Keowee courier. (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, July 12, 1905, Image 2
A FARMERS' FOURTH OF JULY.
Securer Tillman Ad Iressos Greenville Peope
.n Different Phases ot Cotton Question.
I John Marshall, in News sud Courier.]
Greenville, July 4.-Senator li. H.
Tillratn, who has assisted the unex
pected to happen about as frequently
and successfully as any other living
South Carolinian, made another tally
to-day in this respect. He delivered
his muoh-horalded address at the
fair grounds without saying any
thing likely to tiptoe the attention of
his fellow citizens, whether they be
his enemies or his friends. I am
not prepared to believe that he
?J#$ might not have troubled the political
waters^astly had be been so minded
. ' io do, noif.am I entirely certain in
v>?: o?n mind what influences pre?
' v?nt?d hina from turning himself
- .' . loose oratorically aa he was wont to
:'.A'?MAO in the days of his earlier cam
/; paigns. I merely record the fact
that be was under, or appeared to be
jvutider, some restraint, and that ho
contributed no skyrockets to the
celebration of the Glorious Fourth in
Greenville.
Senator Tillman's address was de
livered in a wooded ravine near thc
fair grounds. Rough hewn plank?
had been hastily patched togethei
into a speakers' stand. This faced a
precipitous hi lb ido, so that when thc
audience was assembled an amphi
theatre of humanity rose about thc
orator. It is a noteworthy circum
stance that of the several thousand
persons who were in the grove and
about the grounds generally, scarcely
more than 1,600 took tho pains u
come within hearing distance of UH
speakers.
Up on the hill, about the eating
counters, picnicking under the trees
here, there and yonder, the peoph
went and came-country people a
that, who ten years ago would havi
walked ten miles, much less two hun
drcd yards, to have heard Bon Till
man speak. Whether they stayet
away beoauso it was announced tba
the address was not to be political
or whether because they preferre<
the lunch baskets, thc music of th<
band, the excitement of horse racing
the intimate gossip of well-mc
friendship, or what not, I am no
prepared to say. It was a suggest
ive spectacle, however, to one wh<
followed Senator Tillman tbroagl
the stirring campaigns of th? nine
ties, when he was a veritable tribun*
of thc people, and when men strov
and fairly fought for the privilege o
being within thc sound of his voice
Those who came to hear him evince?
none of the frenzied enthusiast
which his words and presence wer
once wont to provoke. They greete?
him warmly. Now and again thor
were cheers. The typically Tillman
esque sallies of his address, whethe
humorous or denunciatory, wer
promptly and heartily applauded
Men called to him in familiar ap
proval from tho crowd long befor
he began the speech. Many of thee
climbed up on the stand merely t<
grasp his hand and hear his voice
To these he was unquestionably th
"Old Bon" whom thc masses ot th
State idolized in the bygone yean
I do not wish to be understood a
implying that there was any un
friendliness for him in the crowd, bu
to one who could compare the twe
there seemed to be a world of differ
ence between the mental attitude o
these fifteen hundred people wb
faced Senator Tillman to-day an<
that of those who used to face am
follow him through thick and th ii
back in the campaigns of the ninette!
The Senator dealt with the South
ern cotton movement, the propose*
tariff on cotton goods, the industrie
independence which has come to th
Southern farmers in the last foi
years, the boycott in China, an
mixed inextricably with all of thes
things side remarks and comment
on a score of other subjects.
Senator Tillman was greeted wit
moro or less cheering when he aroi<
to speak, and he showed that he wfi
going to deal with the text when h
spoke to the audience as "broth(
farmers."
Glancing over the crowd, he sai
that he recognized many faces bi
longing to men who had been pul
ing the bell cord over a mule, an
added that while he had seen larg?
and hotter audiences in Greenvill
he had never found one in a betU
humor.
Now and then low rumbling thur
der was heard, and, while expressin
the hope that the rain would ski
this section, Senator Tillman said he
would give a great deal if it would
fall on his Edgef?eld county farm.
