Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-08-14

who has tried to retain for South
Carolina the honor and dignity won
by long line Of illustrious sons and
glorious deeds, or the Senator who
has posturcd as buffoon and bully,
and who proclaimed on the floor of
the Senate that he represented a
constituency of ballot-box- suffers
and murdcrcrs, who wanted their
share of the stealagc.
lie is now in Northern State,
holding up our people as negro muir
derers and ballot-b box thieves.
TARIFF SUBSIDIES AND EXPANSION.
You have undertaken TO condemn
and cxpel and dcposc me, not only
without a hearing, but without evi-
dcncc. Upon what grounds are my
good faith rs Senator and my
fidelity as Democrat assailed Is
it on the tariff? ? None of you Of
the committee can prove to the people
that the Democratic party is free
trade party. 1t has opposed tariff
for protection only, but as early as
1897 we had protective tariff, and
we have never in the one hundred
and four years since known free
trade. Gen. Hancock, the party
nominee for President in 1880, re-
gardcd the tariff as local question.
Samuel j. Randall, for years the
party leader and Speaker of the
House, was Protnctionist. In
every Congress where the question
has been presented numbers of
Democrats have voted against and
helped kill free trade. have CON
tended that Southern products should
be put on equality with others, and
in 1897 | fought to have rice, pine
lumber and cotton protected. The
cry of "Rcpublican" was raised
against me then, but the people,
before whom the issue was squarely
put, endorsed me by an overwhelm-
ing vote. Are you now undertaking
to reverse that verdict?
| have favored ship subsidies. 1t
is great question and one, l submit,
on which the people Of this State are
competent to pass after hearing full
argument. The subject has never
been discussed before them, although
it is of vast Importance to the pros
pcrity of this State. The purpose Of
the subsidy is to develop the build
ing and operation of great fleets of
American ships. 1t touches the in
tcrcst of our seaports, of our lumber
industries, of all our manufacturing
enterprises and our great agricultu-
raj products. 1t is question on
which some of the ablest Democrats
of the House and Senate are divided.
| most humbly submit that it is not
in order for twenty one members of
your committee to rule that the
Democratic masses of South Caro-
lima shall not at their campaign
meetings hear this matter of vital
interest to them discussed; and that
the people of tho scacoast cities, who
would like to see new tides Of com
mcrcc brought to their harbors and
the lumbcrmcn and owners of forest
lands who would be glad to sell ma
tcrial for more ships, arc to be
thrown neck and heels out of the
party because they favor ship subsi-
dies. Senators Carlisle, Pugh and
Morgan voted for a subsidy bill
which has been i'm force ten years
and which has helped our Brazilian
tiadc, in a measure at least. Are
they not mocrats, according to
the decision Of Senator Tillman and
your committee?
believe that it is our duty to
develop the new territory which has
come into our possession along COM
mcrcial and industrial lines, to civil
izc them and make them the equal
of onr own States in material pros
pcrity. Senator Tillman would leave
them, after we have deprived them
Of the protection Of Spain, to hope
less struggle as an independent
nation, without resources or sclf.p
lection. Fortunately for us the
records show that in building them
up We are going to benefit our own
country. | want to give that terri
tory the best form of government in
the world he does not want to give
it any form Of government at all.
He says "frcc silver or bust" say
the American people have settled
that question at tho ballot. box.