The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-09-20

ed to express the blacklist treachery.
Now. We do not intend to convey the
impression that there is any connec-
ton whatever between the career of
Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Rv;
Tillman, but we simply cite this case
to show that when a person goes over
to the enemy, when the cause for
which he has so valiantly fought
seems lost-as in the fight between
the Blease and Jones factions in
South Carolina, when every newspa-
per and great influence was enlisted
against Blease and pulling for jones
the humble masses are wide awake
and silently watching the line-ups. To
our mind. it was Tillman who deserted
the wool-hat, one-gallus boys, and
not they who deserted Tillman. The
people judge a man by the company
he keeps, and when Tlllman gave his
powerful aid to an element that
had so vindictively, yea venomously,
fought him in the past, and left, as
he thought and every outsider believ-
ed, his former adherents and their
gallant young standard-bearer> they
had chosen to go down in defeat, he
that moment lost the confidence and
support of the common people in his
Sta+e. and to whom he owed much
in fact the lifting up of Tillman from
poverty and obscurity into distinction
aid affuence. if not into great riches
for a Southerner.
A Pr0ftless Movement.
''Now, let us look upon the other
side of the shield and see what the
wool-hat, one-gallus farmers, who had
made Tillman what he now is. have
gained by the bitter political warfare
and strife that has oeer waged ii, their
State for some two dacahes' it IS
true that they nave been educate.l as
to their political power and rights,
but Tillman does not deserve all cred
it for this, for with the establishment
cf the rural postal system the farmers
have made wonderful strides of late.
In other States than South Carolina
they have thrown off the shackles of
political servitude and are now set
ting their differences at the ballot
rural voters are getting better in
formed and better educated every year,
and they would have broken the
chains of bondage, placed upon them
by ring-rule politicians, had Ben Till
man never been born.
"But for the sake of argument, we
VIII give Tillman credit for all that
he claims. Is there aaether man
South Carolina who has reaped rich
er harvest from the political crop he
planted than Tillman himselfs And
what has those W00l-hat 0ne.gallus
boys gained9 Did that reform move.
nient put one red copper fnte a single
farmers pocket9 Did it take one Sec
ond's work from his daily toiia Did
it relieve his poor, hard-working wife
OF one Of the thousands of tasks that
she must discharge during the day2
Did it put another tcrumb upon his
table or add one fagot to the kitchen
fire? Did it enable him to buy one
speek more of flour for his money or
extend for one instant the day of
grace on that crop lien or note? What
did the farmer receive in return for
quitting his fields to repair to the
ballot box and vote for Tillman, and
the other reform candidates, save the
empty privilege Of hurrahing over his
victory when the returns were receiv.
ed2
"The farmer then returned to his
field and ploughed On, ploughed on,
while Ben Tillman and the politicians
proceeded to reap every grain of the
noliticak harvest. Tillman's arraign-
ment of his people for ingratitude is
like a farmer abusing the faithful mn
that made his crop. The only differ
ence is the farmer did feed and stable
that mule, while those Tillnan voters
worked for nothing and boarded them
selves.
The Farmers Alliance
when Ben Tillman first started his
political career, there was movement
organized that did more than all else
for the relief and uplifting Of farmers
the Alliance. Did Tillman join In