The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-27
Candidates Should Give Strong Pledges
Of Party Fealty.
SENATOR TILLMAN SPEAKS AT MANNING
He Meets Charges by Louis A. Applet With a
Torrent Of Whitening Sarcasm Recall
ing His Speeches In Cam
paign Of 1890.
(By the Associated Press.)

| r.. Tillnan today addressed crowd of
| | 5000 people here. The editor of the
Clarendon county newspaper, Louis A.
| Applet. formerly an enthusiastic follower
of Tillman, but more recently an ardent
advocate Of Commercial Democracy"
and supporter of Senator McLaurin, had
| for several months made numerous
; charges against Senator Tillman claiming
| that he had received rebates from great
whiskey firms dealing with the South
! Carolina dispensary. The charges were
answered by Tillman and the accuser was
met with torrent of whitening sarcasm
| which reminded some present of Till
| mans fierce campaign of 1890.
Senator Tillman took the opportunity
| to announce his views of the status of
| the South Carolina Democracy and of his
relations thereto. He paid a warm tri-
butte to the late General Hampton, de-
! claring the absolute necessity for party
soldity in this State denounced Senator
McLaurins alleged detection from the
| Democracy and erggested that the party
exact such pledges of party fealty from
candidates as would rule out from nomi-
ration any so-caled Democrats of the
McLaurin type. He acknowledged hav-
| ing accepted a frank from the Western
| Union Telegraph Company, which was
ABOUT the only one of Editor Appelts
charges which was substantiated.
| AS to MS speculatons he said that he
| held 81, 200 in a Texas oil we'll under the
| laws of Texas; that 1t became New Jer-
sey company after he went into 1T and
| that he expected to lose all the money
he had put into it. 1t was pure specu-
lation While he liked to speculate he
never played cards or bet on horse races.
| lie admitted that he had lost consider
able money in cotton futures and that
| today he owed more money than when
he went to the United States Senate And
that If he were n dinhonest man he need
! never owe a cent, but could make plenty
| of money tE4E
Senator Tillman said in part: -
| "The Democratic party in South Caro-
lima has occupied a peculiar position for
| twenty-five years. The whites are in
| the minority in this State and under the
! reconstruction dispensation there were
some $4,000 more negro voters than
whites. The consequence was that after
tho overth row of the carpet bag govern
| ty government and the white people of
the State were educated in the employ
| ment of political methods that obtained
hardly anywhere else. w have had an
imperium in imperio, or government
i within government. Democracy has
| meant white supremacy and Republi-
canism meant negro equality. The ne
cessity for white unity overshadowed
| the other considerations
1.-THE lamented Hampton taught us
that IAN independent was worse than
radical
| .'I.ike all of his actions and utterances
in those trying days, that advice was the
very essence of wisdom and patriotism.
J His clear Judgment, his most distin-
, guishing characteristic, saw the danger
to the State of Democracy split into
/ factions and appealing to the colored
vote. And / take this occasion to say
that no other living South Carolinian
more willingly or gladly pays tribute to
1 his leadership or has better realization
of the invaluable services to his people
and the State rendered by this great
man in 70 1t was only after the revo-
luton of 1890 that there was anything
4
action. The CONFUSION which brought
this about also brought with it IN at
| ten pit on the part Of those who were in
minority to withstand the popular will;
1 the Haskell movement was based large
+, ly on personal opposition to me, and
there was never any question in regard
| to the loyalty of those who supported
/ Judge Haskell to the general principles
| of Democracy in the nation. The new
| constitution adopted in 1895 has eliminat-
ed for the present the negro majority.
| The rumber of negroes eligible to vote
| does not exceed $4,000, but it is con-
stantly increasing and there may be a
! good many thousands who are not regis
tered who would be eligible to registra-
| ton. There have been in the recent past
evidences of Republicanism cropping
I out in South Carolina in various direc-
| tions and there is no doubt that we shall
| soon have a white Republican party APP
pealins to the negro voters. The action
/ of one of your United States Senators
| in advocating Republican doctrines and
voting with that party on all essential
measures, contending all the while that
I he is Democrat and that he has the
right to define what Democracy means,
| has brought things to a focus The
| Democratic party in South Carolina
i ard it is well understood that the state
lis overwhelmingly Democratic-nas a
right to be honestly represented in the
| Senate and in the House, and in fact.
! / dc not believe the Democrats Of the
| State would Intentionally and willingly
elect any man to any office whose De-
mocracy was unsound If they knew it.
| Our present danger is Republcanism in
| The disguise of Democracy. Therefore
| the question has been raised, and it is
| now an issue. and it must be settled as
tto what constitutes Democracy, and
| who shall define it.
i ..ANa 1aust have a reNisinn of the