The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-01
THE COUNTY CAMPAIGN.
v,ps ,vn DEVICES OF TIE LOCAL L
~ MaCcRIdHELLIdNS.
rbe Perennial split in tho haa'n .s.
R,nas-Bowsn and maekey ON .,aas @
war Patn-The Coming Cohse 49,
and the Inevitable boits-A
score Of Sample Candidates.

D.,n-The Coming Conventions
IN. Inevitable BoIts-A Few
score Of Sample Candidates.
The Republican politicians of Charleston
Com. " are now In the very miost oi 'ue
trouble and turmoil of their biennial strueel7
for MACE and pelf, aud in the full enjoyment
of the perennial split in their Interesting
party. The actual battle for the county Oh
fees will not, to be sure, begin In earnest lot
some weeks yet, but such Is the emulous
strife of the opposing factions that they are
taking time by the forelock and measuring
swords tor preliminary contest over the
delegation TO tue. State Convention, TO meet
IN Columbia on the 2lst Of this month Ihe
RenubIican patty of this county, as every one
knows who ls familiar at all WIFI 'ne 'o.a,
affairs of the dominant party, ARE oiv'oeu
. into Two great factions headed respectively
no Messrs. C. C, Bowen and W. N. Mackey,
and f. Ia also well known that this division 10
absolutely Irreconcilab!e, 1t Is a "bloody
chasm" not to be brldged over by any possible
compromise, and which can only end as did
the differences of opinion between the historic
Kilkenny CATS Both parties, OF course, are
opposed to the Democrats, and hate them IN
mild way. and on general principles, but for
each other they have deep and abiding ha-
tired which is always uppermost. Therefore,
with the approach of every political campaign
each faction assumes Its war paint. digs up the
hatchet and gets on the war path, While the
bewildered negroes who form the vast bulk OF
both constituencies are crushed between Ihe
two blades of the political scissors.
The latest and present apple OF discord is
the approaching State convention, and as tne
political movements are now developing, IL
= appears pretty evident that there will be TWO
delegations from Charleston County to claim
admission to that assemblage, and perhaps
two distinct county conventions to cnose
those delegations. The State convention
having been called for the 2lst inst, BY Lieu
tenantG Governor Rsnsier, chairman OF the
State committee, the chairman of the county
committee, Rsv. R. q. Cain, proceeded, as
was bis undoubted prerogative, to call the
county convention for the 18th Of August. In
that call the county chairman confined him.
from each ward and parish, and LETT It TO
the ''chairman OF the city central execu-
tive committee for the City of Charles.
ton, and the local chairman of the county
parishes to s'provide for the county
meetings.n Under this authority Captain E.
B. Aason, staunch Bowenite, who Is the
sschairman of the city central executive COM
mittee." ian organization called into being by
the municipal campaign of last summer,) pro-
ceeded to call primary meetings for next
Thursday evening. the 9th instant, and to ap-
point three inspectors Of election in each
ward, Of whom the majority may reasonably
be supposed tG be good friends Of Mr. Bowen.
Atthis, 1t is said, the Mackeyites took alarm,
and sending to the Rev. Cain at Columbia
procured from him Supplemental CALL" In
which he revoked the authority to the city
and county chairman above mentioned,
and commended that primary meetings be
held In the various wards on the night
Of Friday, the 9th. instant. This was
so.t- Of political Injunction on Mr..
Artson, intended to restrain him from Issuing
his contemplated call for. the primary cleo
tions on the 9th. Mr. Artson, however, did
not refrain worth cent, but proceeded NOR
daciously and In contempt of Cain to publish
his cali In the Daily Republican of the next
day ''regardless of the supplementary call OF
Rev. B. b. Cain, of the 2ath August, Tor the
reason that his call Of ths I'D was issued In
good faith, and that there Is no misunder
standing in the matter by the Repub leans
generally, but simply dissatisfaction by q
few self.willed men. And believing that the
Republican party is not to be tampered with
by the county chairman, nor to be bartered
away for price,"
Il will be seen that In the language Of Sir
Iucius 0Trlgser, 1T Is a very pretty quarrel
as 1t stands" The Bowsnltes are to meet on
the sth instant to elect their delegates, and
the Mackeyites are to follow suit on the 9th.
The friends of Mr.. Bowen claim that they will
have aR advantage by eloctlng their men on
the first night, and then, by throwing their
whole strength again into the camp of the
enemy on the second night, electing them over
again; and hey claim that by these tactics
they will at least carry i've of the eight wards
in the city, which, with their admitted strength
in the country parishes, will give them the
control of the convention. This, however, is l
only the prospect as seen through Bowen |
spectacles aud The Mackeyites claim that they
Will have things all their own way. inasmuch
as their primary meetings are called by the
direct authority Of the county chairman, and
therefore are the only Irregular" meetings.
Both are confident, aud all are irreconcll-
sbles, and the result must be two county con-
ventlons, the only actual struggle being as to
which faction shall crowd the other out and
compel 1t to take upon itself the onus of bolt
ing, Then there will also be two delegations
to the State convention, and that fact will
doubtless percipltate the bolt that seems cer-
tain to be made in that body, foT the Mackey-
ties Of Charleston are the backbone of the
6cott faction, while the Bowenites expect to
crystallze unto themselves all the Reform ele- |
ment In the Republican party, which are re-
presented By such men as Orr, Corbiu and the
other Radical Reformers, and which are said
to be supported by President Grant and the
national administration. This story, however,
Of Grants supporting Governor Orr and his
adhereRts, in their attacks upon the Scott |