Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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D o + / ua uv The Platform in P J. Williams is M Congress in the.S District of South To My Fellow Citizens:? It is my intention to appear before you on the stump and to meet as many of you personally as 1 possibly can, but since the limited space of time at my disposal makes it impossible to discuss at length all of the important political issues, I take this method of acquainting you with the opinions that I entertain upon some of the most important of them. You well know that the tendency of nearly all national lagislation is towards the interests of the trusts, promoted by Corporation lawyers. 1 am a farmer whose interests are identical with those of the masses of the Second Congressional District, and i owiiv.il juui .iupj/ui i in niv; pi iiuai j election to be held on the thirteenth of August. L. J. Williams. TARIFF AND TRUSTS. It may be said that the tariff is not a live issue in this campaign for the reasson that the U. S. Senate must remain Republican for four years. I hold that it is, for the reason, first, that if the start is not made to change the complexion of the Senate, it will always be Republican, ana second, that since the trusts are made possible by the Tariff, the two must be studied together in order to arrive at a clear understanding of their affects upon the welfare of the country. The Republican doctrine in regard to the Tariff is, that the Capital and Labor of this country engaged in the manufacture of articles necessary to the comforts of the masses of this country, are unable to compete with the Capital and Labor of foreign countries engaged in similar manufacturing enterprises, and that it is a desirable policy of government that the masses of this country engaged in farming and other pursuits, and who are doing a paying business without government aid, be taxed by the tariff for the benefit of the manufacturer in order to enable him to do a losing business in competition with foreigners. In other words, that it pays a few of the people so well to engage in manufacturing that it is desirable 10 tax all of the rest of the people in order to pay their losses. Now, as a matter of fact, the government is not a producer of wealth, and has none of its own except that which it takes from the pockets of productive enterprise through its power to tax. The Democratic party holds that it is proper that the government should tax its subjects in order to raise the necessarv revenue to pay legitimate expen ses of the government itself, hut that everv dollar taken from one citizen or enterprise for the benefit of another citizen or enterprise is robbery. So that the essential difference between the Democrats and Republicans on the Tariff question is, that the Republican idea of prosperity is the amassing of great fortunes in the hands of the few, while the Democratic idea is that it must be general among the masses. The Republicans believe that to legislate money out of the pockets of the classes is great financiering. The Pemocrats believe that it is a great scheme of plunder. The Republicans believe that the way to bring prosperity and happiness to the people of the country is to legislate the earnings of the people into the coffers of the financiers through the treasury route, and the Democrats believe that there can he no permanent prosperity but that based upon honest toil. STJ] ^<ihi 11 'art Upon which L. taking His Race for >econd Congressional i Carolina. To illustrate. The Republicans profess that it is right that the United States Steel Corporation charge the domestic consumer ten dollars per ton, or 33 per cent more for railroad and other structural steel than they charge the Canadian or Mexican consumer for the same product. The Democrats believe that the American consumer should not he plundered by the Tariff to the extent of ten dollars per ton for the benefit of the steel trust. The Republicans believe or profess to believe that it is right, through the operations of the beneficent Tariff, that the American manufacturer charge the good ladies of this country twenty-five dollars ($^5.) for a sewing machine that iney sen in rmgianu tor tmrteen dollars ($13.00) besides paying the freight. The Democrats believe that our noble women should not be robbed of the extra twelve dollars ($12.00). The Republican Tariff enables the home manufacturer to charge the home consumer one hundred dollars ($100) for the same typewriter that he sells in Knglatul for fifty-five dollars ($5500). 1 hold with the Democrats that the home consumer has been robbed in this transaction to the extent of fortylive dollars (45.00). But it is useless to enumerate further, as nearly every com- ? modity manufactured in this country is ' protected by the Tariff to the extent of from 20 per cent to 200 per cent, and even more. But since the Federal courts have decided that the income tax or any other direct form of taxation by the Federal government is unconstitutional, the Democratic party is compelled to agree to a "Tariff for revenue only," in J order to raise funds to pay the legitimate expenses of the government. But herein 1 lies our danger. The Tariff being an I indirect tax, the subtle, blasting influences of which are so hard to be seen s by the average man, makes its operation t a standing nightmare and curse to all t honest producers and consumers. I If it were possible for every citizen to 1 know just how many dollars the govern- 1 incut needed to pay its honest expenses; i and if protection could be given to i home industry exactly in accordance