Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-05-25

lean measures, lnVolVlnS the pOlltlcal
| and commercial development of the
nation, the test of party fealty. Is
sues essential to the maintenance Of
the honor and prestige of the nation
are too vital to be relegated to the plane
of partisan and sectional contention.
| Out of changed industrial and econom-
| ic conditions have grown great nation
al questions pertaining to the material
interest of the country, which must be
considered and settled by that silent
force, the reserved patriotism of the
people.
Democracy Broader Than Section
alism.
Fellow Citizens: There is no greater
menace to the stability Of our govern
ment than a large minority in the
American congress, voting upon broad,
vital, non-partisan American questions
from purely sectional considerations
I am a Democrat, honestly desirous Of
remaining so, and witnessing the tri-
umph Of the party to which I am at
| tached by association and heredity. It
was never contemplated by the found
ers Of that party that it should become
| a purely sectional affair." yet today
there is no Democratic party capable
of making itself felt outside of the
South. In the North and West 1t is
permeated with socialism, and has
dwindled away into the party Of a Sec
ton, not a nation. I do not propose
however, to pursue this line Of thought;
II is painful and can accomplish no
good purpose.
The Money Question.
Beginning with the panic of 1893,
there has never been such rapid indus
trial changes in any country. These
changes were In progress, and our war
with Spain served as a flash-light to
show us what was going on. In 1896,
we had a campaign upon the money
question. Everything was depressed.
Men seeking employment, cotton un-
der five cents, wheat below the cost Of
production. and idleness, discomfort,
distrust and misery everywhere. We
were told that the salvation Of the
country depended upon the free coin
age of silver. I believed then, and I
believe now, that theoretically we were
right: but new and unforeseen forces
came into play, and I have enough
sense to recognize the fact that the
restoration of confidence" about
which Mr.. Cleveland talked, and about
which I did not know enough at the
time to understand, the discovery of
gold in the Klondike, the influx of mon
ey from abroad seeking investment,
and the increase in banking facilities,
for the time at least, have settled the
money question, and nobody but fool
would make free silver" speech now.
Instead of depleted treasury, there is
in it today the largest amount Of gold
in the history of the country, and ac-
tually the secretary of the treasury, a
few weeks ago, deposited money in
Spartanburg bank, something that has
never been done before in the history
of our state. I have been listening for
somebody to cry out "Republicanism,"
because I was instrumental in begin
ming a movement which I hope in the
future may enable our farmers and
merchants to secure money at a lower
rate Of interest.
Another great change as the result
Of the panic Of 1893, Is the rapid devel-
opment of our export trade. Our home
markets failed us, manufacturers
found themselves with immense stocks
of goods on hands and nobody to buy
them. This forced them to seek mar
kets abroad. and one enterprising firm
in Birmingham, Ala, shipped 250 tons
of iron to Europe. At that time iron
could be bought for Sc per ton in Bir-
mingham, and this small shipment, six
years ago, was the beginning of the
$3.50. 600, 900 worth Of iron that we ship
ped abroad last year, 100000 tons 60
ing from Alabama.
Today, entire Europe is alarmed at
the development of our commerce, and
we see every day indications Of trads
combine on the part Of Europe against
the United States. In the finan-
cial world, instead of depending up
ago for our money, England. Ger
many and Russia have recently
had to come to New York to
place their government loans. I have
given nothing but mere outline, and
yet I ask any man within the sound of
my voice If these facts do not present
a totally changed condition. The Span
ish war suddenly awoke us to the fact
that our country was one of the great
commercial and political powers Of the
world.
How Can I Best Serve the Interest OF
South Carolina
Believing as I do that there are vital
issues which, growing out Of changed
industrial conditions, are higher and
broader than mere party questions, l
have. as your senator. looking beyond
the line marked by sectionalism and
partisanship. striven to promote the
material, political and commercial in
terests of our common country-for In
so doing, l can best serve the interests
of the state of South Carolina. For
this / have been arraigned before the
people Of this state and charged with
allying myself with the Republican
party. Criticism, abuse and gross mis-
representation has been indulged in.
Not content with this unfair method
of attack, some Of the papers in their
persecution have deceived the people
by Withholding information on one
side of these great national issues and
emphasizing and publishing every
Thing on the other. They have persist
emily held me up as renegade, and
on more than one occasion alleged that
l intended to resign and accept Fed
eral appointment. Amid all this perse-
cution l have maintained my silence,
confident that when an opportunity
was offered, the people would see that
received fair play, and that they
would at least accord me honesty of
purpose.
There are two questions that l sub
NIT to the people Of South Carolina:
First Am honest in the views I ad-
vocate? Second, Am I mistaken?
AS to the first. All that I have to
say is that my people have shed their
blood for South Carolina in every con-
test in which she has ever been engaged.
! was born in South Carolina. I took my
wife in South Carolina. and when 1 die
I expect my bones to be laid beside
five generations of honest men and
true women who have gone before. I
have children who must bear my name.
good or bad. Every dollar that 1 have
is invested in this state. except a small
amount in North Carolina and Florida.
NV interests are inseperably interwo
ven with the interest of my state. No
good can come to her in which 1 can
not participate, and no evil Of which
I must not bear my share. If I wanted
to have an easy time, certainly choose
the hard road. I might have drifted