"We have met here," he said, "for a
peculiar kind of work. We have
had c?l?brations and5 celebrations,
but I cannot recall one that in a M its
phases will compare with this. This
event characterizes the freedom
which the farmers won for them
selves; it is a freedom from oppres
sion, just such as our forefathers
acbioved 129 years ago."
Senator Tillman referred to the
true significance of Independence
Day. "There are a good many
things in our government," be said,
"which I do not like, yet the United
States is the freest, happiest and best
governed country in the world. I
have been watching national affairs
ever since I went to the Seuate,
eleven years ago, and now and then
I have taken occasion to discuss
them, but I am not here to-day as a
oitizen of the United States ; I am
here as a farmer to help you cele
brate the victory the farmers won
over the capitalists and the greedy
speculators, who handle our product
and have reaped the reward out of
our business.
"Now, there may be a doubt as to
whether the rise in the price of cot
ton can be attributed to the South
ern Cotton Association., although it
oannot bo denied that happy results
have followed the agitation of the
movement to circumvent those slick
fellows in Wall street, who manage
our affairs and who keep tab on our
work more closely than we can keep
it, and who are more interested in
what we have. Still they have had
some mighty unpleasant half hours,
but the smile comes to the man who
held bis crop and who is entitled to
join in the celebration."
Senator Tillman then explained in
detail the causes which had led to
(lue.; nation in the prices. Ile said
that nobody had expected cotton to
sell at 17 cents, and there was no
common sense reason why it should
reach that point. It was simply sent
there by speculation. He explained
the causes which led to the downfall
of Sully, and declared that there
was no common sense reason why
the market had been forced down to
7 cents. Speculation did it, he said.
"The law of supply and demand," he
said, "which ought to be stable, was
repealed by the Wall street mana
gers. They sold millions of futures,
and that dragged the spot market
down with it. They wanted to send
it lower, but the association stemmed
the tide, reduced the acreage and
consumption of fertilizers and then
rolled the cotton under a shed and
waited for something better than
starvation prices. We have got U
assert our independence. Now the
people are able to combine and whip
the conspirators and we have won
our fight as farmers."
Calling attention to the figures is
sued by Clemson College, which
showed the big demand for fertilizer
tags, Senator Tillman said he was
afraid some of his friends had not
reduced the acreage according to
agreement. He explained the old
story about this man and the other
planting|more cotton because he be
lieved that the association had re
duced the acreage. . "A lot of those
fellows," he said, "thought it smart
to plant, saying to themselvca, 'now
is the time to make my jack.'
"But regardless of the betrayal of
some and thejHailure of others to
stand pat, the acreage was reduced,
because old King Grass nabbed it by
the neck and choked it to death.
"It was reduced, whether it waa
planted or not. The future is now
bright and promising. I held mit e,
except twelve bales which my wife
sold while I was out in Illinois
stumping for Parker. Here is a
point: When you hold your cotton
put it under a shed or send it to a
warehouse ;)[don't leave it in the
rain."
He told of the other causes which
had helped tho market, one being
that the world was bare of cotton,
"We have got some blooming pros
pects," he went on, "but there come*
a warning. When you have a good
thing don't be too greedy, don't wait
for too high prices. If the new
crop is only ten million bales the
staple may go to 13, 14, or 16 cents,
for the mills have sold goods in ad
vance and they've got to buy cotton."
When Senator Tillman declared
that he had the best corn in Sonth
Carolina a voice from the audience
wanted to claim that honor, but '.hi
Speaker was willing "to gamble" that
none could beat tbe fields in Treu
ton. He referred to the newspaper
criticism of tbe movemeut and the1
politics wbicb bad been injected iuto
it. He touched upon the history of
the Farmers' Alliance fifteen years
ago, saying tbat it had come out
opon ly to serve notioe on the world,
tho fiesh and tho devil that it would
go iuto the political mill pond, into
deep water, but it went iuto deep
water and thero were more men
drowned than there were fishermen.
He said that President Smith bad
warned the association that politics
would not be tolerated, and then be
called to mind that politics was
thrown into the reoent meeting at
Greenville. He wanted to know
why Smith had not called MoLaurin
down, but a kind friend in the audi
ence remarked that Smith was not
present at the time. And then Till
man began to apologize, declariig
that Smith was not a politician, but
was just a good man wbo loved to
hear himself talk. He urged the
farmers to make their farms self
supporting, leaving ootton as thc
surplus crop.
