The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-07-25

For four years he had been regarded
as the orator laureate Of the Repub-
lican party. Now the walls Of their
wrath and the food Of their slander
Will be poured upon his head without
stint. All that his friends will have to
do In order to answer their lies about
him In this campaign will be to repro
duce In parallel columns all they have
said about him In the past four years.
They affect to sneer ut him now, but
they will hardly continue to do 80 after
the election.
Wherever there are patriotic hearts
to stir Davis will stir them to their
depths. In districts inhabited by large
numbers Of Beers and Germans lie will
be particularly strong In the cause of
human liberty. For years he has been
my personal friend. have always re-
garled him as too good q man to be In
the Republican party. On my own be-
half and In behalf of thousands of 9TH
er good Democrats i welcome him most
heartily into the Democratic party. He
is only the advance guard of q great
army Of Republicans who love their
country better than they love their
party and will join us this year because
they know that we are fighting to the
end that government Of the people, by
the people. for the people. shall not
perish from the earth.
George .. Boutwell,.
Davis belonged to the young gen.
Grafton Of Republicans. He is in the
flower OF his years and the prime of
his powers, but the break from the Re-
publican party Is not confined to the
youngsters. Just before Davis quit
them the Hon. George s. Boutwell, Of
Massachusetts, cut the same caper. He
Is one of the veterans Of the party, one
Of the men who made 1t. He was one
OF the earliest Republican governors
OF Massachusetts, and II my memory
serves me correctly the first. He be-
longs to that race of New England
giants Of which Charles Sumner was
the chief. He was not only governor
OF Massachusetts,, but representative
IN congress, senator Of the United
States and secretary of the treasury.
He was the friend and confidential ad-
wiser Of U. s. Grant. 1t will not do for
Republicans to sneer at him any more
than 1t will do for them to sneer at
Webster Davis. The truth Ia that the
Republican party of today is held to-
gether only by the cohesive power of
public plunder. If Lincoln and his con-
tempOraries could rise from their
graves, they would utterly refuse to
recognize Hanna and his gang as lead
ers OF the party which they once led.
Revolt Against RepubNcanism.
In leaving the Republican party Gov
ernOr Boutwell, says:
1T is q vain hope that the Republic
an party as an organization can re-
verse this policy Of the president. The
hope Is as vain as was the hope I'm
1875 that the Democratic party as an
organization would aid In the abolition
Of slavery"
Nor is the revolt against the Repub-
lican party confined to men who may
reasonably be supposed to have politi-
cal ambitions. 1t extends to ruen Of all
classes. For example. I'm my own coun-
ty, in the city Of Louisiana. there Ia a
wealthy and influential lumber mer-
chant who was born a Republican and
has been Republican all his life and
whose ancestors on both sides of the
house were Republicans and Maine Re-
publicans at that. He is nephew Of
the Hon. Israel Washburn, once
congressman from Maine: of the Hon.
Elihu Il. Washburn. for 90 years a
leading Republican congressman from
Illinois and both secretary Of state and
minister to France under Grant: of the
late General Washburn of Wisconsin,
who was both governor of Wisconsin
and general in the Union army: also
Of ex-United States Senator Washburn
Of Minnesota. Colonel Buffum Is one
OF the few men living or dead who ever
had three uncles in the United States
congress at the same time. He is q fine
business man, independent financially.
and doubt very much IL he would ac-
cept any office whatever. Yet with
these surroundings he feels 1t to be his
patriotic duty to leave the Republican
party and join the Democrats.
COl0rcd Men In Line.
Nor Ia the revolt confined to white
men Of low or high degree. rich or poor
Recently the cOlOred people Of Missouri
held convention mt st. Joseph for the
purpose of discussing the feasibility Of
nominating a ticket Of their own or Of
Joining the Democracy. II this move
ment should spread 1t would carry ter
ror and dlsmay into the ranks of the
Republicans in six or eight states
which usually give their vote to the
Republican presidential candidate. The
truth Ia that the cOlored population
have been hewers Of wood anc draw
ers Of water ever since they were en-.
franchised. They are bully boys just
before the election in the Republican
estimation. and the next day it usually
SHOWS. so far as they are concerned.