The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-08-24
The Proposed Conference.


We take the following paragraph from a
leading article which appears in the last issue
of the Barnweil Sentinel:
"As the City (of Charlcston) has succeeded
in ousting from rule the carpet bagger and
scalawag, so can the country, by the same in
telligcnt organization and united action. We
invite the leading men throughout the State to
the consideration of this important subject,
and suggest the next Annual Fair in Columbia
as fit time for conference and organization
We understand that leading men from all the
counties have been invited to such a confer
ence, and are hopeful tina. much good will re-
suit from this interchange of thought and
opinion"
Without compact and thorough organization,
and united action, no important movement can
be expected to succeed, and, when we enter
upon the next general contest in South Caroll-
ma, we expect that the whole people will ad.
vance steadily and hopefully towards goal
which shall not be beyond their reach. 1t is
meet and just, therefore, that the Conservative
voters should consider, in due season, the cor
dition of their political affairs, so as to insure
the adoption of a plan of operations which
promises the broadest practical results. Ths,
however, is very far from proving that tle
proposed November Conference will redourd,
in any way, to the advantage of the people OF
the State.
Such Conference can only have advisory
powers. 1t is made up of gentlemen who ale
called together by some two or three prominent
citizens, and the members, in the popular sense
represent themselves alone. Their schem.
would naturally be to discuss the political stu
alton from every point of view, with the hope
of agreeing upon q course of action which TIE
oLo,-, yvIp
they returned to their homes. Calm delibeh-
sable, and we doubt that these can be had, or
any purpose, in the midst of the hurly-buly
of a State Fair. And should settled policy
receive the assent cf the Conference, the mm-
bers must either remain idle and silent, int
which case the Conference is so much labor
lost, or they must take the sense of the people
upon the subject. This involves the holding of
primary meetings to which the action of the
Conference would be submitted for approval or
rejection. The people must have full op,or-
tunity of declaring whether the conclusions
reached by number of gentlemen, assembled
Of their own accord in Columbia, shall bt ac-
cepted as the expression of the wishes o. the
State. Any other manner of working Would,
in appearance at least be an encroacment
upon the public rights of the people.
The opinions of the Conference, as son as
known, would become the subject of gneral
discussion. No policy, however wise, will
please everybody. The criticisms of afcrsa-
ries and the apologies of friends must disturb
the public mind, and, as the township meetings
are held, the excitement will increase. Poor
South Carolina, which Graves tranquility and
rest, which earnestly desires the longest posi-
BILE truce between opposing parties, wtuld be
plunged at once into a heated controversy,
which, developing latent differences of fpinion,
would dishearten the Conservative force before
their adversaries had sounded the first note OF
serious preparation. Agitation, unfst, dis
cord And for what?
The general elections do not take Place un-
til October, 1872. With q sensible platform
and strong candidates, we can, in anvass OF
two or three months, bring out the fhole Con-
servative strength of the State. Nett summer
is time enough to arm for the fray PRIMARY
meetings can then be held, and tb townships
and wards be quietly organized delegates
from the townships and wards VII form the
State Convention, which might neet In July
or AUGUST. When the platform iadopted, the
canvass may properly open, AMI be pressed
vigorously forward until its close
And, moreover, q Conference bid in Novcm-
Der would, in MANY important mtters, be crop
ing in the dark. The members ,ould not fore
see the events of the following six months;
To them the plans of the dometic enemy, and
of friends beyond the border, would be alto
gether unknown. The Conference would, we
repeat, prccipitate South Cardina into an nn,
timely contest. and might fnt when the real
work began, that they had aiopted policy
which the lapse of a few moths showed to be
desperate and mpolitic in tie extreme
We are not informed as tqthc details of the
action which the promoters pf the Conference
desire to take. It is suficiat for us to know
that tho mass of the peopleHhom we represent
believe that such Conferecc can do no good,
and may work great injry to the State
| Charleston Ncws.