The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-06-30
Is A SPLIT PROBABLE Z?

W0 uO uOI dbEeS Will Jul CSt0emou
contemporary, the Abbeville Press and
Banner, that there is any danger of a
split or bolt in the next Democratic State
Convention, in consequence of any bit
terness of feeling between what it terms
The Hampton and anti-Hampton wing
of the party. There is no doubt that the
Democratic counties of the upper por-
ton of the State feel that they have
been allowed to do much Of the voting
and campaign work in the past, while
other counties have kindly furnished the
ofice-holders; and there can be no doubt
that there is general feeling that this
is the result of combination on tho
part of few men, and that change
must be effected in the next election.
Still we fail to detect any tendency to
split the party over these questions. We
do not believe there is any anti-Hampton
party in South Carolina, unless it be
anti Hampton to think and act for ones
self, and if that be anti-Hampton then
we believe there is such party, and
that it numbers a very large and in.
creasing portion of our people.
There have been many politicians who
have built themselves up on Gov. Hamp-
toms name and favoritism, and his inhu-
ence has been controlling in the State up
to this time. How long it will continue
is matter of uncertainty, but we have
no idea that this issue is to split the
party. If it could do SO, the last cam
paign would have presented q favorable
opportunity for the break, because the
action of the convention in making such
an early nomination was so clearly the
work Of clique and so contrary to the
wishes of large.majority of the people
of the State, that resistance to it could
have been made plausible at least. The
party is too compact for such an effort.
1t is, however, strong enough now to feel
that the people have the right to control
its actions, and in future we apprehend
that more regard will be paid to the
wishes of the Democratic voters of the
State, and less to the arrangements that
may be made by party of gentlemen
who may wish to perpetuate themselves
in Office. For instance, not single State
officer has been selected from any county
lying along the Saluda River, which is
the strongest Democratic belt Of the
State-we might have said no officer was
selected from any county lying above
Columbia, except York-and that these
neglected counties gave three.fourths Of
the Democratic majorities in 1876. This
half of the State is not the only part
that has been neglected. Charleston,
which pays SO much Of the taxes of the
State and possesses so much of its ability,
has also been left out, and other parts Of
the State have been ignored. The feel
ing of dissatisfaction exists all over the
State, and, although the action Of the
last convention was submitted to without
a murmur, it is not to be wondered that
an expression of resistance should now
be heard in order to prevent recurrence
of this arrangement another year. It
may be dis:asteful fact, but, neverthe-
less, it looks now like the people intend
to nominate the next State ticket, and
not to split the Democratic party either.
It will not be done as an anti-Hampton
movement, as our contemporary suggests,
but simply in that spirit Of Democracy
which teaches the voters to believe they
have the right to nominate the men for
whom they are to vote. In the next