"The idea has been advanced," bc
said, uthat our mills should reach out
into the world for new markets, and
that lhere should bo a protective
tariff on cotton brought here from
E?ypt. England and Germany and
other countries nre competing witt
tho United States in Chinese terri'
tory and yet our mills have captur?e
it, and are in possession of the mar
ket. We have heard a great dea
about tbe boycott by Chinese guildi
against American products. Thai
boycott is due to the brutal way om
immigration agents have treated lead
ing Chinese people. We have got i
Chinese exclusion Act so rigid be
cause the laboring classes demand?e
it to keep out competition. Thes<
inspectors ignore tho best visit?n
from?China, the men who are the sal
of the earth over there, al! becausi
labor in this country bates the cooli?
and is afraid of competition. I au
against tho Chinese coming here foi
the reason that we have all the col
ored people we want. Let the cool
ies stay out, but it is not right t<
maltreat those leading Chinamen wh<
oome here to study our country, con
ditions and people without meaniii|
to stay. The Guilds have threatener
to drive out American goods, and i
the word is passed down the line yon
name is Dennis. I am much con
corned about this matter, and wi!
lend all roy aid to prevent it, but w
Democrats are a few potatoes in tb
hill at Washington, and we don't cu
much figure."
Senator Tillman did not see hot
the protective tariff would help th
farms. While on that subject h
called attention to the movement t
organize a decent Republican part
in South Carolina under the name <
Commercial Democracy, before M<
KinleyV death. He mentioned hi
trip to Gaffney a few years ago whe
he had a tilt with MoLaurin, addin
that he had told MoLaurin then wbf
he thought of bim.
(.?notino from his letter about hat
ing detected "the ass's ears of tb
office seeker" under the thin disguit
of the cotton movement, Senate
Tillman said he had found certai
embryonic candidates trying to hate
political eggs. He said again that
protective tariff on raw cotton woul
not help the farmers, and then met
Honed that he had voted for a tari
on lumber because he bolieved
would help the people of the lo
country. "In Washington," he addei
"my policy, which some of the newi
papers don't like, has boen to gi
anything in sight for the South whe
[ saw the chance, aud I tried to gi
it right or wrong, honestly or dishoi
RStly, because those people up thei
have been stealing from uo lor
enough."
It will not be difficult for tho?
who attended former meetings i
which Senator Tillman spoke, to s<
that he was going up hill ; he did m
seem to have his heart in his word
*Oh," he said once, breaking off fro
111 M line of thought, "1 wish 1 had m
icen brought here under a che<
rein, martingales and a crupper, hoi
ing me down to agriculture." Som
body in the audience wanted him
moot a few into McLaurin.
"De mortuis nil nisi bonum," Ti!
nan shouted, "that's Latin. It meai
.bat you must not say anything b
good about the dead. And if M
Lam-in is not dead politically, then
urant to die."
Ulimann &
ULAI
Two One-Dollf
One Two-Dolls
GENUINE ATI
Don't be troubled with the
season, as our prices are so
Cherry Seeders, Base Ball C
1 Hoy clo Tires, etc.
Sa3h, Doors, Lime
Supplies, Buggy 1
without Fringe.
MATHESi
w
While he was talking about bogs a
note was banded up from the audi
ence. Tillman read it. "Oh 1" he
shouted, "it's just soraobody who
wants to talk about the dispensary.
There is not much for me to add.
The Greenville News gave my views
this morning, and you ought to get
the paper and read it, but this is not
the time to say it. Wait until next
year. The real fight on the dispen
sary will be in the Democratic pri
mary, when those not registered and
who are deprived of the right of vot
ing under the Brice law will be enti
tled to vote. There are thirty thou
sand men io ?South Carolina who can't
vote under the Brice law. You have
got no business fooling with the dis
pensary until the primary. Let all
of the people determine it. I will
say this, however, that we have got
to put the dispensary in the pot to
scald and clean it, and if we can't do
that then I'm in for killing it. If it's
rotten they've made it rotten. I will
be in the race next year for the Sen
ate if my health don't break down,
and I will see the men who are try
ing to murder it by underhand meth
ods. I will meet them teeth to teeth.
