The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, July 22, 1904, Page 3, Image 3
MR. AIKEN'S SPEECH.
A Strong and Clear Contrast of the
Principles of the Republican and
Democratic Parties.
Following i- a fill] rep,.rt of the ad
mirable spe-:ch delivered by Con
grtssnan Wyatt Aiken at the cam
paign meeti.g at Ander-on on WVd
nesdav.
Mr. Chairman: It is with pleas
ure that I return to volu. my fellow
citizens. t thank you f,,r the honor
conferred upon me. You are the ar
biters of my -fficial conduct. and it
is for you to say whether or not I
have served you satisfactorily. That
I have served vou faithfully and con
scientiously I have the answer of an
approving conscience: but is is up to
vou to say whether or not this ser
vice has been acceptable. and whether
our compact shall be renewed.
In the language of Dickens. I as
sure you "Bakiius is willing." I wish
to subserve the best interests of my
people in all things. even to the ex
tent of accepting renomination. 13
fore touching on such questions as
are before the political parties today
I ask your indulgence while I refer
briefly to my individual work as your
representative.
With a republican majority. main
ly from northern states. which ma
jority is a unit on all important is
sues. there is little sce e for the activ
ity of a southern congressman: little
chance for legislation in the interest
of the south. The most that we can
do is to support such general meas
ures as include 'the south in their
beneficial efforts, and record our dis
approval of such measures as rob the
many for the benefit of the few.
Eloquence and logic are God given
endowments which will ever com
mand respect and admiration. but to
swerve from its purpose an instruct
ed republican majority, they avail as
little as -does a breath in turning
back the ocean waves. National leg
islation has become so one-sided. so
centralized that we may hope for lit
tle that is of benefit to the south, ex
cept in an occasional general act. I
introduced a bill to increase the pay
of rural carriers to $goo. My hope
of passing it was based on the belief
that rural carriers all over the Unit
ed States would appeal to their rep
resentatives, and create a general de
mand for the bill. This proved to be
the case. and while we did not get
the amount asked for we did get an
increase to $720.
Another bill which I introduced and
still hope to pass. in case I again
represent you. provided for an immi
gration bureau on Elli, Island to be
composed of rcpresentatives from the
various states. whose dut'Lies it shall
be to select and send their several
states desirable immigrants. This
was in the interest of thinly populated
s?Auhern states. the wealth of which
might easily be doubled by develop
ing their sources with a competcen
cv of labor. I could not h-ope by any
oratorical effort, even if I had the gift
of eloquence, to secure the passage
of this bill: but by showing in a bus
iness way the importance of building
up the producing sections of our
country as a means of increasing the
general wealth, in which all sections
participate. there is a chance for its
passage. Our own legislature recog
nizing the necessity for tilling in the
dlepleted ranks of our white farmers
with desirable white .immigrants
created the office of immigration
agent looking to the very ends pro
posed in my bills.
I have increased the R. F. D.
routes in the district since my incum
bency from 69 to o4: and hear in
mind the fact that I succeeded the
most actice ccngressman "n this line
in the state: that he wvorked in fal
low ground, selecting such routes as
easily met the approval of the depart
ment, while the more difhicult have
fallen to me. I succeeded in reiri'ng
and establishing several routee
which had been turned dlown by the
dlepartment.
By reason of may positiona on the
pension committe of the house T
have secured numerous pensions for
Spanish war volunteers, not only in
this district. but in the distr'ets rep
resented by Messrs. Finley. T.ever and
Johnson and other sotuthern districts.
These pensions had been turned down
by the departnment for one reason or
another and would possibly have died
in the committee archives hut for the
personal interest I took in the appli
cants.
Mr. -Ai.-n here told of his fgeht in
the Walhalla postoffice matter: ap
p)ontment Of postmaster at Pendle
ton: securing mail on train No. Ii -)n
the Southern: R. F. D. and star
rutes, etc., etc.
I'n rec,,untinig these matters I do so
in n, spirit .f boastfulness but rather
au rend-ring ani acc(IInt tO you wh
have a right ti know the detail.f
: r tli. acOIIIt kof mv
stewardship I ask ymr indulgence
while I refer briedv t- such (IlestioIIS
a:; are engaging the public mind at
hi: tim-. If I were asked to express
nfew w-1rds the main points of dif
ference between the two natioMI: . r
ties I would say: The republicans
stand for high tariff and extrava
.ance. while democrats stand for low
:ariff and economy. The difference
between the parties on this question
a difference in degree: the demo
crats advocating a reduction and re
vision (f present tariff rates while the
party in power prides itself on
*tanding pat" on this issue. W (lo
not advocate free trade but a tariff
;or r(venue only. Most of the criti
c:sm to which the republican party is
Justly subjected is the outgrowth of
protective tariff. In the beginning of
our manufacturing era we were told
to foster and protect infant industries
in order to product competing planrs.