i with a just ratio as between all our 1 industrial pursuits with reference to for- i eign competition, then there would be < small danger in the Tariff. But this is ; manifestly impossible for the reason t that but few, if any of us could ever \ determine the exact amount necessary to run the government nor could we t ever determine the exact difference in i the domestic and foreign cost of pro- ? duction of any given article. Now, this ( very uncertainty is the bane of the j American people and is what makes the i trusts possible. The lobby of paid at- j torneys maintained by the Trusts in i Washington while Congress is in ses- i don has become an international scan dal. , If the actual difference in the cost of ] production between the domestic and i foreign manufacturer should be ten or twenty per cent, the home man should be satisfied with that much Tariff or "Protection," but he is not. He wants the Tariff wall built up to 50 or 100 per cent or more so as to destroy all foreign competition. Now, then, after the Tariff is made so high that foreign manufacturers cannot send their goods here. 110 Tariff duties are collected upon them, hence the Tariff ceases to he a revenue measure and becomes a measure of Plunder. The government has then ceased to perform its proper function, and has become a highway robber, holding up the hands of its subjects while the trusts are going through their pockets. When President Schwab of the Steel Trust admitted under oath that the import duty on his products enabled him to make $12.00 per ton more than a reasonable profit, it was also an admission thai his steel business was a com- ^ plete monopoly or Trust, made possible ( l?y tariff protection. He claimed that it cost him $12.00 per ton to produce steel rails, and that he could compete with the English producer at $16.00, leaving $4 no as net profit, which he said was reasonable?but he charges the home consumer $12.00 more, making $28.00- or a total net profit of $16.00 per ton. The census reports show that the property ni tne u. o. nteei corporation is worth $500,000,000, and under their recent organization they have capitalized the Steel Trust at $1,500,000,000, which means that they have divided one billion dollars of water among themselves and call it stock. In other words the trust managers PPLEMENT rg P BATESBURG, S. C. know that there is a point beyond wl they must not go 111 piling up divide or the consumer will rebel, hence t treble the capital stock with water oredr to make their profits look dec while the lioveriuneiit stands bv urot. nig the 1 rust in plundering the pec of three dollars where they are only titled to one. Now, 1 am opposed to these schemes of spoliation and bell there is a remedy. 1 know that it will be four years lore it will be possible lor the Den cratic party to pass an entirely n 1 anil schedule, but 1 believe that intelligently and persistently gone great good can be accomplished by pic meal. Select one at a time of the m glaring and indelensible cases ol 1 r spoliation and turn on the light. 1 inand ol the Republicans that th 1 rust commodities be stricken ir the iantt lists, and when they hnd t< the country is informed they can t lord to say nay. IMPERIALISM. 1 stand with the Democratic pa against the Republican policy of 1 perialistn. 1 believe that there is su cieut territory and resources upon I American continent to engage the en k-ies ot the people composing this gc irrnmcnt tor all time to come. This Lhc Monroe Doctrine, and 1 believe is our only course ot satety. 1 do 1 believe that it is right or best to foi Christianity upon Hie heathen or co inercial relations upon the foreigner ihe point of a gun. On the contrarj believe that it is right and 1 believe is best to accomplish the same en hrougli peaceful and gentle metho American genius, enterprise, indusi ind resources are sufficient to accon ish the commercial supremacy of t Aorld if given a reasonable time tvhich to accomplish it, without res< 0 warlike methods. If done throu lie agency of diplomacy and busim . nterprise we are relieved of the i iponsibilities incident to the frequt rhanges of the political status of t foreign countries with which we de lust so long as these United Stai .land by the Monroe Doctrine, just png will we enjoy a peaceful and ha )y and lasting prosperity. But when we as a nation commit ot .elves permanently to the Republic loctrinc of Imperialism at the point jur naval guns, advocated by A U ay held in the recent campaign, < nay as well at the same time make >ur minds that we must acquire ft ign lands as well as subjugate and ta inder our fostering care barborous a mcivilized peoples who can never fi nterest in our government or in o nstitulions, and whose sympatliies a :o-operation we can never acquire, iddition we must stand responsibile 1 heir conduct towards all other natio .vitli which we are rpon friendly terr 1 his means in the end a disturbance lie peace of the world for which we < esponaible, and it means farther t shedding of the blood of the flower mr young manhood who would peacefully engaged in productive ? ;erprises were we to remain within t principles of the Monroe Doctrine up .vhich the Democratic party has sto ior so many years. All hixtorv thnt ){ the end of all nations that have f en was when its people became w; ike in spirit and corrupt in politics. Six years ago the expenditures iccount of our navy was $16,000,0 ind the past year the expenditui reached the enormous sum of $82,00 xx), and the army has cost the govei ment the past year $118,000,000, or .jrand total for the army and iz.