The Fairfield News And Herald

WAR UPON ESTABLISHED GOVERNMENT.

Messrs. Editor: The Tillman movement is war upon established government. It seizes those defects which are inherent in human nature and promises what it can never perform. It is incipient socialism and uses the material best suited to its purpose—at the North and in Europe the mechanics and factory hands—here the discontented farmer and the sore head. Tillman has been called the great bamboozler, to which might be added the words—and leveller. What is all this fuss about? That upon which much of Tillman's abuse is founded is the non-reapportionment of representation during a few years. Well, to carry out the system with perfect fairness a census should be taken every two years or before each election, since inequalities are sure to arise during the ten years intervening between census taking. Then why make such a fuss about the inability of the legislature to act at the regular time? Who is hurt except a few office seekers? Each legislator represents South Carolina and not simply the county from which he is sent. No county will suffer by the absence of one or two representatives nor gain by having a few more than their population would entitle them to. Often one good man is worth more to the State or County than a cow pen full of such legislators as Tillman says his farmers make. No doubt Edgefield could make money by swapping off her whole delegation for one good member and the same may sometimes be said of Fairfield.

The robber tariff, which Tillman says does not concern us and which is gotten up to make most money for capitalist and least money for the government will grind out of the farmers of South Carolina on the one article of cotton ties $90,000 and yet Tillman does not show how his new administrator would save one cent to the State or in any way benefit the farmer.