The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-17
A Farmers Revolution
Marlboro Man Believes Repe-
tition Reform Movement
of 1890 is Imminent
Editor Daily Item:

II appears to an onlooker as
we'll as TO one who is vitally inter-
ested in the governmental and po-
htical affairs of out state, that a
farmers revolution in the affairs Of
state is imminent another year in
South Carolina. Somebody might
IS we'll take notice, for the past
ten or twelve years we We
been wholly dominated in South
Carolina, by lawyer governors, and
lawyer members Of the general as
sembly. AS result of this state
of affairs: The states nervous sys-
tenn has been prostrated, as we'll as
her business affairs, and conditions
have gone from bad to worse. The
farmers Of South Carolina, are
tired of these conditions and watch
what / tell you, we, are going to
change them at the first oppOr-
tunity.
When you put a lawyer in the
governors chair and fill the gener-
al assembly with lawyers and poll
ticians, you have simply got the
devil to play. Any man of ordinary
sense knows that the average law
yer by his education, training and
profession cannot be an all-round
statesman. He is ever and eter-
nally playing the game for him
self or his client; he is always look
ing forward to something he has
NOT. and this within itself on vital
issues, makes him a straddler
and politician. All lawyers have
their eyes on big business, and big:
businesses as little as you think
about it have powerful influence
upon lawyers in the general assem-
bly,. This Of course does not apply.
to the best lawyers, but all the best
lawyers do not by any means get to
be governors or members Of the
legislature And again: The law
yer that is elected governor or to
legislature does not expect to re
main there always; he knows that
none of these offices are going to
furnish permanent means for a
livelih ooi, so while in Office serving
the people ostensibly, he is looking
out for big businesses for job.
Whose bread I eat, whose song l
sing" The lawyers have a great
way when running for Office of
telling such a monstrous number of
half lies, he is an expert along this
line, a befuddler in a campaign
just as he is IN a court house on a
case Owing to his power of train
ed manipulation and scheming he
actually makes the farmers believe
that they have no capable leaders
among themselves. Hear them on
the stump and in the halls of the
legislature, and you hear a confus-
ing and conglomerate mess even
to a thinking mind, and to the un-
thinking mind the politician lawyer
has done more to destroy the inde-
pendent thinking and voting ca
pacity of the masses of the people
by his tudied deception and vii
famous lies to the people than all
other agencies combined in gen.
Grafton We have certainly found
{ it to be sact, that from the po.
litician lawyer in most cases you
/ cannot determine what he is going
90 do by what he says, and these
lawyer politicians have created
/ more mischief, discord, and trouble
than the people OF this state know
what to do with, and we farmers
especially are tired Of it and have
determined by the help Of God to
put a stop to it another year. We
are beginning the fight today and
we give the lawyer politician due
notice Talk about the farmer be-
ing the backbone of the state,
what grand people we are, ETC., is
the kind of filthy dope that is dish
ed out to him every two years, and
after that you can plow on.
/ 1t is a foregone conclusion
without doubt and I believe that
ninety per cent Of all classes Of our
farmers will fully agree with me,
that in our horrible condition,
there is no lawyer or set of lawyers
in the state that can lead us out
IF the mire; but to the contrary
would make matters thousand
times worse. Then you ask, who is
to lead us? l answer: That some
where hidden back in South Caro-
lima, there is a great big man, a
man with a vision, a man free from
trickery and political manipulation,
a man who has never held Office
and is not an old political hack, a
man who would impress his moral
and righteous life upon all the peo-
pie, a man who would see to it that
taxes were equitably distributed.
and that the rich corporations and
money powers would bear a just
proportion of taxes and that taxes
all along the lire be greatly reduc-
ed and last a man who would get
up a general assembly of farmers
and business men to see that all
these reforms were carried out.
You say that your ideals are
high, and ask the question, where
are you going to find him. I an
swer: = farmer from the back
woods where we found Ben Till
man thirty years ago.
Ninety per cent of the lawyers in
the state fought Ben Tillman to the
death. Ny fellow farmer, all over
the state, let me implore you stand
together, let US get seriously busy
today to find us a man; a Moses to
lead us out of our great troubles, a
man from among US, a man who
has followed the plow, man who
haS M o La h,icl. Wit b olit ST raW and