This argument is no longer effective.
since these infants have grown to be
strong and corpulent. and by pooling
their interests fix prices to suit them
selves while the government holds at
bay their foreign competitor. Under
th-e protective tariff American steel
bars sold last November in England
I for less than $20 per ton. American
goods are shipped to Hawaii and
Porto Rico by trusts and sold there
a( prices which enable the American
consumer to purchase them. there.
pay the cost of shipment both ways,
and get them at less than They can
buv them in the home market.
To protective tariff is due the large
surplus that has accumplated in the
treasury. which is being deposited
without interest in favored national
banks. Now a surplus for an individ
ual or perhaps a corporation is a very
desirable thing. but a surplus of over
one hundred millions of government
money, drawn and kept from the
avenues of trade. and inviting extrav- i
agance and fraud in administration.
is a most dangerous menace to popu
lar government. If you paid this tax
directlv as you (io your state and
county taxes yout would feel the
sting of this iniquitous system. As
it is. you pay it in every tool you
use. in every article you wear. at the
rate of ten dollars per capita for
very man. w*oman and child in -the
United States. Think of this. This
state's proportionate part of this tax
would be about elevIn millions per
annum. enough to p:.y for every de
tail of the state government for a
period of at least t5 years. not in
cluding county expenses and a simi
lar proportion is collected in everyf
other state of the union. The re
publican party protects -the trusts by
extorting from their foreign competi
tms exhorbitant tariff rates, and the
trtsts in their turn protect the repub
lican party by contributing largely to
its vote subsidizing fund. Banks hav
ing the surplus deposited with them
do not pay the government interest.
but they pay interest to the republi
can party in campaign contributions.
This excess of funds in the treasury
encurages extravagance and official
Idihonesty, or tends that way. The
at year of Mr. Cleveland's adminis
trtion cost this government $448.
40.622. while the last congressional
aproriatioin of Mr. Roosevelt's adl
ministraition. seven years later. reach
'mi the enorm us sum of 878u.72.375.
nr more than 70 per cent. in excess of
h tlast year of democratic rule: and
thi. amount does not include 3o.o000
00o aippropr'ia-ted to the Panama canal.
During President H arriso n's tenure
. office he deplored an .accumutlatinig
surplus as dangerous ti g. od govern
Iment, and he wvas exercised to find a
way to get ri(d Lif it.
N i t Mo with the present adlmiii
tration. Its imperial policy affords
an opportuniity for shoveling it out
b the car load amongst an alien peo
l whlo payv not a dollar of the tax.
Pet- of the administrationl are sen-t
to H-awaii and the Philippine Islands
anel paid salaries rivaling that of the
preCident himself. The governor of
th Philippines receives Sao.ooo per
anum, the commissioners $13.ooo,
justices of -the supreme court $ta-500.
irItitidges 87.000. and district
In our colonial possessions $6oo.ooo
were spent last year in stamping out
cholera. and yet in the Philippines.
the center of the tr-tuble. the revenue,
ae scarcclv su,t11icr:nt !- pay mulici
pal expense.. By a decree of the pres
wien't. wI 1 tae w. d"es his own
1h-gisiat ing wih en it suits him. the civil
engineer of the Panama canal gets a
alary -f S.oo per aininiim. During
t0e last fiscal year 8.415 new offices
were created a: an addhiunal cost of
S..431.86;. mo-st -f them chargeable
to ur "imperial p.ilicy.
It is estimated that wc have paid
iut to date S6oo.oooo.ooo to get and
retain control of our island posses
sions, while the balance of trade in
our favor is nominal. What obliga
tion. mpral or otherwise. rests on us
to keel) p11) this extravagance? We
are not related to these people by
consanguinity or affinity. The pros
pncts of commercial advantages are
not even a remote possibility. Then
why are we their self cons-rituted
.,uardians? The question is asked
what disposition could be made of
he Philippines. In answering this I
ftel very much like exclaiming with
the fellow who yoked himself with
a wild s-eer. "Stop its darn fools."
