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About The Columbia sentinel. (Harlem, Ga.) 1882-1924 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 1919)
_ W grandest opportunity any political organization e\er had. phut the fool with it, by following reservationists, like Taft and Lodge, instead of out-and-out uhti-Leaguers, like Senators Borah and Johnson. It s the prinriph of the League that is tin American, un-democrath, and of deadly hostility ta the Sovereignty of Peoples. No change in details can change this principle, Instead ol making the. world safe for democ racy and peace, the League enthrones autocracy and war: it calls upon the human race for passive ebediense to whatever enormity of misgovemment n:gy hr, imposed upon it. This means periodical insurrections, through out tlje conquered nations of earth; to be suppress C't, by the armies and navies of the League: const QUOltly, AN ETKSN IT a OF SMA1.I, WARS. Keep volte eve on thk Senators from the South! . If they play into the hands of (lie Afro Americans of the North; if they take sides with Wo professional South-haters who ase eternally abusing us about Jim .Crow cars, Disfranchise ment laws, and lynching*, mako them feel Die odioum they bring upon themselves! 1 ell them wlmi to expect, when they next come hejoir the people! Treasure up tliier names in your memories, ar.d be lead, to vote them into a greater disgrace than that, which overtook lip- men of he Yazoo Fraud. Multiply the Yazoo ^ Fraud by ten thousand, and still it would be bagatelle, compared to the proposed League of Autocrats. Within forty miles of where I stand, the 1 uzoQ-l‘ rand lav was publicly burnt, in lire which was caught from the "Lord Sun!” I would today that we had another William If. Crawford, of old Columbia County, to fight this worse than Yazoo Fraud: l]pt we had another Cgorge M. Iroup, of South Georgia, to thunder against it: that we had another James Jackson, of ( hatljam County, .to lay down his commission in the Senate of the United States, and come home, to combat the monster, which threatens your liber¬ ties, your social order, and the lives of millions of your posterity. £) for one month pf Crawford and Troup and Jackson and old Jesse Mercer! The crisis rails for giants, but 'where are giants ? i he epemiel that you most fear, are at the gates: but where are your defenders, who should meet the evening in the gate! Where is your Rhoderiek Dhu, to kindle tin sacred fire, light the torch, and speed it to every hill top and mountain crag, to blaze against the night-sky, calling the clans to battle? Wh.ere is your Robert T.ooinbs, to again li;, the discouraged people with bis electric appeal for Magna Chartgf He is dead. Where is your Alec Stephens to again drag his frail body around Georgia, rousing the whole country bv his demands for tfie restoration of Jef¬ fersonian democracy and Constitutional liberty? He is dead. Where is your Ben Hill, to again thrill you with his clarion voice, as lye denounces the usurpers who trample your Constitution under their feet? He is dead. A President, calling himself a Democrat, has put upon you greater abuses ting) were inflicted upon the South by the Radicals of Reconstruction. Bad as conditions have been, he threatens to make them infinitely wopse; and he will do it, if you don't, put your prssure upon the rubber stamp Senators who are betraying their consti¬ tuencies. When, in 191-4, your President told Charley Barrett and other Farmers’ Union representatives, that the farmers of the South ne.ed not look to the government for any help, you had tq sell your .cot¬ ton for 6 cents a pound; and he government, took your public jn.oney, and immediately insured that cotton, for the speculative exporter, at Id cents a pound. 4 On lost $400,000,000 by this discrimination in favor of gamblers, and it was hard to hear! But you bore it patiently, because you were such good Democrats: and you went loyally to the polls, in November 1916, to re-elect the pne-termer, “Because ho kept us out of war.” Then lie said, in 1918, that lie might have to fix the price of cotton, and it went down 17 cents a pound. This was hard to hear; but we were good Democrats, and we stood it patiently: we couldn’t help ourselves. At the present, time, there are strong indica¬ tions of collusion between English spinners and our government, to keep the price down, and t j keeep Germany from buying directly from us: and this, also, is hard to bear. Can the South remain solid, when every South¬ ern interest is sacrificed, and every Southern ideal shattered ? Let oi i: Bio Men take notice! There is revolt in the air—revolt against par¬ ty-leaders who are false to their trusts, false to the principles of democracy, false to the time-hon¬ ored national policies of our Fathers, and false to the social integrity of the Anglo-Saxon