Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-10-27
For the Advertiser.
The Anti-StOCk Law Mass Meeting
and lis Queer Election.

EDITORS ADvERT1sER.-The pro-
ceeding Of the late Anti-Stock Law
Mass Meeting at Edgefeld G. H., es-
pecially the queer election that the
meeting ordered, is certainly strange
conduct for white men, who are good
Democrats, to engage in.
If any election in regard to fencing
stock or crops is to be binding and
become part Of the law Of the land,
then only the County Commissioners
could order it and appoint managers.
So, too, any election on the Stock
Law or on any other subject involv-
ing the welfare of the Democratic
party in Edgefeld, to be binding on
Democrats, could be properly ordered
only by the Executive Committee of
the party in the County. Article V
of the Constitution of the Demo cratic
party of Edgefeld expressly provides:
"The County Executive Committee
shall direct and conduct the political
campaigns of the Democratic party Of
Edgefeld."
As the County Executive Commit
tee refused, after full and free discus.
sion to order an election within the
party on the Stock Law, but instead
ordered the sense Of the party to be
taken by petition, how can any good
Democrat either order or vote at a
party election, on the Stock Law, al,-
less he is prepared to set mp as an In.
dependent, and spit upon the organ
lied action of the constitutional au-
thorities Of the party?
Again, either in the administration
Of the civil law Of the land, or in de-
Gliding party question within po-
litical party, who ever heard before
in the history Of the world Of an el5c-
tion being ordered and conducted by
and under the auspices Of those who
maintain the negative Of a proposition?
The thing is 80 absurd and unprece.
dented that it sounds like Joke.
That the majority, must govern is
the rule of true Democracy every
where, and as the majority Of the
County Executive Committee Of the
Democratic party have decided to
hold no election within the party on
the Fence Question, erc1y good DEM
Ocyut aOtH strictly obey Mc..onIy orga's-
i-cez mouthp piece otAis pcrty and aciA
therefore arOid attending Or co'oate.
nanciag m any a0ise M election order
ed Jy the minority acAO also represent
the mcgatire.
Let us stick to the landmarks, or
we shall coon get shipwrecked. The
fact that so many negroes attended
the late negative mass meeting which
ordered this negative election, is ON.
nous. Moreover, this negative
election was ordered by an unorgon
i-ed mass meeting Of so called Demo
crats-not by even minority Of the
organized Executive Cops.1ytee ofthe
Democratic party in OyCounty. It
is confidently asseq@d that il a fair
erection w5T7 H5id Democratic
Club for o member ofy Runty Ex-
ecutive Committee, notS Srth of
the Clubs could elect member op-
posed to fencing stock, if the question
were raised. The petitions which
have been honestly circulated and
signed, prove this. Then why have
any election 'at..alI.? Or rather, why
repeat the election, as Il general sign
ing Of the petitions is virtually an
election to get at the will Of the ina
joriiy? The Constitution OF the State
and Of the United States both recog
niza the right Of the people to. ."reti-
ton fer redress Of grievances, but
they nowhere say there shall be. IN
election on the subject.
Signing petition is not ,only. just
as efiectual, but it is perhaps even a
more honest way TO get at ..well set
tied public opinion,.on gwen mat
ter, imam holding an election. Be-
sides, signing the petition is peace
iul method, whereas holding an elec
ton might result in turbulence and
IN opportunities .tor. orYnm-ioq and
dcreloplng an ncr"cm Phtm the
Democratic party,
II The present members Of The Leg
islature are still in doubt as to which
side ofthe Fence question the majority
of white voters are on, Men nothing
can cn,lighten them, and the voters
must elect men next time aoho orc
not AFRAID Of Tie responsibility Of IN
acting the ~Wof MemooTityi''to h'c.
Entire unanimitv among thirty-ive
hundred white voters about anything
is impossible no'0. ii was possible in
1876, to put do'c" negro 1~le, but We
seem to have forgotten the horrors Of
that in the five years Of freedom we
have enjoyed. However the masses
may have better memories than the
sore-headed politicians give them
credit for The will of the ma ority
is not only Demoryucg, but it is the
voice Of God, and all good democrats
Ill Io;I c,,,,, lou,n Ibo u,rIc nj