I have always called a spade a spade.
It is not true that I have been tamed
in the Senate, but now if you want
to settle the dispensary, let's wait and
vote it out of the State, not out of a
few counties. The latter plan will
give you a sort of negative prohibi
tion. After the dispensary you will
get prohibition and what next ? You
will have free liquor. Some of you
will get it shipped in jugs, and the
school fund will be cut and other
things will happen. Then the people
will cry for high license.
"That, in its essence, is the old bar
room System with constitutional limi
tations. I want to say here that
there is no warrant under the law for
those beer dispensaries. They are \
just ordinary low saloons. The dis
pensary has been made an evil by the
Legislature. I called one Legislature
"driftwood," but this one has demor
alized the dispensary. The present
body has the right and is in duty
bound to cbaDge the law and make it
decent, and if it does not, I will
stump the State to kill it. We have
got to clean it or make
they have got to give
liquor ! "
Just before closing Senator Tillman
complimented President Smith, and
called attention to his good work for
thc farmers.
A Tragedy Near Marion.
it go, and
us better
Marion, July 5.-Jackson Powers,
seventeen years old, is dead as the
result of an accidental .'hot, fired by
his brother, Drew *y, night before
last. The brothers were arranging
for a Fourth of July celebration,
when a pistol in the hands of Dre wry
was fired, the bullet entering the
forehead of Jackson. The
boy lived until midnight last night.
Tho accident occurred in this county
about four milos north of the town
of Marion.
The volume of "The Judiciary of
South Carolina," by Col. U. R.
Brooks, the well-known Supreme
Court Clerk, is nearing completion.
The book will deal with the lives
and careers of all Judges of South
Carolina.
*r Bills or
ir Bill_GETS
KINS SILVER RD STEEL
Flies. Everybody can buy SCREEN DCM
> low. We are also offering bargains in
roods, Ice Cream Freesen, Grazing Cbaii
JO GRAIN CRAD
>, Cement, Saw Mill I1RO'
Umbrellas, with and K
Stapler Ctdtivators. jj OS"
ON HARDV
ESTMINSTER, S. C.
usir?i?i?w> mi j>ui^?P^wu#?^^
On Suslnstt Principles.
The Bamburg Herald says : "The
daily papers of the State seem to be
prosperous. The Charleston News
and Courier and the Columbia State
are at present installing fine new
presses, and the Charleston Evening
Post bas announced that a new and
up-to-date machine is now being
erected for that; newspaper. The
Post expects to install its new press
about the first of September. Evi
dently this wave of prosperity which
has struck the dailies missed the
weeklies." The wave of prosperity
would have missed the dailies too if
they were managed on the same non
business principles that the weeklies
are run on. Most of the weeklies in
the State are run on slip-shod busi
ness methods. They publish all sorts
of notices free that daily papers get
well paid for publishing. This should
be stopped. Then the weeklies ex
tend an unlimited credit to their sub
scribers. In fact about the only way
for a subscriber to get off the books
of some of the weeklies is for him to
die. This is wrong and should be
stopped. Let the weekly papers
oome down to business methods,
charging for all notices that should
be charged for, such as obituaries, i
tributes of respect, etc., and occa
sionally have a settlement with its
subscribers. Then the wave of pros
perity will strike them too. These
remarks are not intended for the
Bamburg Herald. We are satisfied
that Brother Knight must apply
pretty sound business principles for
the management of his paper, or he
could not o' <. the people of his
county the cellent paper be does
at the low price of subscription he
charges. But they are applicable to
a great many weekly papers, the
Times and Democrat among the num
ber.-Orangeburg Times-Democrat.
CONTINUE
Those who are aral ni nar flesh
and strength by regular treat
ment with
Scott's Emulsion
should oontlnue the treatment
In hot weather; smaller dose
and a llttls cool milk with lt will
do away with any objection
whloh Is attached to fatty pro
ducts during the heated
season.
