both clerical and laymen,
pronounce the best solution of the
liquor question that was ever formu
lated, and which Gladstone pro-
nounced the most difficult problem
which the statesmen of all civilized
and enlightened countries had to con-
tend And a constitutional conven,
.ion by practically eliminating Ger
tain vote from the politics OF South
Carolina, of itself was worth the re
form movement.
While supporting every education
al institution be found, be did what no