The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1880-04-22
TFrom the Abbeville Medium.
The State Convention.

ShOWt1 C0HNOt ana HOW "t pV"'s''
!ShouldJe Represeatcd-Pnmary Elections.
A majority Of the press of the State
seem to agree with the position taken
BY the Medium concerning the action
Of the State Convention to be held in
June, and have made it very clear that
to nominate State ticket at so early a
date, particularly in the interests of
apy candidate, would be downright
folIv. We cannot feel assured, how
ever, as to what inhuances will control
the action of that Convention, until it
has been organized, and it is too soon
to assert that it will refuse to submit to
the dictation of those who evidently ex:
pect to control it, therefore we add
a few reflections on State conventions
and primary elections. particularly for
the consideration of the up and middle
country, which is the backbone of the
Democratic party, and by right should
govern it.
Besides selecting delegates to the
National Convention the Legitimate work
of the June Convention is: First, to
form perfect and permanent organiza
tion by the selection of an acceptable
State Executive Committee, as well'as
the President and other officers of the
Convention. A straightout Democrat
from the up country should preside
over the Convention, and we could not
do better than to select some such per-
son as Ex-Governor Perry, of Green
Vile, or the Hon. D. Wyatt Aiken, of
Abbeville, for this position. We cans
not be too careful in the selection of a
State Executive Committee, as our ex-
perieucc in the past has shown. Men
try to use this body as stepping stone
to something higher and more lucrative,
and it is always the objective point
with those who wish to control the
State or party first to get possession and
control Of the Executive Committee.
See the trouble we had with the radi-
cal ana fraudulent debt, owing to the
unauthorized pledges of our State Ex-
ecutive Committee: See the partial,
partizan, 'gagging" process rcsorted to
in 1878, and then see its action in call
ing the juno Convention of this year
in obedience to dictation from head
quarters, and, as many believe, in the in
terest ola particulars set ofring candidates.
The present Executive Committee, with
few exceptions, might be severely and
Justly criticized for its action in many
things, and it should by all means be
thoroughly reorganized so as to leave
out its ambitious wire pulling and office
seeking members.
Besides doing these things and thor
oughly overhauling the machinery, (the
rules and regulations Of the party the
Convention should select day for the
meeting of the second convention, (in-
stead of leaving that matter for the
Executive Committee,) and also estab-
lish new basis Of representation tor
each Of our counties in proportion to
their Democratic voting strength, or
white population, and failing to do this
should order white primary Cor at
least a strictly Democratic primary
election for the whole State, prescrib-
ing the rules and regulations therefor,
The. primary system is by far the
best and most satisfactory, and, as you
have said, we should "stick to it," be-
cause We can by it, not only avoid the
rule of rings and c!iques, and find out
the will and choice Of the the majority
but after this is done we can damn any
man, who refuses to submit to the will
ofthe people and runsas an independent
by calling and forcing him to be radi.
cal, as he is, who resists this final YER
dict Of the party Indepandentism i:
nearly always the product OF some wrong
or unfairness practiced by somo ring OF
clique working through partizen Ex'
ecutive Committees or packed ConVen'
tions.
Our present system of representation
from the various counties in the State
Convention and State Executive Com
mittee is entirely unequal, and unfai
to the up country and if nor corrected
will soon place the State under th'
control of the low country with it
negro and radical constituency.
What right has Beaufort and George
town and other lower country countie
to a full representation in the Stat
Convention for their negro voters
while they have but handful of whit
Democratic voters to assist US in con
trolling and holding the State in tn
interests Of Democracy and good gov
ernment. As it is now, these couEtie
have as much influence in our conven
tions as Sparaanbug, Anderson, or an
of our banner white counties. TIL
State might well follow the example Q
Spartanburg county which has organ
lied its conventions on this plan Of al
lowing each township representation il