Send for free sample.
SCOTT & BOWNE, Chemists,
409-41} Pearl Street, New York.
5- -?. and f 1.00 ; all druggist*.
New Cotton King.
New York, July 6,-Theodore H.
1'rice is again "king of cotton," and
to-day he is rated as a millionaire,
he having paid off every cent of his
debts which encompassed him five
years ago, and lined his pockets with
fortune. The fortune was made yes
terday when prices jumped ahead
with leaps and bounds, gaining a
hundred points during the day. His
profits yesterday aro said to have
been *750,000 on 60,000 bales.
Tho "Ulf" Microbe.
A learned professor olaims to have dis
covered that "laziness" is caused by a
germ. If the eminent doctor is right,
Rydale's Liver Tablets oan rightly be
termed Microbe Killers, because they al
ways remove that tired, lazy, sluggish
feeling that has usually been attributed
to a torpid liver or constipated bowels.
Rydale's Liver Tablets are guaranteed to
cure constipation and all liver disorders.
They are small, compressed chocolate
coated tablets, easy to take, pleasant in
effect, reliable. Any dealer in oar reme
dies will return your money if you are
not satisfied with these tablets. ftO tab
lets 2.1) cents. Walhalla Drug Company.
YOU ONE
HAND SAW.
3R8 AND WINDOWS this
Hammocks, Creek Scum,
as, Calf Muzzles, Bioyoles,
JL ES c j&
WN BUGGIES.
TON WAGONS.
VARE CO.
Cotton Talk by President E. D. Smith.
President E. D. Smith, of tho
South Carolina Branch of the South
ern Cotton Association, made an ad
dress at the fair grounds in Green
ville one day last week, in which he
touched on many matters of vital g
consequence to the farming interesta
of the South. Among other things
he sharply arraigned the agricultural
department at Washington for the
abuses which have existed in its
bureau of statistics. These, how
ever, had been exposed, and he
looked for better things in the future
in consequence of the Chcatham in
vestigation.
President Smith enumerated tho
influences that wore at work in the
country to keep down the price of
cotton, and among these he placed
local cotton mills. He cited the re
oent meeting of mill men at Char
lotte as an instance in point. He
contended that every man and woman
in the South, no matter what his or
her calling, should be interested in
the success of the cotton planters.
Injure the man who produces the
staple and you injure the entire
South. He admitted that the Cotton
Association was a trust, but he con
tended that it was only bad men who
had made bad trusts.
He advocated a general warehouse
system and deolared that he did not
care how high the price of cotton
might go, mills had bought it at
fifteen cents and still paid handsome
dividends. President Smith's ad
dress was received by the crowd
with enthusiasm and applause.
At the close of the speaking a
telegram was received from Theo
dore H. Price predicting twelve
cent cotton in certain circumstances.
The Picken* Dispensary Case Hung Up.
[Columbia Record, July fl.J
The Pickens dispensary case is
hung up until testimony can be
taken. This morning Chief Justice
Pope, in Newberry, after hearing
arguments in the mandamus case,
issued an order to the effeot that as
the case involved constitutional
points which should be considered by
the whole Supreme Court instead of
one member of that body, the case
was referred to A. J. Hoggs, as spe
cial referee, to take testimony and
report [the same with conclusions on
or before the second Tuesday in Sep
tember.
This means that unless the Hoard
of Directors decide to reopen the
dispensary there that the County of
Pickens will be dry until thc case is
decided. The writ of mandamus
was brought by certain parties of
Pickens through W. Boyd Evans as
attorney to compel the County Board
to order i he dispensary reopened on
the ground that the election was
illegal.
When the case was brought the
dispensaries at Pickens and other
towns in that county had already
been closed and it is now a question
as to whether they can be reopened
pending a decision. The members
of the State Board could not be
reached, but it was the opinion of
those who had atudied the matter
that the dispensary would have to
stay closed, as many of the point?
raised were those of fact and that as
the dispensary had already been
?1 oneil it would have to Stay closed.