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

| 1t is only since the war with Spain
that southern men have had show,
and the var was worth all it cost if it
accomplished no other good to the
country.
But even at best, southern meo can
do bat little, they cannot speak freely
aud advocate sheir principles or work
for the Interests Of their constituents.
The system of boss rule extends to
congress, and men may not get up on
the floor aud speak or introduce a bill
without the permission of the speaker.
Even the men Of the Republican party
may not speak without she permission
of Reed. and then rot more than so
maoy hours OF minutes. A Democrat
nay want 20 introduce bill he must
get up on the floor, address the speaker,
who asks what the gentleman from
South Carolina wishes to discuss; when
told that be wishes to introduce q bill
ca such and such a matter, the speaker
looks the other way a2d says, "tbe
gentleman from Virginia has the
door," and the gentleman from South
Carolina must sit down and pocket his
bill. What cau our poor little seven
representatives. from South Carolina
do? Very little What are We to DO
about it. with only twenty million
against fifty million When asked. I
say to them. "We will stand up in the
middle Of the road and. SO help Us
God, fight until We redeem the country
aud bring it back to the uses of free
dom and liberty"
The people Of the South, and this
applies especially to South Carolina. are
a homogeneous people. descendants Of
Revolutionary sires, Of Eoglisb, French,
Scotch. Sootch.Irish, Dutch and Irish
extraction, and they have married and
inter.married until they are are Ameri-
caos And in our psople We have the
only true Americans now to be found
iu the country They are the seed
corn of liberty. and I tell the people Of
the North when speak to them that
when toey want seed they will have to
come to US to get it for you have let
yours rot And every word of this is
true, for 10 the South aud deeply i'm
! planted 10 the hearts of the people,
developed and handed down through
generations as . priceless heritage is
The spirit of freedom and the true
democratic principles that must redeem
this country if it is ever redeemed from
corruption and the money power
l am often asked Why the West,
which is ground dowa by the money
power. whose farmers have to contend
against ten cen. corn and fifty cent
wheat, and suffer equally with the
South from the upproductiveness of
farm labor, does not join With the
South 10 throwing off the money power
and restoring the free coinage Of silver.
The principal reason is that the West
has had the food Of pension money that
is poured into the pockets Of her people
to help them exc out living Some
States receive as much as fifteen mil
lion dollars year aud they have been
able to endure ten cent corn. The
West has received this stream OF money
from Washington which We are taxed
to help pay, while our old soldiers are
10 want. We give them beggariy
S100, 900 year, which is Dcs much
when there is so much need, ard have
often wished is vas more, bu. the State
is not able to give more.
After President Mckinley went
down to Atlanta and made that fowery
and patriotic speech about wanting to
help us take care of the graves of our
soldiers, I was asked what thought Of
his offer. | said that We want DO help
to take care of the graves of ou: dead
until you do something for our old
soldiers who are living 10 want aud
suffering ADD are going down to their
graves in need.
The pension business and nearly
everything else is big steal, aud as |
have said before, I want share for the
south. know it is not right or neces.
aa,y to steal, bus while it is going on
and when | see it want my share, and
| tell them So If the Democrats we're
10 control there sould be no steals. aud
the government would be ruu honestly,
but as loog as the Republicans control
and as long as the people Of the north
uphold boss rule and they stick to the
party and vote for anybody the bosses
put ap, there will be 10 change. The
steals will 60 on.
Trusts are the progeny Of the Repab-
lioan party Capital 10 lougc: com
petes agains, capital, aud the prices of
of articles are 10 cpger 6xea by COM
petition The day of reasonable profit
is gone Combinations have taken the
place OF competition aod the price is
fixed, aud the people have to pay the
I~.,J.1 Van erEor Nct III nt