The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-20
MIR. STEPHENS AN INDEPENDENT.

NIX. STEPHENS AN 1NDEPENDENf.
Hon. Alexander Fl. Stephens has
written letter to the chairman of the
Democratic party of the Eighth Con-
gressional District of Georgia, in expla-
nation of his recent telegram that he
will "stand for reelection" in which he
says plainly, if not bluntly, that he will
neither seek nor decline nomination
from the Democratic Convention soon to
be held in Thompson, Georgia, and in
the course of his letter he takes occasion
to say:
"But if the Convention shall repudi-
ate me as an unfit representative of Dem
ocratic principles and shall attempt to
rule me out of the Democratic party be-
cause of anything connected with my re-
cent acts or statements, then l say to you
and to them, plainly and distinctly, that
I shall regard their edict as but 9 brutum
tuln,en, issued by an irresponsible faction
of tricksters, and the question whether I
or they are sound in the faith of the
fathers shall be left for the true Democ-
racy of the District, to be settled at the
polls. If this shall produce any division
or dissension in the party, then the re-
sponsibility for the consequences must
rest upon those who have SO sssailed and
so grossly misrepresented me-"
1t has frequently been said by the op-
ponents of Mr.. Stephens that he is a
political bully, but we have never seen
anything from him which approached so
near to q demonstration of the correct
ness of the charge as the language above
quoted. 1t is plain defiance of the
party organization, and is intended to
force himself upon a convention as its
nominee by threats and denunciation
when he feels that his claims to the nom
ination have no stronger basis. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether the Democracy
of Georgia has no more independence
than to be bull-dozed by this letter. If
the convention nominates Mr.. Stephens
in the face of his threats, it will evince a
lack of stamina, if not of self:respect,
which will injure the Democracy of the
whole country more than the election of
Mr.. Stephens over the nominee, by q
union of the radical and independent
vote, could possibly do. As long as he
is elected as the nominee of the Demo-
cratic party, just so long will he be an
influential member of the party for mis-
chief, and in every recurring election he
will continue to force himself upon the
party as its nominee. On the other
hand, if he should succeed as an inde-
pendent, it will be by Republican votes,
and he will hereafter be looked upon in
bis true light as more of Republican
than of Democrat. As it now is, his
utterances are quoted as coming from a
Democrat, while if he should be repudi-
ated by the Democratic party, his arro-
gance in criticism would be credited to
no party. Mr.. Stephens has courted the
issue, and we hope the Democratic Con-
vention will have the resolute indepen-
dence to accept it, and then we believe
by proper canvass the State of Georgia
and the country at large will be relieved
of this dyspeptic representative, who
cares more for himself and his selfish
ambitions, or even his egotistic opinions,
than he does for the political party to
which he processes to belong. Mr.. Ste
phens, from long continuance in Office,
has become infatuated with the belief
that he is the embodiment of the Demo-
cratic party, and that the people, as it
were, belong to him. He forgets that he
has no inheritance to the position of
Congressman, neither has he acquired
any patent right thereto. If he is elect
ed it will either be as the nominee of
the Democracy or by union with the
Radicals. If nominated by the Democ-
racy he will get more than he deserves,
and if he attempts to run against a NOM
ination, he will place his individual pre-
ferment in the balances to be weighed
against the interests of the Democratic
party, and the people of the Eighth Dis
trict will have to choose between the
two. They will have splendid oppor-
tunity to show a devotion to party and
to the cause of true liberty by defeating
Mr.. Stephens. Such an event would do
more to put lasting quietus upon inde-
pendsnt candidates than anything which
could occur in the South. AS the
Eighth District adjoins upper South
Carolina, we feel deep interest in the
approaching convention, and trust the
result will prove that the Democratic
party is stronger and more valuable to
the people than any one man in it.
Senator Davis, of West Virginia, has
been urging the Senate for years to in
vestigate the Treasury Department of