The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-05-08
An Explanation.


denounce National party and I knew
that was useless. I found q great
many who gave me their wishes but
I could see and they would say they
saw no hope of break now. To
some I expressed myself very freely
and talked of the great future and
its religious and political issues. I
was offered several times by friends
to bear my expenses which I declined
in every case. Till the meeting at
Lewiedale I feared the breach would
be greater than I desired but I saw
after that that I would fully achieve
all I desired. I never elec!ioneered
or courted support. I preferred
mems confidence to their support.
Nor do / believe the President is
Offering to buy Southerners by Offices,
nor do I believe the ones are going
to receive the mean sale of principle.
We desire to support Christian
statesman in his effort to assist the
South to break the shackles Of three
quarters of century. Heretofore
such course by Republican Presi-
dent would have borne no fruit. But
through food and fame the South
has followed her delusion till thous-
ands of them DOW see the folly Of fight
ing progress, science and civilization
any longer. We don't care longer to
fight Christianity nor enlist longer un-
der the banner that meets with
eternal defeat, We don't desire to
build around the Apglo.SaSon q
Chinese wall, nor do we intend that
mankind shall be forever enslaved by
the conditions of the middle ages.
We by our persistent efforts are try
ing to force class of citizens on the
North more dangerous than the Ne
gro and one they will not accept.
The last election was al eye opener
to The Southerner It has broken
many shackles and set at liberty
many captive souls. Oar country is
getting ready for greater issues. The
time never was before when a man
could do what I did last summer.
On more than one occasion made
several Republican addresses by per.
mission of Democrats, and at Demo
cratic meetings, and in programme
made by them and for them, and al
lowed to run in a primary and have
returns fairly counted. Wonderful
change in the right direction for free
speech ana Tree discussion.
I am an American in hope and de-
sire. My father was a large slave
holder as you know and against that
could have no natural aversion. He
and my family have been life long
members of Democratic family. I
have been member of your Legisla-
ture and elected by you as such and
it has only by the severest struggles
that I have been compelled to leave
the home of my childhood and
early manhood. I had hoped the
Reform revolution here in 1890 and
on would develop some progress but
it has failed to meet the expectations
Of its friends and reform in that di-
rection is the merest deception except
in one particular; it has developed
far greater degree of free speech and
free thought. To these two blessings
of the Anglo-saxons for years the peo-
pie ehere have been strangers and aliens
but We now gee such dawn. The
Reform party here has firmly set itself
up as the supporter Of Organism and
that to as is very far from what our
people really want if they knew what
Bryanism really meant at the North.
There it was an appeal to socialism,
anarchy, sectionalism, populism and
class hatred and was a mixed medly
OF heresy and adulterations of every
kind. He was a brilliant writer and
talker and was the very man to hide
deformity and defend villiany in his
public orations and the right man to
muster every power and array every
force OF my poor deIuded fellow citi-
zans in this great struggle in 1900 OF
Anglo-Saxony against foreign inno-
7ation and Asiatic stagnation. He
coud do for our last struggle in 1900
what our President Jefferson Davis
could do in 1865, preserve order and
cheer despondipg, hopeless veterans
for the final clash of arms. He has
done for Democracy what our Presi-
dent Davis did for the Confederacy;
exhausted its resources, depleted its
ranks. discouraged it's faithful defen-
ders till beyond the hope or power
of ever again fighting the American
civilization or warring against the