The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-08-15
PARIS MOUNTAIN, 8. g..
August s, 1901.
TO the Democratic Executive Com
r,iitnc State of South Carolina

ON August 1st, five days after it had been
announced in tho newspapers. Ihls
nub)ishcd announcement was the lrst
notice | had that any action affecting
me was to be taken by your committee.
| AM now officially informed that the
majority Of your committee condemns my
course in the Senate, demands my res
irnation and undertakes to expcl me
from the Democratic party. Twenty
powers Of tho 10000 Democratic voters
ot South Carolina, and as an incident, in
a meeting called fol another purpose:
have hastily cndeavored to do what can
nc done only by solemn proceedings or
imrcachmcnt, expressly provided Tor IN
tnr constitution Of the United States.
hold nv commission from the Demo
cratic voters Of South Carolina. | rec
opni1c 20 authority but them, and take
nc orders from any source but them,
and shall in 3uc course appeal 10 thcm
for Judgment Oh my course as senator
and my character rs \ man and Dcmo'
crat
Personally ! am indifferent to your
action because nobody has made you my
mssic1 or censor, and regard what you
have done 40 mercy expressing the
malice and fears OF one Individual, son:
B. Il. Tillman But for this always evil
and indecent influence ordinary respect
for the proprictics would propaoiy nave
prevented the four Of you who arc my
declared competitors for the seat no"
have the honor to occupy, from attempt
ing To use the power entrusted to you
by your party TO remove TlVal from
your path.
Asa citizen and Democrat ot South
Carolina | AIN mortified by your action.
because il has brought upon the state
the condemnation ana ridlru!c "l lhc
press and the public throughout the
country. unhappily, those who are not
intimately acQuaintcd with our condi.
,ions accept tho action Of your majority
As representing the intelligence and
Democracy OF our state and both are
made objects Of dcrision. Against this
wish to enter my solemn protest.
shalt demonstrate how unfair, absurd
and undcmocratic your action is; and
| shall trust to the people to rcpudiatc
it when the opportunity Is gwen thcm'
Your purpose is to deny that oppor.
tunity.
1t is in strong contrast with the blatant
boast Of Senator Tillman at Ganncy to
put me on trial before the party on the
hustings with himself ns prosecutor.
AS you know, ! sought that test 10y &C
ccpting q proposal OF appeal TO the pco.
pie, but the Governor saw tit to forbid
it. Now Senator Tillman appears as
prosecutor against me III my absence
and by proceedings like those Of the
star chamber which WAS the most IN,
famous tribunal Of English history, and
the most abhorrcnt to Anglo-SaXon in
stincts, seeks to exclude me from the
party and its debates and public assem-
4 10 lnI
the party interests, to seek recruits and
to strengthen the party. TO save Scnn-
tor Tilman from stalking his record,
strength and fortunes against mine, you
undertake to exclude me and my friends
from the party. Whatever your indivi-
dual motives may have been, the pur-
port Of your action is to facilitate the |
Senator in dodging me and to deny the
people the opportunity Of passing on my
position and conduct 1t seems to me
the Democratic masses OF South Caro-.
lima arc competent to say at the polls
whether or not | have been faithful
Senator and consistent Democrat.
Why should you attempt to prevent
them?
1t is no cause for wonder that Senator
Tillman should seek to make political
assassins Of you to avoid an opcn and
fair fight. He has climbed to power by
vcnomous abuse Of many Of the purcst
men in the State who opposed him, for
which he always carefully shirked per
sonal responsibility, and on tho political
lives and fortunes Of those who bc.
fricndcd him while he needed friends.
Norris, Tindal and Donaldson, mon rcr-
rcscnting earnest purpose and the in
tcrcsts Of the farmers Of the State and
therefore strong, were used by him to
promote his own interests and then
thrust aside. Irby, Shell and Farley
died dcspisng him because Of his
lrcachcry to them and to tho people.
am now in his way and because he has
failed to strike me down he incltes you
10 attempt to stranglc me, and at the
same time to destroy white primary,
TO his advocacy Of which nc owcd much
)f the best Of his early following: Party |
principles are fixed and to the principles
If the Democratic party | have bccn
Uniformly faithful. Party policies arc
determined from time to time by party
elections and conventions, and no man
lor body Of mon has the power to say |
,ctwcen those elections what policies
hall be the tests Of party loyalty. Scna.
or Tillman is assuming the prerogativc |
i supreme boss and dictator to say who |
hall or shall not be regarded as a |
Democrat next year. l do not concedc |
NV such power to him nor to you. He,
,or all OF your committee together, has
lot tho power to exclude from candidacy
lor the polls at the Democratic primary
he humblost citizen Of South Carolina
Who declares himself to be Democrat
md pledges himsclf to support tho party
nominees. Suppose In 1890 the cxccu,
i've committee OF the State had ruled
,ut OF the party all who engaged IN inc
Farmors' Movement Suppose TWO
ycars after it had excluded all VINO
favored the sub treasury idea such
action would have been unjust, tyran,
nica and insulting to thousands OF good
citizens and Democrats, but not moro 80
.han this proceeding OF yours.
In his double character as prosecuting
witness and attorney against mo, Soma
ator Tillman is reported as saying be
fore your committee that ! have voted
with the Republicans Gin important
matters" and that he has seen me con,
forring with Republican Senators. AS !
will show by the records, ho himself
frequently voted with the Repubilcans
I" in important matters" as, all other
Democratic Senators have done from
time to time. It IA frequently necessary,