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

ing. Party principles are fixed and to
the principles of the democratic party
I have been uniformly faithful. Party
policies are determined from time to
time by party elections and conven-
tions, and no man nor body of men
has the power to say between those
elections what policies shall be the
tests of party loyalty. Senator Till
man is assuming the prerogative OF
supreme boss and dictator to say who
shall or shall not be regarded as a
democrat next year. I do not con-
cede any such power to him nor to
you. He, nor all of your committee
together, has not the power to exclude
from candidacy nor the polls at the
democratic primary the humblest clti-
zen Of South Carolina who declares
himself to be democrat and pledges
himself to support the party nominees.
Suppose in 1890 the executive commit
tee of the State had ruled out of the
party all who engaged in the "Farm-
ers' Movement?" Suppose two years
later it had excluded all who favored
the Sub Treasury idea? Such action
would have been unjust tyrannical and
insulting to thousands of good citizens
and democrats, but not more so than
this proceeding of yours.
WHERE DID TILLMAN GET THE
MONEY.
In his double character as prosecut-
ing witness and attorney against me,
Senator Tillman is reported as saying
before your committee that I have
voted with the republicans sin impor-
tant matters and that he has seen me
conferring with republican senators.
As I will show by the records he him
self frequently voted with the republi-
cans ''in important matters as al
other democratic senators have done
from time to time. It is frequently
necessary, proper and courteous to con-
fer with members of the opposite
party, as he knows and as every man
of practical sense knows. These ex-
pressions of his are attempts to take
advantages of credulity and ignorance.
I do not think there is man in
South Carolina so ignorant as to be
really deceived by them. He can not
put me under suspicion as he has put
himself by his own acts. I have not
in public Office retrograded from a,
perhaps, honorable bankruptcy to dis
honorable and unexplained wealth. He
and have drawn the same salaries
but have found it impossible 10 save
a dollar from mine. I have never,
however, truckled to corporations with
the fawning Of a tanned spaniel, made
speeches against them, then voted
for them, and accepted favors as he
has done. I have never been the sole
boss and buying agent of newly Gre
ated whiskey trust with its rebates Of
$4,000 to $4,000 a year. none of
which ever reached the State treasury.
I have never had the handling of State
bond refunding scheme with s2S, 600 Of
commissions never yet accounted for or
explained.
a year ago Senator Tillman went
into Moth Dakota and made speech
es Advocating the reelection of re-
publican Senator-Mr. Pettigrew.
Senator Tillman and this Senator
were prominent in preventing by fill
brusteing tactics a vote on the subsidy
bill. The newspapers said that Mr..
Hill, head of the Northern Pacific
lobby against the subsidy bill. gave
Senator Tillman's friend and associate
tip which paid him $3.50, COO in
the stock market. Birds of a feather,
gentlemen of the committee, always
flock together.
TILLMAN NOT A DEMOCRAT.
Has Senator Tillman, prosecuting
attorney against my democracy. ever
failed to abuse democrats and democ-
racy? Do you know that in the last
two democratic national conventions
he has supported the nomination of
Republicans? In 1895 he favored Sena-
tor Teller for President an old line
republican and one of the bitterest
foes of the South in reconstruction
days. He had himself appeared be-
fore the convention as competitor of
W. J. Bryan and been ignominiously
showed under. In 1900 he was for
Towne, also a republicn, for vice pres
ident. Is he the man TO be supreme
arbiter and judge of what is democracy
in South Carolina?
GIVE THE YOUNG MEN A
CHANCE.
In the Senate I have labored, as the
records will show, to broaden the pros
perity of the country, to promote the
interests Of my own people, to spread
civilization, to enlarge and increase
opportunity for our young meu and to
stimulate enterprise. His whole polit-
ical course and method have been to
tear down, to abuse and oppose, to
blight and restrain, to bite where he
dared and to fawn where he feared or
sought favor. I shall ask the people
to contrst the records and shall claim
my right as free man, a born and
reared democrat and Senator from
South Carolin, to do it regardless of
the orders of twenty-one members of
the executive committee. shall ask
the people to decide between the man
who has trid to help cotton factories,
open highways of commence and to so
command the democratic party as to
command for it the confidence and re-
spect of the business and laboring ele-
ments north and south; and that of
the man whose conduct and record has
been to sink the party to disrepute