Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-06-10

Convention nominated electors now they
would be electing gentlemen to support 6
President who had not been nominated anc
platform which had not been framed He
protested against placing the people of South
Carolina in such humiliating position. The
State would be manacled by the National
Convention and would be compelled to sub
nit docilely to any action that that Conven
ton might choose to take Fourth, noml
nations at the present time will cause dis
sension and destroy the unity and harmony
of the party. He considered that it would be
harsh measure to force nominations on SC
large minority of the people of the State
and the result would be tendency to apathy
and indifference and disgust among very
large portion of the members Of the party
There would be paralysis and want of en-
thusiasm among the people, while, ifa post:
ponement was agreed to, the party would
have time to heal all differences and settle
down upon candidate who would represent
the whole epeople. In conclusion, Gen: Harllee
moved that the minority report be adopted as
substitute for the majority report.
Mr.. Andrew Crawford, of Richland, follow
ed Gen. Harlee. He said he had but one
point to submit to the the Convention, and he
spoke as an unqualified and ardent support
er of Gen. johnson Hagood. 1t was said on
the streets everywhere that this was Hagood
Convention, and that if they did not nominate
him now, when August came it might be
found that he was not the man for the place,
and third party might be brought into the
contest. If Gen. Hagood was the represen:
tative of the Democratic party to. day he would
be their representative in August and No
vember next, and he thought it very danger
Gus course to rush ahead and make nomina-
tions now, because it was feared that certain
candidates would not be as strong later on.
Such action, he said, was calculated to create
dissension and dissatisfaction among the
members of the Democratic party, which the
party could very i'll afford to give cause for.
Mr.. T. M. Gilland, of Williamsburg, ia.
vored early nominations. In the first place,
he said the objection of those favoring the
report of the minority that it would be incon-
sistent to nominate electors for President
not vet nominated was unreasonable. When
South Carolina sent her delegates to Cincin.
natl she committed herself to abide by the
action of that convention, and it was unrea-
sonable to say that South Carolina, one of
the smallest in the Union, would turn aside in
disgust from any nomination that the Nation
al party might make. As to the point that
the campaign would be precipitated, he said
the campaign had already begun, and the
people were reaching out for a leader around
whom they might rally with perfect conf
dence. In addition to this, the executive
committee, in whom the people had perfect
confidence, were instructed so to manage the
campaign that the interests of the agricul-
tural sections might not suffer. He had no
fear of Indepepdentism. Once leader was
placed in the field the people would heal their
little differences and come together in support
of their common liberty. With these facts in
view, he saw no reason why the majority report
should not be adopted.
Mr.. J. G. Callson, of Edgefeld, opposed
the majority report. He could hardly be-
lieve that Convention, composed of the wis.
dom of the State, would do thing so rash
and so inconsistent as to nominate Electors
for President who was not yet nominated.
In his opinion, those favoring early nomina-
tions were large minority among the voters
of the State. Under instructions from his
County Convention he would not vote for a
State officer if the Convention should decide
to 20 into these nominations now. The up.
country wanted time to settle upon candi.
date who would be acceptable to the entire
party. The result of postponing the nomina-
tions in 1875 was the nomination of Hamp.
ton instead of Chamberlain, and so it would
be now. If nominations were forced upon
the people now it would create lukewarm.
ness and apathy which might prove disas-
the party.
Mr.. B. W. Ball, of Laurens, favored the
majority report. The other side had raised
a great cry, he said, about the traditions Of
the party. The Democratic party in South
Carolina had no traditions since reconstruc-
ton. Hampton was the only candidate the
Democratic party had had, and it required
more than one candidate to create precedent
Delegates had been elected to Cincinnati
and they would take part in framing plat.
form for the Democratic party. The State
Democratic party had no platform as yet
and would most likely adopt the platform Of
the national party. The Convention was not
assembled to follow in the beaten track of
usage, but to act for the best interests Of the
people. He thought that nominations by
the present Convention was greatly to be de-
sired.
Gen. j. w. Gray, of Greenvile, stated that
he was member of delegation which had
been instructed to vote against early nomi
nations, but in the event of the nominations
being made by the present Convention to vote
| co. Non uorooJ Ha ho1iouo6 hot tho
counties were entirely unprepared for nomi'
nations now The twelve counties who op'
posed the majority report contained ma
jority of the Democratic voters of the State.
The chief objection to present nominations,
in his opinion, was the election Of electors to
support platform that had not been framed
and to vote for President not yet nomi.
mated.
Mr.. James Aldrich favored the majority
report. He denied that the election of elect
ors for President would bind the Democratic
party of the State to the action of the Nation.
al Convention any more than the election OF
delegates to that convention would do. Those
who said that there would be apathy and
indifference in the part if the nominations
were made at present, were those who were
inclined to be Indifferent now if they could
not rule. So far as he was concerned, if the
majority decided to postpone the nomination,
he would bow to to their wisdom and give
his whole hearty support to whatever action
they should take.
Mr.. j. H. Earle said he had at first been
inclined to oppose nominations at the present
time, but after hearing the arguments which
had been submitted, he had come to the con.
clusion that it was best to have the nomina-