The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-22
FARMERS MOVEMENT.

NJ 1890 had for It's main OBJECT tne lnQepeuu-
ns0nls in poiitical affairs.' A white primary,
where the white people Of the State could SET
tie their differences among themselVes: IL
mart II has accomplished It's object In spite OF
the efforts to dwarf 1t into one-man move
ment. Its leader has not been content lor ~
to be complete, and has attempted more tna1
once to dictate who should and VINO snouia ia
not be elected to office. All revolutions OF
this kind 20 farther than It's orlglnators oe-
sign no power can control them.
Men who suppose that the movement OF
1900 was a mere effervescence to give office TO
a favored few are greatly mistaken. Some OF
the best and truest have never nelu olnce'
and the time is coming when tnose VINO oe,
trayed and prostituted this great movement
into a "one.man power" and mere scramoie
for the "loaves and the fishes" will De held 10
an sccount I stand to-day just as STOOD IN
Of study and contact with public men and
affairs. thank God that one thing mas oeen
accom- plished. The people have been olsen.
satisfied with the accomplishment OF any
ming less than the full purpose OF the move.
meni-free thought, free speech, ialr oaiioI
and rule Of the people M Inis ttent a To break
down the reforms nearly accomplished can
succeed: The natural and inevitable % c0nse-
quences Of that revolution inust ioAo"'
Nothing can stay them.
THE ALLIANCE"
Fellow.citizens: 1t affords me great pleas
ure to address you to-day. l thank you ioI
the honor and the opportunity. recognize
am accountable TO the people who elected me
for my stewardship. This responsiolllty VI
public Office Is the great conservative anu
preservative force IN our repuollcaad tE Smiv Of
Representative to study all important pGr pu4G
lie Questions and form a judgment as 70 tneir
effect on the welfare OF the people. 10 ieaS
public sentiment rather than bllndly follow
what is reputed to be the majority. 1t Is MS
duty to study national problems ana Vote ac
cordipg TO his best lights and honest conVio
lions. leaving the final decision as 10 Tue
wisdom OF his course 10 the people. AS lor
myself, 7 acknowledge no master save Cne
sovereign people, speaking ~ sne nV noIiii.
cal Boss, either in or outside OF sontn h,o Caio'
lima. This is my conception OF tne rlgnts.
duties and position or Senator, NY coTIee oInns
the line OF discretion and accountaplllty. IN
voting on great national issues have con,
sdered the best interests h OF inSsciicai ine re-
suits to follow from rigid aonerence W
party lines. 1t is passing strange Lhat solhe
Of the men elected to Congress 10 1897, snouiu :.
criticize me for doing what tney soieInnrs
pledged themselves to do. Don't you remem,
Der that an Alliance Delegation was electeo
in 1892 pledged not to be bound oy 8 Demo'
cratic caucus Io Ssps SaH 70 pson at large ire.
soective Of the party? l feel like recalling
the words, "Oh, Lord God OF Hosts, Lest We
forget, Lest we forget"
PRINCIPLES HIGHER THAN PARTY.
Political parties under our form of govern
rnent are a necessity. They grow OUT OF tue
political relations established oy Inc govern,
Inent ITSELF There have been since tne Dlln @
of the nation and always will De TWO ga gIsa.
politicaI parties. II there were no real issues
they would divide and fight over tne meis saS
spoils of office. These differences origlnaIea
IN the diverse sie%s %onad as to What const
tuted the proper functions of the govern % en- 7;
Party platforms have always been suPPosea
bloody Civil war settled the question OF
States rights, and for quarter OF csn'u.s
the waving OF the "bloody-shirt on tue oSe on G
side and the niggerh 4ha In dSSiSS dhe nes
that every man, on a purely sectional cues,
tion, like white supremacy, 10 traltor anu nao a
renegade who does not stand oy MS own seo ,an
on domestic problems. problems OF latef I've ua, ,ha
concern should, as lar as possible BOW 10 In, Gue
behests OF bis party. ne GahnOi tnG Se should.
II possible, find q party with which ne IL Sn
accord l assert, fellow.citizens, noweVeL, :,
that 1t Is almost crime lot any Parioe Paayi " y
make great broad, non-politlcai Amelicah
measures, involving the political ana con, o,
mercial development of the nation, the tes. ha
OF party fealty. Issues essentlai W the ths
maintenance OF the honor anil prestlge OF tne
nation are too vital to be relegateo 70 tne
plane OF partisan and sectional contention.
Out Of changed industrial and economic COZ.
ditions have grown great national QueBtlons
pertaining to the material interest OF tne
country, which must be considered ana 80, se,'
tied by that silent force the reserved paIrio''
ism Of the people.
DEMOCRACY BROADER THAN sEcTIoNALlsM
Fellow-citizens There Is no greater men
ace to the stability OF our govern ment tnan q
large minority In the American CONGRESS
can question: from purely sectional consid'
erations. am a Democrat, honestly deslr,
ous Of remaining 80; ana a,cS S'tnessshg @ aigaobed
by association and heredity. 1t was never
contemplated. however. by the founders OF
that party that should become purely sec
tional affair, yet to-day there Is no Demo
cratic party capable of making itself 1elt Out.
side Of the South. In the North ana west, II
ia permeated with socialism, and has dWln-
nation. do not PROPOSE however, TO pursue
this line OF thought; 1t is palniul anu can ac-
complish no good purpose.
THE MONEY QUESTION.
Reg,nn,np with the panic Of 1898, there has
never been such rapid industrial changes IN
any country. These changes were IN pro-
gress, and our war with spain selvea as d
fiash-light to show us what was going on:
In 1896, we had campaign upon the money
question. Everything was depressed. M Men eI
seeking employment, cotton unuer nVe cen ts'
ness discontent, distrust and misery every
Where. We were told that the salvation OF tne
country depended upon the iree coinage VI
silver 1 believed then, and l peheWe IoW, ietr
that theoretically we were right; out new
and unforeseen forces came into play, anu !
have enough sense TO recognize the iact tnat
the restoration Of con nidence, aoouC wnica 'a
Mr. Cleveland talked. and about Wnlcn ! ula
not know enough at the time 10 unue[stanu,
the discovery Of gold in the klondyKe, Ine
infiux of money from abroad SEEKING invest
ment and the increase In panking lacLlties,
for the time at least, have settleo tne Hones
Question and nobody but q fool Wonio make
. nfres silver" speech now. Instead OF de-
pleted treasury, there Is in 1t to-day the iarg-
eat amount OF gold in the history OF the
country, and actually the Secretary & Oh ene
Treasury. a few weeks ago, oePusi.eIt that oIy h.s
I'm a Spartanburg bank. something that mas
never been done before in the history oi our
gtate, have been listening for someoouy 10
cry out "Republicanism," because was ~
strumental In beginning moveHenIf ftnHrs mmou
hope in the future may enable our FARMERS
and msrchants to secure money at lower
rate OF 1ntesest.
RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EXPORT
TRADE.
Another great change as the result OF tne
manic OF 1898, is the rapid development OF our
eeynort trade Our home markets falled us,
noanufacturers found themselves Win I'M
vnense stocks OF goods on hand ana nopouy
IN buy them, this forced them to seek marx
cts abroad and one 5 of IRON to
Enrone. At that time iron could be bougnt
for sG 90 per ton in Birmingham, aad this
small shipment six years ago was lne pegln-
ming of the $50, ,0O00 600 worth OF n IRON that we
shipped abroad last year, UO,OOO TONS going
from Alabama