race. And over all, hangs the black cloud, daily be¬ coming more ominous; the Negro Question. The Northern organizations whose purpose is Social Equality, uro clamoring for its recognition H X ra U O r a 3 to < in 3 lu J > 50 r- 3 a > and enforcement in the League of Nations. , Hi© League would have the power to enforce Social Equality, as fully as Charles Sunnier out lined it. in his* famous Civil Eights Bill. The negro has enjoyed, now enjoys, and must continue to enjoy, liberty of person, of speech, of the press, of worship, and of education, His property, his dwelling, his school, ami his church must continue to receive the same legal protection that we claim for our own. But the ballot is-a political privilege , which the State can restrict, according to its own notions of wisdom, justice, and moderation. As to social equality, there is no such thing. Hi fact: and, even if there were, it's none of (he government's business. We of the South are not having any trouble with our colored population: and we deeply de¬ plore the incendiary editorials and speeches of the North and East, because their natural tendency i S. to sow the seeds of strife between the two races. We of ]the white, and you of the colored race, find ourselves living together peaceably, here in the Southern States: and I am sure that the blacks, as well as the whites, sincere! hope that these peaceful relations will not be disturbed bv OIU siders. The negro race is far better off in the South than it is anywhere else on earth. In its native home it has never advanced a step. In Africa, the black man is the slave of a cruel king, or he is the serf of one of the European conquerors. If our negroes go North, a few may prosper for awhile, but the bulk of them become paupers or criminals; and they are killed by the hundred in race-riots. If the League of Nations is put over on us. there will never be another day of peace between the blacks and the whites. Nothing worse could happen to the negroes "on of this country, than to have the League set foot, an attempted enforcement of social equality. The. level-headed negroes of the South know full well, that, it is best for them, as it is for us. that the extremists of New England and the Nortu should let us clone. We want no dictation from those fanatical outsiders. We are able to take care of our own domestic affairs. I have always stood for the negro’s rights un der the law—the rights which are recognized everywhere as natural rights. Those that I have this day restated, belong to ihe law-abiding black, as well as to the law-abid¬ ing white man. If the League comes. Social Equality may •come: and what that comes, civilization will sink bey op d redemption. YVeve seen it tried, and we know what will happen, We have seen it destroy the civilization of can Domingo and Havti: we have seen it moi grel ize Central and South America. Never before in the history of the human race, has any one man arrogated to himself the right to revolutionize the government of a people unless ho came as a foreign conqueror with a sword in his hand. It is an amazing tiling, a monstrous tiling, an almost incredible thing, that a President of (he United States should appoint himself a minister to a European Peace Conference;'should leave the country and be gone seven months; should secretly spend a hundred million doll am of the people's money, while secretly juggling with foreign poli tic-inns; arid should then come home bringing what he calls a Peace Treaty, but which is, in reality, another government, to he imposed upon this people. It is the most astounding betrayal of trust that history records. Suppose President Wilson should tell Pope! that, during his private conferences with the the Kings, and the Capitalists of Europe, he be¬ came convinced that the American colonists made a huge mistake, when they fought to free them¬ selves from European control. Suppose he should tell you, that ms Tory kim foik, in England were right, in opposing our Whig kinsfolk, in America! Suppose he should say, that we must undo what our revolutionary forefathers did: surren der, to foreign control, the government they estab¬ lished; and renounce the principles for which they sacrificed their lives! Suppose he should . declare, that the most dramatic and conclusve evidence of our sudden change of heart on this subject, would be, to make g public bonfire of the Declaration of Indepen¬ dence! Suppose he should declare, that the most em phatic. proof we can offer Europe of the fact that we have repudiated the time-honored policy of our government, would be, to let the British Ambassa¬ dor publicly hum Washington's Farewell Address, at the foot of the Washington Monument! Should he say such things as these, he would create a tempest of indignation throughout this Union, and his impeachment would be demanded. But his