My first policy towards them would
be to turn them loose. establishing
with them such relations as we have
with Cuba. and taking their obliga
tion for such amount as they honest
ly owe us. This would relieve us o:
further expense in trying to maintain
a government therv and perserve
peace on the islands. If our people
as a whole are wedded to the idea
of holding them at any cost I would
suggest as a means of remuneration
that the doors there be opened to
Chinese immigrants. an energetic
people, who will build up agricultural
and commercial in'terests. Some of
the best informed men with whom
I have talked. men who have lived
there. tell me that the Chinaman is
one of the most industrious, while
the Filipino is the most indolent and
thriftless of our iihabitan'ts there.
If. then, it is commerciar greed that
is actuating ts why not make -che
most of it?
Now as to pensions. This govern,
ment paid out during the last fiscal
year $138.36o.700 for pensions. and
this mammoth amount is little more
than a campaign fund. President
Roosevelt. acting in his legislative
capacity. not an uncommon role for
him decreed that every federal sol
dier over 6o years of age is entitled
to a pension. his age being accepted
as sufficient evidence of disability.
Acting under this order. inspired by
the president. the pension bureau has
literally flooded the doubtful states
with pension money to the utter neg
lect of claimants from other states.
I am sorry to say. however. that in
the matter of pensions we have little
to hope for from either party. The
south on the pension qttestion is in
very mucht the same predicament as
was an old Virginia farmer during
the war. who had been robbed by
federals and confederates. Walking
out one morning and lookintg over the
wreck of what was on.ce his well
equipped farm. he said: "W\\el!. I
never took no sides in this here war.
but I be gol darned if both sides haint
took me."
It is one of the bitter decrees of
fate that the war impoverished south -
en veteran must contribtute fronm the
scanty earnings of his feeble htandls to
the comfort antd ease of his coinquer
or in his declining years. Under renm
cratic rule we may hope fo r ant ec'
nomical and judicious dist ribtttin of
the pension fund but little more. s'
mch has this appropriation bec'ome
a vote subsidizing futnd. plont wvhich
bo tht parties are dependent in a mea+
re for election.
Thtere was a time in the list' -*v
this government wvhen "a public of
tue wvas a public trust." Today a
"pu)tbl ic ufce is a privat e snap" in
he e,.timati'on of reptubl ican 'iticiai..
Tte salaries of govermtnetnt oflicials in
manyv instances are so ouit ot prop ir
tion with the little work they' do that
we can readily accottnt for doiubled
appropriations. One striking exam
ile of this extravagatnce may be seen
in the roport of the secretary of the
treastry, showing that 102 custom
house officers employed at salaries
and expenses amounting to $164.o00
collected but 563.000. At Gloucester.
Masachusetts, it costs $18.489 to col
lect S3.132: at Brazos. Texas. it costs
$3.99t to collect $4.731. These are
only a few incidents which might
be multiplied iuntil you tired hearitng
them. Of course there are other
port whichmpa very much int excess
of the cost of collection, but it only
goes to show the extravagant meth
'Ids of pritecti.oi and the crying ne
cessitv f,,r ref,)rm in the i,de of col
lecting revenue.
The iex: great difference between
the nationa parti!e i k n the pies
ti.n f subsidies. The republican par
'V. 1:ot 'untent with making vl I pay
a ta.\ r tr 1 atnw t i-ve ti) lifty per
c-iit. ti the nianufacturer. would take
an additi'nal toll from vou to enable
trusts it carry those goods from
your centers of trade at a very low
shipping rate to the door of the con
peting foreign purchaser. It is a
repetition of the old miller's conduct.
who said to one of his boys: "John
you toll that corn?" "Yes, sir." says
John. Turning to another he said.
"Tom. you toll that corn?" "'Yes.
sir." "I believe yonu are both liars so
I'll Loll it myself." A bill providing
a subsidy of something like ten mil
lions, a direct gift to the shipping in
terests. passed the senate during the
last session. ai,. -as barely killed in
house committee ' y the aid of two re
publican votes. Th-e bill will be re
newed. and as sure as a republican
administration is electe,i will pass
both houses.
In closing let me summarize what
we stand for and upon what we hope
to win in the next election. We stand
for a moderate tariff that will build
up commercial interests at home. de
stroy trusts, and produce only so
much revenue as is necessary for an
economical administration o' the gov
ernment, as against a high tariff that
fosters trus-ts and extravagant ad
ministration of government.
