The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-06-01
TIE COUNTY CONVENTION.

Full Attendance Of Delegates General Brat
ton Elected County Chairmnn--The GU
bernatorial 1ucstion-No Juno Nominal
tions--Interesting Observation-Disclosures of
Delegates to tho Different Conventions.
Pursuant to tho call Of the Execu-
tive Committee, the Democratic Coun-
ty Convention assembled in the Court
House on Saturday at eleven o'clock.
General Bratton, County Chairman,
Gale! the Convention to order. He
said: ..."
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoNvENT1oN:--
When we met two years ago deemed
it my duty warn YOU against indiffer-
once to the election then pending, as it
was tho slirmisll for position for the
great contest ofthis year. lfthorough
reorganization was important then,
how much more SO is it now! lam
happy to state that tho Indications are
that our county organization was ncv-
cr in better condition than at this time,
and it need never be. Caution against
personal or local preferences or dis
sansions is unnecessary. We must COLI
slider the stupcndous issues now pre-
sented to the people of the United
States. The contest is between gov
crnmcnt on one hand and the people
on the other. The arrogance of Office
which has assumed to take the control
OF affairs must be checked. In this
crisis. ifthc people do not rise, If there
is not a perfect upheaval, then libcr-
ty has reached its pn acle and is be-
ginning rapidly to dccline-thcn, in
deed, will the people soon have de-
scendcd to degradation. This Anglo
Saxon liberty, started amid opposition
and difficulty, was at last established,
and it finally landed In this country,
Now, we have liberty sacrificed to
party. Our forefathers built up q tenn
pie of liberty according to the most ad-
vanccd ideal yet attained, and settled
the question of tho right Of the people
to govern. The first struggle was in
tho convention of 1889. Tho trainers
of our system of government then de-
voted themselves to the Important
work Of establishing constitutional
government They cast aside all per-
sOnal considerations and all desire for
personal power. Now, lot us look at
our present condition. The law is
still Che same. There is no power i'm
tho ofilcer-it is all in tho office. The
constitution, the written law Of the
land, has been amended. Certain
forms were necessary to these amend
ments, when tho people should desire
them. And those people were them
selves to make the amendments. Thus
it will be seen that tho real power, the
ultimate sovereignty, is in tho people.
The constitution not only settled the
question Of sovereignty, but establish
cd certain forms Of government, and
certain forms to be used whom any
change should be needed in tho fundN.
mel til law. The sovereign people
made the government their creature.
This constitution was the most adj
vanced form of liberty and govern
ment known to tho civilized world.
But q few years passed, and the party
IN power openly avOwed that they had
.scamped outside tho constitution"
This they sought to justify by the ex-
traordinary condition of things then
existing. That act of arbitrary
power has been followed by others un-
til the question is now presented to the
American people whether they will
maintain tho liberties they and their
fathers have fought for, or will give
up this government established by
such stupendous efforts. We are in tho
midst Of a great civil crisis. The
greatest American general is about to
be recalled to tho Presidential chair.
The: question for the people is, Shall
we support him and go outside of the
constitution, or shall we still dwell
within Its lines? This is the tremend-
ons question before us all. We, of
Fairfield county, are Just as much In
{ terested in Its discussion as any other
portion Of this nation composed aa st
10 offfty millions Of people--as If we