The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-05-29
SUMTER S. c.. WEDNESDAY MAY 20. 1901.

for Southern industries while mem
Der of the House. when / had no idea
in the world Of going into the Senate.
You all remember what universal cho-
rus of approval there was. Senator
Tillman, Bacon, Clay and others took
up the same line in the Senate. The
News and Courier, the Columbia State
and ninety per cent of the papers Of
the South commended my course.
was strongly urged to run for the
Senate in 1896, but did not wish to
leave the Ways and Means Committee,
and besides I was thoroughly dis
gusted with the condition of affairs in
South Carolina. I could hear of moth
ing but s'charges of corruption,
bond deals, 50 whiskey rebates, -
etc. did not wish to be mixled up in
such an aHair; howeyear it might
eventuate. man could not but feel
lowered and degraded by coming in
contact with such filth. | felt reason
ably sure at that time that l could
have been elected to the Senate. /
was assured, by one authorized to
speak, that Judge Earle would not be
a candidate if ran; but | concluded
to go on in modest, quiet way and
work out my destiny in the House.
This was not to be, however. That
pure man, chivalrous gentleman and
my predecessor, lived but few short
weeks. Governor Ellerbe rendered me
the nomination. [ realized the radl-
cal nature of some Of my utterances
and votes, and while | could not forsee
what has happened, knew my nature
we'll enough to feel certain that hav-
ing once enlisted in the fight | would
never turn back while life lasted. l,
therefore, refused to accept the ap-
pointment at the hands of Governor
Elebe unless he would guarantee that
the Executive Committee would order
primary and permit the people to
pass upon the issues which l had rails
ed.
I spoke, I believe, in every country
in the State outside of my Congress
sional District except three. I advo-
Gated my views not only on the tariff
but on what 1 considered the real line
of policy to be pursued by Southern
Representatives carried about
eighty per cent. of the vote cast. l
wish I had time to recount to the
people what the rice schedule, which [
got into that bill, has done for the
rice planters on the coasts of South
Carolina, the waste places it has re
/ deemed, the thousnds of dollars it has
brought into this State. What the
| duty on pine has done for the lumber
interests which were being sacrificed
to the white pine importd free Of duty
from Canada. The North, which is
almost bare of timber, instead of 60
ing to Canada, has been forced to go
South, and that has put thousands
of dollars into this State. There is
no telling what arrangement of the
schedule on cotton goods so as to pre-
vent discrimination against coarse fab
rics, has meant to the cotton mills of
the South.
This is not the place to explain what
the retention of the home market
means when manufacturer seeks a
foreign outlet. / Will refer, however.
to the duty on raw cotton, which |
advocated at the time Cotton, corn
and wheat are our great exports. Now
/ want to ask any man of reason, why
it is that duty of twenty-five cents
per bushel is put on wheat. and fifteen
cents per bushel on corn, while moth
ing is put upon cotton? The three
stand exacatlv upon the same basis.
1t is this, Northern Representatives
protect corn and wheat against impor-
tations from Canada and elsewhere,
while cotton has been sacrificed to a
mere sentiment. Ten years ago the
Allen long staple was planted all
over upper South Carolina, and 1
know of some men who bought gins
especially adapted to this cotton. but
they had to throw them away. Egyp-
tian cotton has driven them out of the
business. The red hills of this up
country are the very place where
this cotton should be grown, but
how can we develop it in competition
with the cheap labor of Egypt? What
are we doing now, meeting and pass
ing resolutions to reduce the acreage
while English engineers are construc-
ting dams in the valley of the Nile,
which within two years will add one
and one-half million bales or one
eight to the cotton crop: while we are
tors are incresing it, and we are to
furnish the market for the increase,
say, away with the impractical states
man which will sacrifice the cotton
planters Of South Carolina to those
of Egypt After I was elected to the
Senate I attempted to pursue the same
line in everything, but / was i'll for a
long time after my campaign. confn-
ed to my bed at one time for seven
weeks.
While 1 was in this physical and
mental condition, the war with Spain
came on and | had to grapple with
these new questions. was sick,
heart, body and soul. All that I
wanted was peace and to be let alone
| The cruel taunts and sneers of Re
publican and traitor" hurt me then,
while | laugh at them now. | made
up my mind not to create any further
issues. but tamelv fall in and follow
the lead of Jones. Tillman. Pettigrew
Il CO.. and then to quietly retire at
the end of my term. Ny intimate