deeds, since his second flection, cannot he translated into any other words. Whaf he has done, is immensely more than equivalent to the destruction of the documents which contain the Declaration, and of the Farewell Address. He has signed away Independence, itself: he has signed away the Americanism of the Farewell Address :' he has surrendered what our forefathers iron from his. He would have done us infinitely less harm, had he only blown-up (lie Washington Monument, desecrated every Revolutionary grave in America, trampled upon the Hag of every Slate in the Union, and torn down the Stars and Stripes. li the Senate ratifies the illegal and usiirpa tory acl of the President, the Senate will ha \o become an accomplice in crime, and its action will not bind the Country. Our Constitution puts die world on notice. I dial the President and tins Senate have’ no author¬ ity to make another government, and another con slitution. overriding that which they swore to de¬ fend. protect, and preserve, Every man here, and elsewhere in the Union, must speak out, in this crisis of our national fate. Every man can send a telegram to bis Congress¬ man and bis Senators. Tf not a telegram, then a letter: if not a letter, then a post-card. ben thousand night telegrams, pouring into Washington City, and reaching Congress every morning, will do more to scotch and kill this in¬ fernal League of Treason, than all (he speeches of ■Senators Johnson, Borah, Reed, and La Collette. Let the plain people of the whole, country rouse themselves and express themselves, and keep on expressing themselves. Demand that every Congressman come out openly and publicly or» the People's side, in this fearful crisis: and if he doesn't do it, sharpen your knives for his political scalp, next tear. It will soon come! The day of the down-trod den common civilians of this war-mad country, wit soon come. The Day of Judgement for the officials wj; lied to you, ran over you, insulted you, defied vo wronged yen in ways you never could have dream¬ ed of. will soon he Jure. In 1920, this republic will rock with the mightiest political battle that ever shook its foun¬ dations. 1 want to be alive and strong, to help lead you in that fight. 1 want you to be alive and strong, to follow me in that fight. Will you do it? Hold i p von: hands! (All hands went up). It is the old. old battle of freedom, bequeath ed fr m sire to son. It is (he old. old cause for which Leonidas and ■ds three hundred died: tHo same for which Arnold Winkelreid and Andreas Hofer died: the same for which Hampden and Sidney died: the same for which American patriots died, at Ala¬ mance, at L’ xingi. n, at Bunker Hill, at Brier jjreek, ai Gmlf.rd Court I .use., at Camden, at Augusta, at Savannah, at the Cow pens, at Eutaw Springs, at King’s Mountain, and at York!own. ■Sons of those heroic sires, be true to them! Rebaptize your souls in the patriotism that inspired them. Resolve, before high Heaven, that they shall not have died in vain. Away with all past differences between Democrats, Populists, and Republicans! Away with the passion* and prejudices of party. Americans! Let us consecrate ourselves to a restoration of the inherited principles of American liberties arid American principles. Let us get out of Europe, and stay out ! Let us get, out of Asia,and stay out. Let us get out of Woodrow-Wilsonisni. ami stay out—praying God to forgive us for having beeen propagandaed into it. In the great battle of 1920, there can be but two parties, the one that stands for the surrender of your national Independence: the other, deter¬ mined that this Union, preserved at so immense a cost of blo.ocl and treasure in the Secession of the Sixties, shall never again he divided, nor ever again THOMSON INVADED BY CROWD OF 8,000 Town Seethes With Masses From Every State fn Southeast to Hear McDuffie Sage and Other Speakers. Mighty Cheer When Watson Mounts Rostrum—!Meeting to Be Devoted to Discussion of National Issues—-Political Rumors Have If That Watson Will Back Olive and Hardwick in Coming Election. THOMSON, GA., Sept, !>.-—The stage is set un i every feature of the program is ready for the lnon ster mass-meeting today, at which Thomas E. Wat¬ son will be the principal speaker. . Late Thursday afternoon a soothing mass of hu¬ manity began to descend on the McDuffie capital —men and women from every walk of life and of every social degree, from the obscurest of rural dis¬ tricts and from the larger cities, from every countv. every community in the state of Georgia, and from almost every state in the Southeast. The garages are overflowing, the hotels are swamped. Hundreds slept in automobiles, with the clear sky as their only canopy. Many did not sleep at all. Every cot in town was hurriedly pressed into services arid placed in Watson's home, and in the Jeffersonian printing plant, and many of the visitors thereby accommodated for the night. With the arrival of each train, the invasion continues in increasing proportions, and a constant procession unde,' the shadow of a European frown. We the People are the Soveriegn ! At e the People wear the Crown. That Crown shall pass on to the next genera¬ tion. untarnished in its lustre, and radiant with every gem of Anglo-Saxon liberty. Vt e can read our titles clear! By the light of the Revolutionary camp-liies, we can read our titles clear! 