\j >200,000,000. Oui army and navy ts present size has reached the danj icint, because when this vast number men are confined in idleness and tauj nothing but the methods of war, it ?nly human to expect that they will | into devilment that will bring ab< war, which they would personally w rome. I believe that we have in the Soi the very best people on earth, as w is the best country, and if peacefu allowed to work out our destiny in c way, that this section will prosper die field and in the shop and in 1 factory as no other country has c prospered. But if the Maytield pol of religious and commercial conqu is accomplished at the point of c naval guns, then our peace, conte mcnt and progress is gone. Depc upon it; that the only stable founi lion upon which any government < anchor the material interests of its p pie, is its civil as against its milit; powers. Clod forbid that the time \ ever come to us when we are e taught by our government or our p lie men to lose faith in the sufficiei and the stability of our civil rights, that it may ever happen that the m tary function will ever supercede civil. But this is not the worst feat of this Republican doctrine of milit ascendency. This policy is so expen; TO s.dvo lich that it makes it necessary to rais lids tunil wall still higher, which in hey serves to intrench the Trusts moi 111 curely. Every additional dollar :eut on the army and navy means tl i*ct- least two dollars have been taken pie 'lie pockets of the people in belli en- the Trusts. It is the policy of s all tion and plunder. It means throug eve tariff a part of each of your days' is taken to pay the expenses of the be- while enforcing the rights of the 1 110- to sell their products to forei tew against their w ill, and to sell if them cheaper than they will sell yo at same goods at home. As againsl ce- policy 1 stand in favor of leaving earnings of the toilers in their ost pockets, even if the Trusts must g ust of business. -)eese BOUNTIES AND SUBSIDIL Dm nat While discussing the tariff af- Trusts, it is also proper to discus effects of bounties and subsidic connection therewith, and to scheme of plunder 1 am also op( First, as 1 have already said, 1 c rty agree that it is a just principle t< m. an individual doing a prosperous tft. ness in order to subsidize anotlie the dividual doing an unprofitable bus er. 1 cannot view that policy in the lig )V. success, except as being a policy of is fill theft. And second, it magnitie it excuse for building the tariff wall lot higher in behalf of the Trusts. rce crime of the lawful taking of the in_ mgs of one citizen and giving at another is in this way magnitie r | that, for every dollar collected bj ,t government to be bestowed as b< ids or subsidy, the Trusts arc thereby js allied to collect two or three more ry the helpless consumer. ,y. As between the Mayfield plan of ] jie der in behalf of the navy, and jn bounty plan of plunder in behal irt the merchant ships, I should much gh fer to submit to the latter, if subt jss must. The fact that the South i re_ largely the consuming section of ;nl nation makes it the more unforti hc that these Republican policies of al tection and plunder prevails. V tes the South is paying tribute on all so consumes, she is getting next to tp_ of the benefits of spoilation, and ' a Southern politician shows a tenc to fall in with the Republicans in " schemes of plunder he should be si the door of exit from the Democ I camp, just as McLaurin was kickec ' in 1897. we "P RAILROADS. . Right along side of the Trust < , tion in importance is the qucstio ee the just and proper, and vitally n sary control of the railroads. No '} gle enterprise in the nation is laden more power for good or evil influi or upon the business interests of ,ns country than the railroads. The I1S; dency towards the monopoly or "T idea of their operation stands in l.re of the most profound thought of f ablest men. The roads now have l their power under the law to mal c unmake any community. The raili are better able to develop the \ e places of our country than any ( ?" single agency, therefore the ncc< 0 is the greater that the interests o roads and the interests of the peop nS handled with the more care and *1" more justice. It is very certain *r~ ever, that justice as between the 1 and the people will not prevail witl halls of legislation filled with rai ??> lawyers in a representative capacity res case in point as developed in the r ?>~ campaign was the introduction int< "n" State Senate of what is known a a "Test Case Bill" in behalf of ot Southern Railway, by Mr. Mayfielc >n the introduction and passage of ler hill, the claims of citizens of this ?f aggregating, it is variously estirr jht m from $200,000 to $1,500,000, 1S barred from a hearing in the cc Jet While 1 am not a lawyer, con )ut sense teaches nte that there is ai fectivc way to protect the interes the people, and with the lights b jth me now, 1 would suggest that th 'ell ginning must be had in Washingtt illy the shape of a law increasing the >ur er> of the Interstate Railway Con in sion to deal with the rate schedule the the law is now the commission ca ver nothing hut pretend to annul a icy which appears to them to be ui est and while the railroad is fighting >ur ruling in the courts the old rate nt- by the railroads remains in fore :nd think the commission should be da- powered to annul an unjust rate a :an the same time to promulgate a jus eo- and put it in force while the rai ary is fighting the justice of their dei vill The people of the country who patr ver railroads are paying interest and ub- dends on more than six billion d ncy of watered stocks and bonds. The or