The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-04-25

and by the vicious and incendiary ap-
peals made during the last month OF
the campaign to class hatred and pre-
judice.
Fundamental principles were lost
sight Of. and in an insane effort to Sc
cure party success at any cost. the at
tempt was made to combine socialism,
roDulism and sectionalisn. with moth
ing but the sentiment and traditions o.
Democracy. The real Democratic lead
ers of the c~uate for the past three
wears have been Allen, Teller, ana
PottiSrew. all of them able men. but
one a Populist. one high-tariff Re
publican, and the other, do not know
what. All Of them opposed to State
banks of issue with proper safeguards,
and most other things we need in the
south. This was called the New
Democracy" in contradistinction from
the old, and some Of its leaders stated
that its creeds were revolutionary and
were 50 designed to be.
To SOW discomfort with industrial
conditions and distrust Of the govern
ing mower: to array class against class,
in the hope of securing fancled socia!
and industrial equality. is to my mind
the first step in revolution. The south
is the American end Of America. In no
section is there so small fo.e!sn
clement. so much conservatism, ana
so pure a patriotism. What pollucal
paradox then it is for our people to be
the allies Of proiessed reVoluaohla1S
elsewhere.
To my mind it is folly to oppose ex-
pansion under the name OF lmpe1ai-
ism. 1t deceives no man or lnte!n-
gence He understands that there IS
no analogy between this country ana
the Roman Empire, and that thos1
who talk of Imperialism do not take
into account that power which is born
of our free institutions, a fortress N
the hearts of our people stronger tnan
any ever built Of stone. AS long is
this is there they can never become
slaves. and when it is dead it matters
not whether under republic or empire,
they become an easy prey. II depehuS
upon the people, not the government,
whether they be slaves or freemen. 1t
is the people that make the govern
ment, not the government the people.
With a brave, strong, intelligent peo-
pie, with free press and popular edu-
cation, there can be no imperialism.
Why should we be afraid to trust our
selves? The whole tendency Of the
times and the spirit Of the age is to-
ward Democratic instead of imperial
istic ideas of government.
Every member of the American con-
gress. when it comes to a foreign pol
lev a foreign war, and army, navy,
a merchant marine, or any other queS-
ton affecting our honor as a nauon,
or our prosperity as a people, shouia
be free and untrammeled to vote as his
Judgment and conscience dictates. For
myself, | would not, under exlstlnS
conditions, be willing to hold seat
in the United States senate upon any
other terms. To allow others to think
fer me upon these great questions $
cowardly evasion OF my responsloln-
ties and a criminal neglect Of the true
interests OF those who select me-.
We are now in the commercial arena.
contesting with the other nations foE
the trade of the world. SO far we
have built up Our foreign trade by IN
tense absorption in the internal oe-
yelopment Of our domestic industries.
We now produce sufficient for the
needs Of twice our population, ana not
to find market for our surplus IS 10
invite stagnation and decay.
The most striking feature in our ex-
port development is the remarkaDle
and constantly increasing demand lot
our iron and steel. Within SIX years
we have advanced to the position
where American iron and steel enters
into the construction Of every bridge
and railroad in the world or hXes the
price therefor
saw in the papers few days ago
that the Baldwin locomotive WORKS III
Philadelphia were supplying the Rus
sian government with $50 locomotives
for the Trans-Sibcrian railroad. Inc
facts surrounding this sale are OF pc
cnliar interest. The Russian govern
ment owns its railroads and main
tains large shops. 1t puts a duty OF /
cents per pound ON imports, but when
it came to supplying the equlpment
for this giant road of $500 miles, It
was found that they had to come TO
the United States. And yet, seven
years ago the first iron shipment
abroad was from Birmingham, Ala.
The south must play an important
part in our country's future. For
third of a century she has been ham,
pered by a struggle for mere exist
ence. forced to devote all OF her energy
i L L. L. q N