1 susrpers have moved our land-lines, and seized upon Held after field that is ours; but by the Hod that made us. we will drive out the trespass¬ ers, and regain full possession of our blood-bought inheritance. BESOLCTIOXS ADOPTED AT THOMSON M FETING. Following Mr. Y\ at son's speech Friday, the fol¬ lowing Resolutions, offered by Rev. Dr. Forester, were adopted: M 11 ERMAS, the Constitution of the United States provides that Congress shall make no law ■'abridging the freedom ; t speech or of the press, or ihe right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government lor a redress of griev¬ ance” : AND WHEREAS, this peaceful assemblage of American citizens desires to exercise the right of assemblage and petition, preserved for (hem in the Constitution; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: (1). That there never has been, nor will there ever be a just reason for withholding these rights from the people. ( 2 ) 1 httl the abrogation of these three great rights under any pretext : is a direct attack upon he very foundation of all our free institutions. (•■)■ That any man. great or small, who lends is aid to the suppression of tree press, free speech r the right, to peaceably assemble and petition the government is in truth an enemy 01 liberty and iust ice. (4). That we believe the proposed League of Nations is a radical departure from the spirit, tra dition ami constitution of our land: and we do most earnestly and sincerely petition the Senate of the 1 nited States to reject this scheme to involve, us for all lime to come in European intrigue and cor¬ ruption. (“E That wo reaffirm our faith in the teach rgs of V shir,glim. Jefferson, and their associates: who saved the Colonies from slavery, and lead them up to wholesome power. (*’)• I hat we commend to the careful study i all our people, the farewell address of George. V; ashington. It is a complete answer to those who have departed from its teachings; and are now sail¬ ing the ship ol state into uncharted seas, with per¬ son thole il ambitions Is of Washington: as its pilots. "Against We especially endorse w< n the insidious wiles of foreign influence, tl conjure you to believe me fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free .people ought, to be constantly awake: since history and ex¬ perience prove, that foreign influence is fine of the most baleful foes ol republican government. But {hat becomes jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial; else it tin* instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it. Exces¬ sive partiality for one. foreign nation, and excessive dislike for another, cause those whom they actuate to see danger onU on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other, heal patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious; while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their rights.” (i). : hat we believe the ultimate hope of lib¬ erty for our people lies in the Democratic Party, and wo should make our fight within its ranks. 18). 'I hat with a Democratic President as pro¬ ponent and an ex-Republican President as chief exponent, the League of Nations is not now a party question, and every patriot may attack its vice without doing violence to his party allegiance or his highest duty as a citizen. (9). That we thank the ITon. Thos. E. Wac son for his able arid patriotic address, which Was in full accord with the spirit of these resolutions. and other transports of human freight are moving on Thomson from every direction. Estimating conservatively, the arrivals for the day’s events up till nine a m. numbered 5,600, and it is a practical certainty that when the mass-meet¬ ing is called to order at ten o’clock by B. J. Stev ens of the Thomson bar, no less than 8,000 eager souls will be assembled on the green hillocks of the court-house grounds. Bending forward to grasp die full significance of the biggest political gather¬ ing in McDuffie, county for many » day. It is apparently a pro-Watson crowd in the main, although a hostile element is present, ^ greatly outnumbered, but in no sense outbraved. More than once did one hear on the street* that- men with views in striking contrast with Watson's would speak, when the meeting was declared wide open to everyone. ( ole Blease will not be on the program. In a (CONTINUED ON I’AGE six.)