iiauzauon 01 me rauroaus 01 uie L lili- States in 1002 was twelve billion the hundred and thirty-four million d< ure and the mileage being 202,471 a s arv calculation will show that the roat sive capitalized at about six.y thousant Gclt0. v? ?J lit f e this lars per mile?more than one-half of turn which is water which should be re se- squeezed out by law. spent In addition to this the commission lat at should be given other powers too from tedious to argue here. 1 also think ilf of the power of the State Legislature to poila- deal with inter-State commerce should ;h the be enlarged, so that the State law and labor the State Railway Commission could navy give some relief from the outrages .'rusts committed in the name of inter-State gncrs commerce. ,u the GOOD ROADS. t this g the Xo community, especially in the rural own sections, can be truly prosperous witho out <n,t good public highways and I favor their improvement by the aid of the National Government under proper regillations. It is true that the principle i- paternalistic in its tendency, but no and t?ore so than the grant of the governs t]le ment of the hundred of millions of land :s in :t,"l money to the trans-continental railthat way lines and since we could not pre?osed. vcnt t'ie one we should not be so foolish annot as to decline the other. bus* 77/Z? RACE PROBLEM. r ininess. ' bat the solution of the race ques lit ot v" sut;" UK possime> is one ot the law.",'iiost important political and social s the questions before us today, if not the still ,nos' important, I do not think any The thoughtful person will deny. That I earn- uas a prophet during the recent camit to Pa'Rn> when 1 took a position in fattor j jn of the repeal of the fourteenth and fiftj,e teenth amendments to the Federal Con)Unty stitution is proven by the action of the r en- recent Republican Convention in the from adoption of the plank in their platform looking to the introduction of another plun- "i'orcc Bill," 1 thought that I knew the then, and the Republican Convention ? 0? has proven that there is still a purpose Drc_ cn the part of the Northern Republicans nit j led by Roosevelt, to maintain the reins is so the government through the agency this t'1e nc8ro- the adoption of these mate amendments, while the Northern mind pro_ was still inflamed over the issues of the vhiie "ai, was the greatest political crime she evcr committed in this country, and non? there can never be a lasting restorahe,? tion peace between the north and lencv South so l?nK as the race question retheir n,a'ns unsettled. Notwithstanding the mwn interest of the Republican party, through ratic the agency of the negro route, we must 1 out stl" remember that blood is thicker than water and that justice and right will finally triumph if the Northern conscience is persistently appealed to in the proper manner. The more and jues- more that the Northern conscience is n 0? made to understand the negro and his instincts as he is, the more and more ~~^n. the North will be willing to admit the wltjj crime when it was committed when it nces undertook at a stroke of the pen to the make the negro the white man's equal, ten- the years go by and the Northern rust" "uud and heart is made to see ana' to need ,cc' the crime of the adoption of these our two amendments, such men as Roose;t vclt and Crumuacker will lo? :e or I)lJU<-'r and prestige in the Republican oads Part>- Incidents like the attempt durvaste l'ie recent Republican Convention, other ",sl?Bated by the man on horseback ssity (President Roosevelt) to force social t the recognition well as political equality le be ot l'lc ,,e8ro with the vvlute man when tlie the little "Georgia Nigger" was put how- uPon l'ie Republican rostrum along-oads sulc ot~ a Pure ant* delicate little a the white k'r'? on terms of equality, will be Iroad resented by the great conscience of the r. A American people. Such conduct will ecent create a race pride, both north and 3 the south that will force mutual agreements s the looking to race preservation that can the olll} come through the repeal of these 1. In two atrocious constitutional amendthis nients. An educated head and an State educated conscience among the white lated. people i the nation is the first step were necessary to the accomplishment of this jurts. c,,d hut an educated head, together unon with the vicious heart of the negro, 3 ef. daily increases the difficulties of the ts of ract' problem. At present the negro efore holds the balance of power in the nomie be nating conventions of the Republican jn in party, as well as the balance of power pow- in the halls of Congress, since he alrimis ready holds the balance of power in A.s Congressional elections in thirty of the n do hordei districts. At the present rate rate ?t the education of the Southern negro ljust, 11 will only be a few years before he their >-s able to control the elections of the fixed South it protected by the provisions of e_ I these vicious amendments, and we will cnl- no longer be able to pride ourselves as nd at ha\ing "The Solid Democratic South." t one solution is practically endorsed Iroad "v me democratic party in its St Louis cision platform in that it advocates a peaceful onizc solution and condemns the Republican divi- ctYurt to arouse anew race and sectional ollars prejudices If we inaugurate this : cap- movement with judgment and discredited tion we are no longer dependent upon , one the grace or mercy of the Republican jllars, party, but will be able in this way to imple build up the Democracy of the North Is are and West, and thereby accomplish a 1 dol- two-fold purpose, to-wit: the ascend