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

If cannot Gnd anything else
to talk about I caa tell you what l
know, or rather what I don't know,
about growing tobacco I am just
starting to grow tobacco, and the more
l learn about it snd the further I get
into it the blacker the tobacco s.=ms to
turn.
But before I enter upon the Discus
s!ons of the Questions of the Day" I
Wish to refer to my attitude as your
representative. When I went to Wash.
ingson to take my seat 10 the senate I
entirely sunk my personality in the
position. and | have never inquired or
sought to know whether man was a
reformer OF straightout when be wrote
to ne or asked my assistance as senator.
have striven to serve the people 10
every way possible and a man's political
afhliation has had no influence with me
if | was called upon to aid him. 1t
has even been charged that when the
appointment of officers 10 the army in
the war with Spaio we're to be made l
had ali of my worst political enemies
appointed so as to get them out Of the
country. merely recognized 10 this
instance that certain men we're oeserv-
ing Of recognition aud I used ny
personal and official influence to secure
for them what they deserved. As l
have said. suok my personality in the
Office, | have known no difference and
have made no distinctions between men
on account of fsc.ional lines and l shall
continue to act in the future in the
same way.
see that there are many ladies
present here today and l am glad to see
them. On none of my previous visits
to Sumter-on four occasions-were the
people of Sumter sufficiently cool and in
their right minds, to permit their women
to come out But now they are here
and [ am glad to see them, and to know
that the people are cool.
A bot box was not to be compared
with the meeting on the Court House
square in 1890 when | came to Sumter.
It seemed to me that all four wheels
were not only hot, but almost on fire on
that occasion. The difference today
is striking aud | am glad to see thai
Sumter has calned down, but | saw
that there had been great change from
80 when l attended subsequent cam
paign meetings. But the Questions
of the Day"
The national situation. as | see it, is
very dark and gloomy. We South
Carolinians, who are so conser-
yative, old fogyish. l may say,
cannot realize the real condition Of af.
fairs in the United States. The condi-
tioos 10 the centers of population sre far
worse and the outlook is darker and
more gloomy than you caa realize.
Ever since | have been in the senate l
have accepted every invitation possible
to speak 10 other States in order to
inform myself on the conditions iu the
couatry at large SO that | might be
able to serve you and the coun-
try better and mere iutelligently.
The country beyond the Potomac is
teening with wealth, but the people
do not owo it. There is more poverty,
more suffering, mere grinding down of
the mass of people there than 10 the
south. The wealth is concentrated in
the hands of a few rich men. and the
condition of the others is worse than
We realize. Before the var there we're
but few millionaires 10 the Uoited
States, the wealth Of the oouotry was
more equally distributed and the con-
dition of the people was far better.
Now there are four or FIVE thousand
miilionaires. they hold the wealth Of
the country 10 their hands and they
also own the government and control
it's policy, Some of these men have
fortunes Of ten. twenty, fifty or hun.
dred millions. and the combined poWe!
that they WELD is almost beyond belief
They own the government aud select
the officers. They are moving now TO
obtain fuller control of the country
and are aiming to establish an industrial
slavery.
Why is this ? The people of the
north are not Americans, but foreign
ers. The north has been filed up with
foreigners who came over in such num-
bers that they have accomplished an
industrial conquest. These people are
not Americans ADD are ready tools 10
the hands of the bosses and Of the
money power They are corrupt aud
sell their votes. They vote as they are
told aud have no voice in the selection
Of their officers or 10 the government
They simply obey their bosses. This
condition Of affairs makes it possible for
cue man to control tne great State of
New York, and today Thomas c. Platt
is the boss who selects the officers and