Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-09-04
THEY ARE NOT TRAITORS.
Mr.. John G. Carey Defends
Mill Presidents.
SOME FOOD FOR SOBER REFLECTION

NUMh fUUU fUh DUDll NIL IhulluN'
The Politicians Brought on the War
But the Best Interests Of the Peo.
pie Demands That They Be Not AL
lowed to Play Battledoor and Shut
tlecock With the Results.
Following Is the speech that Mr.. John
c. Carey, president of the Lockhart
mill, delivered at Spartanburg last
Wednesday, and which won more ap-
plause than any other speech Of the
day. It is reproduced from the Green
VILE News of last Friday.
The object of this series Of meetings
in the upper part Of the state, we are
told, is for the purpose Of discussing be-
fore the people, calmly, dispassionately,
and without personal abuse Of any one,
the national issues Of the day. I am
sorry to say in the very beginning, at
Union, some of the speakers assailed
the character and motives Of an honor
able class of conference.-the cotton
mill observation-disclosures some Of them
differ with them on certain issues. Re-
creant would we be to the trust COM
mitted to us by honorable people were
we to remain silent before our country
men and allow these charges to go un-
challenged. Lives there a reptile SO
low, so base and so vile that would not
turn and sting the hand that bruises
it."
Who are the cotton mill presidents OF
this state, and what are the charges
brought against them by some of the
senatorial tourists and instructors OF
the people? The majority Of the mill
presidents Of South Carolina ARE to
the maner born" They are the men
and sons Of men who at the bugle blast
in 1861 responded to their country's call
and helped to form the greatest and
bravest army that was ever organized
in any country, ancient or modern
the Confederate soldier. I speak the
name with almost hallowed reverence,
who during the conflict Of arms knew
no sovereign nor master except coun-
try and duty. and when the conflict
was over, laid down his arms, not iE
dishonor, but in glory, and in the gray
"all tattered and torn" returned to his
home, the circle Of his ancestry, des-
olated and ruined by the ruthless hand
of war. Here with nothing but the
smiles and love Of the dear ones of his
fireside, he began life anew without
apology to king or potentate, and with
an eye fixed onward and upward,
swore he would conquer poverty and
carve a name in history. Through all
the trials of war and reconstruction OF
state government. he was at his post
of duty; and in 1876 when South Caro-
lima swore she would be free, he was
the first to don the red shirt: and when
the war of ballots was over and the
state capitol was filled with Federal
bayonets, and the command flashed
over the wire to every hamlet and
town in the state (and to some In
Georgia and North Carolina) Come,
bring laborers and tools" (You all
know what this meant.) He was the
first on the scene Of combat to respond,
$50 mote it be-" when Wade Hampton
proclaimed in the presence Of 10000 fol-
lowers, with no other covering for his
head except the canopy Of heaven, 81
am the governor Of South Carolina, so
help me Cod"
The first man who crossed the thresh-
old of your capitol at that time, broke
assunder with Herculean arm the mas
sive doors of the hall of representatives
from the hinges. and laid low the state
colored constabularies, and over their
PROSTATE FORMS followed by his COM
rades, wrested from the despoilers'
hand South Carolina and returned her
to you and gave you white mans
government. This man and others who
followed hard by are cotton mill pres
idents today.
The man, who while in n foreign
country seeking to restore his shattered
health, in the hour Of blood and cy-
clone. when the electric flash announc-
ed the sad news to him. hastened to
the city which loved and honored him,
to distribute the charities Of two con-
tinents to suffering humanity, Is a cot
ton mill president. The man who at
the foot hills Of the Blue Ridge, felled
dense forest and brought the soil into
the highest state Of cultivation was one
of the first men in the state to declare
for the rights of the farmer when they
thought they were being trampled un-
der foot, is today the president Of a
cotton mill within few miles Of the
forest he subdued. and where, as far
mer. he passed his young manhood in
honest toll. The man who in ante-bel-
lum days, came to your country from
northern cline, as youth cast his
fortune with Spartanburg and plighted
his love to his adopted country, for
sock it not in her darkest days Of war
and adversely and aside from building
up one of the largest mill properties In
| the state, erected a monument to
young womanhood which will be as en-
during as time itself-Converse college
This man was mill president up to his
death. But why enumerate further. The
mill presidents of this state were called
from honorable vocations, and some
from the humblest walks Of life. The
cotton mills of this state have invaded
the ranks of all classes-the store, the
workshop. the counting room, the bar
the doctors home. the school room and
the farm for their presidents. And one
| Is now about to convert Clemson COL