The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-08-07
Paris Mountain, >. c..

of a majority of your committee OF July 25tt
was received By me on August ISL, nve DAYS
after IT bad been announced In the neWspa
pers. This published announcement was the
first notice had that any action affecting me
was to be taken by your committee. am
now officially In formed that the majority o
your committee condemns my course 10 tns
senate, demands my resignation and under'
takes to expel me from the democratic party
Twenty-one men have attempted TO usurp the
powers ofthe 90,0 900 democratic voters OF Soutn
Carolina and az an incident, in meeting
called for another purpose nave nastily en-
deavored TO do what can be done only oy SOL
emn proceedings of impeachment, expressly
provided for In the constitution OF the unlleo
States.
RESPONSIBLE ONLY TO THE PEOPLE.
hold my commission from the democrat
ic voters of South Carolina. / recognize no
source but then. and shall In due course ap'
peal TO them for Judgment on my course as
senator and my character as man and
democrat.
Personally 1 am Indifferent to your action
because nobody has made you my master or
censor, and I regard what you have done as
merely expressing the malice and the fears ol
one individual, Senator b: Il. Til!man. bnl
for this always evil and Indecent influence.
ordinary respect for the proprieties. would
probably have prevented the four OF you who
now have the honor TO occupy, from attempt
Ing 10 use the power entrusted to you oy your
party to remove rival from your path.
ACTION UNFAIR, ABSURD AND UNDEMoCRATIC
AS citizen and democrat ofSouth Carroll IN q
am mortified by your action, because IL has
brought upon the State the condemnation
and the ridicule of the preRs and the public
throughout the country. Unhapp1ly. those
who are not intimately acquainted with our
conditions accept the action OF your majority
as represen ting the Intelligence and democra
cy OF our State aud both are made OBJECTS
~ rIotnn + rutc n
protest. shall demonstrate how unfair, 40.
surd and under locratic your action If; and !
to repudiate 1t when the opportunity is given
them. Your purpose is TO deny that oppor-
tunity.
STAR CHAMBER PROCEEDINGS.
It is in strong contrast with the blatant
boast OF Senator Tillman at Gafney TO put
me on trial before the party on the hustingss
with himself as prosecutor. AS you know, l
appeal 10 the people, but the governor saw
nj 70 forbid II. Now Senator Tillman ap.
pears an prosecutor against me In my absenSt
and by proceedings like those OF the stHt
chamber, which was the most In famous tribN
unal of English history, and the most abhor-
rent to Anglo-Saxon instincts, seeks to ex.
clude me from the party and It's debates and
public assemblages. II IL your duty. as custo-
dams OF the party interests. TO seeS recruits
to strengthen the party.
To save Senator Tiilman from stalking his
u,
you undertake to exclude me and my friends
from the party. Whatever your individual
motives may have been, the purport OF your
action Is 10 facilitate the Senator In dodgipg G
me and to deny the people the opportunity OF
passing on my positions and conduct. II
seems 70 me the democratic masses OF South
whether or not have been a faith ful Senator
and q consistent democrat. Why should you
attempt to prevent them?
POLITICAL AssAssINs.
It is no cause for wonder that Senator Till
man should seek to make political assassins
OF You to avoid open and fair fight. He has
climbed TO power by Venomous abuse o.
many Of the purest men 10 the State who op
posed him, for which he has always carefully
shirked personal responsibility, and on the
political lives and fortunes OF those who be.
friended him while he needed frie nds. Nor
ris, Tindal and Donaldson, men representing
earnest purpose and the interests of tho far.
mers OF the State and therefore strong, were
used by him to promote his own interests
and then thrust aside. 1rby, shell and Farley
died despising him because of his treachery
to them and TO the people. am now 10 his
way and because he has failed TO strike me
down he incites you to attempt to strange
me, and at the same time 10 destroy white
primary. to his advocacy OF which he owed
much OF the best of his early following. Par.
ty principles are fixed and 10 the principles
of The dem ocratic party have been uniform.
ly faithful. Party policies are determined
from time to time by party elections and con
ventions, and no man nor body of men has
the power 10 say between those elections
what policies shall be the tests OF party loyal
Senator Tlllman is assuming the prerogs-
tive OF supreme boss and dictator to say
who shall or shall not be regarded as demo
crat next year. do not concede any such
power 10 him nor to you. He, nor all Of your
committee together, has not the power te
exclude from candidacy nor the polls at the
democratic primary the humbest Citizen o
South Carolina who declares himself 10 be 6
democrat and pledges himself to support the
party nominees. Suppose In $780, the execu
the party all who engaged In the Farmers
Movement?" Suppose two years later 1t hac
excluded all who favored the Sub-TreasurJ
idea? Such action would have been upJus
tyrannical and insulting TO thousands o
good citizens and democrats, but not more 81
Than this proceeding Of yours.
WHERE DID TILLMAN GET THE MONEY.
In his double character as prosecuting wilt
ness and attorney against me, senator Till
man Ii reported as saying before your com
mittee that have voted with the republi
cans "in important matters" and that he ha
AS will show by the records he himself fire.
uueptly voted With the republicans "in i'm
portant matters" as all other dem ocrati
senators have done from time to time. 1t
frequently necessary, proper and courteou
to conf-r with members Of the opposite party
as be knows and as every man OF practica
sense knows. These expressions OF bis ar
attemps 10 take advantage OF credulity ant
ienorance. l do not think there is a man IL
south Carol ina so ignorant as to be really de
ceived by them. He can not put me unde
suspicion as he has put himself by his owr
acts. have not In public office retrogradet
from q, perhaps, honorable bankrupcy TO dis
honorable and unexplained wealth. He ant
/ have drawn the same salaries but hav
found 1t impossible TO save dollar from
mine. I have never. however truckled I,
corporations, with the fawnlpg OF a tanned
spaniel, made speeches against them. thel
voted for them, and accepted favors as he ha
done. 1 have never been the sole ooss AM
trust with its rebates OF S6O,0OO 10 $4,000
year. none Of which ever reached the Stat
treasury. ] have never bad the handling OF
State bond refunding scheme with $500
OF commissions never yet accounted for o
explained.
year ago Senator Tillman went int
North Oak ota and made speeches advocatin
Pettigrew. Senator Tillman and this Senate
were prominent in preventing by fllibustel
lug tactics a vote on the subsidy bill. IN
newspapers said that Mr.. Hill, head OF tn
bill, gave Senator Tilman's friend and asst
ciate q "tip" which paid him S450.000 In tn
stock market. Birds OF a feather. gentlem
of the committee, always flock together.
TILLMAN NOT A DEMOCRATIC.
Has Senator Tillman, prosecuting attorne
against my democracy ever failed to abus
democrats and democracy? DO you kno'
that in the last two democratic national con
vention's he has supported the nomination {
Republicans? In 1896 he favored Senate
Teller for President an old line republica
and one Of the bitterest foes OF the South |
reconstruction days. de had himself appeal
w. J. Bryan and been ANONYMOUSLY snowe