The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-08-14

the world: and it advocates today the
promotion and protection Of that trade
and commerce to the fullest extent.
It has stood for the enforcement OF
its own life bought doctrine that
there must be no further encroachmen!t
upon American territory by CONT.
mental powers for the purposes OF
monarchical colonization and vassel
rule: and it should never surrender or
violate that principle Of self preserva-
ton and Justice, lest the world pow
ers shall claim such violations as
pretext for their greedy action.
It has gone further; and by deed
and act stood for the peaceful acqulsl-
tion of American territory for the
preservation of American liberty and
the development of American enter
prise and progress, but it never has
and pray God it never will lend It's
aid and sanction to the acquisition OF
foreign territory for plunder and pelf.
In 1903, under the leadership OF its
founder. the immortal Jefferson, by
peaceful means and money freely
granted in times of peace by the peo-
ple. it erected the Stars and Stripes
over the Louisiana purchase after the
tri-color of France was Withdrawn
and in that act as part, written IN
the contract of purchase, it guaran-
teed the full right of statehood to the
component parts of the territory; ana
protection of life and liberty to every
inhabitant thereof. It took in the land
and proceeded to govern it with the
consent of the governed carrying
ont the bedrock doctrine Of the I'm
ion of States. It would make that
same apostle of Democracy shudder In
his coffin, to know that in less than a
century thereafter the government,
which he had so carefully kept down
in, its territorial requirements to the
principles of liberty, in the far East
away from our ocean washed republic
had siezed territory claimed by two
different sets of people and were en-
deavoring to force upon it a govern
ment contrary to their wishes and de-
sires.
This same old Democratic party
after it had given liberty to the Texan
republic, even by force of arms, saw
no disgrace in hauling down its glori-
Gus flag from the ramparts of the
Montezumas: and there Will be no dis
grace in the hauling down Of that Tag
from the battlement Of Moro Castle
when Cuba's own government is COM
plete, except it be the stigma upon
her freedom of action which the Platt
amendment engrafted in its constitu-
tion, put there by the Republican
party.
In the time of our dire disaster
when property values by the fate. OF
war had shrunken to nothing; when
life was scarcely worth living; when
hope was near gone forever, and the
republican party big and bloated with
blood and power, sought to make the
Southern States dependencies and the
abode of vultures to prey on US and to
eat out our vitals, that same old Dem
ocratic Mother with the brave sturdy
Democrats of the East and West stood
by Us and helped Us to assert our
manhood and regain our freedom Of ac-
tion.
And now in the high tide of the Ma
tons progress, because forsooth the
Democratic party (Which has stood
sunshine and shadow and will never
die has been twice defeated because
of some differences of opinion as to
certain party policies and because Of
the use of Republican money contrib
uted by the enemies of the liberties Of
the people. we are invited to swallow,
without even mastication, all of the
policies of the party of centralized
power and to call it progressive de-
mocracy. God save the mark!
Not simply that, but we are asked
to remain Democratic and absorb and
assimilate the beni6cent principles Of
republicanism because we live in an
electrical age of progress; and because
we are told we should give up our ira
ditions, our history, our memories
and our past forever.
In the paraphrased words of Tom
Watson or Private John Allen, know
not which, if we did it, if we follow
ed this friendly advice where would we
be at?
The Democratic party would be
dead, the Republican party would be
the masters OF the situation and the
scattered forces of the people would be
forced into the populistic party. which
is now sneered at by some Of its form
erly ardent admirers.
That is what the parents who are
behind this movement to invade the
South hope for, but your good judg-
ment, your patriotic purposes and
high regard for duty to the past and
in the present will stamp it out IN It's
incipiency.
Nay, rather let the memorable
words of the great Ben Hill of Georgia
as they sounded through the halls OF
the United States Senate sink into
your heart, "Tae South is once more
in the home Of her fathers and there
she proposes to remain,'' exercising
her privileges and standing with all
lovers of liberty in the grand union OF
states against monopolies and COM
bines and Capitalization, no matter IN
what form it comes.
Why should we take such a course:
Why should we as Americans as well
as Southerners or Carolinians, abro-
gate our fealty to the Democratic par
ty; or worse still keep our name as
Democrat and carry republican princi-
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