We stand for honesty in office a
against corruption that has arisen
as a stench in the nostrils of the
American people.
We would release the Philippines.
holding over them protectorate rights
and a claim for such amounts as they
justly owe us. thereby putting an end
to further expenditures as against an
extravagant policy of continuous ad
minstration there. entailing the cost
of additional hundreds of millions,.
and bringing us no nearer a solu-tion
(.f the problem. We are for reform
complete and entire. not such as the
old time serving minister recommend
ed to his rich and wayward parishion
ers when he said:
"Brethren. you must repent a little.
as it were, be converted in a measure.
or you -will he damned to some ex
tent.
Our government under republican
rule is fast drifting into that condi
tion which invariably marks the de
cadence of republican forms of gov
ernment. We are building up an
aristocracy of wealth who know no
limits in their demands. who even
now hold the destinies of the republi
can party in their hands and whose
arrogance and presumption dictate
to the president himself. When so
called popular government is based
upon decrees issued from the bank
vault instead of the ballor box labor
will h-- robbed and degraded and lib
erty itself trampled tunder foot. Such
has be-:n the history of other repub
lics tha: exist now only in history:
such is the' trend of events with us.
There is generally an opening in
a hospital for the young man who
has appendicitis.
JAP-A-LAC
THE NEW WOOD FINISH.
WEAS LKE ION
It makes old floors, front doors,
wood work, oil cloth, linoleum and
furniture look like new.
For Sale By
F. A. SCHUMPERT,
Sec'v and Treas.
A woman's complexion is not al
ways complex.
If you would be popular, don't tell
vour troubles.
NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT AND
DISCHARGE.
Notice is hereby given that by order
of the Probate Court of Newberry
countv I will make a settlement of
the estates of Louise F. Swygert,
f,rmierly Lou. F. Chapman, and
Henry S. Chapman, in the said court,
on the 26th day of August, igo4, at io
o'clock in the forenoon, and that I will
immediately thereafter apply for a
final discharge as guardian.
George S. Swygert,
Guardian.
TEACHER WANTED.
The trustees of Fork school dis
trict. No. 59. will meet at the school
house. August T3th. to elect a teach
er. Term. 6 months. Salary. $30 per
month. Lady preferred.
Applications must be sent to trus
tees.
W. G. Metts,
Slighs
Q. M. Kinard.
D. J. Wicker.
Pomaria
Trustees.
Brick!
Brick!!
For Sale by
C. H CANNON.
00 BANK DEPO
PEZ Cov Were&
BardatCost.Writeak
WX0BA.AACAMAMU8INE>ScOLLEGEMachIA
FOURTH ANNUAL
EXCURSION
TO
Atlanta, Ga.,
THE
New York of the South.
VIA
G. N. & L. and S. A. L.
Tuesday, July 26., 1904.
Low Round Trip Rates and Convenient
Schedule.
SPECIAL TRAIN
LEAVES ROUND TRIP RATE
Irmo..................7.24 a. m. $2.75
Chapin .. ......7.48 a m. 2.50
Little Mountain..8 00 a. m. 2.25
Prosperity.... 8.15 a. in. 2.00
Newberry.... 8.30 a. mn. 2.00
Kinards........8.50 a. mn. 1.75
Goldville.....9.00 a. mn. 1.50
Clinton..........9 30 a. mn. 1.50
Arrive Atlanta at 3.00 p. m. Return
ing special train will leave Atlanta at
9 00 p. mn., Wednesday, July 27th.
Tickets also good to return on regular
trains.
DON'T FORGET IT this will be the
only excursion to Atlanta- "The Gate
City'-this season.
There will be plenty of coaches,. a
seat for everyone. A representative
of the road will accompany the train
and good order will be maintained.
Separate co aches for both races.
Tickets on sale at C., N. & L. Ticket
Office and :n the Train.
For further information call on
C.. N. & L Agents or address.
J. F. LIVINGSTON, S A., C., N. & L.,
Columbia, S. C.
Jos. W. STEWART, T. P. A. S. A. L.,
Columbia, S. C.
JNo. R. NOWELL, Manager, Colum
bia. S. C.
Salter's
New Art and
Variety Store.
A full line of various
articles. Anything you
need from writing pens
to trunks. All new and
fresh goods. Anything
except GR OC ER IE S
and DRY GOODS.
Come and see me
before buying in
The SKYSCRAPER.