The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-01-26
AN INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT.
shainefaccd, Weakened Poiiticians Com
spring to Organize Opposition To the
Democrncy-An Anderson Man Among
the Number.
DipateA u Neu, uM cour:cr.


COLUMBIA, January 20.
A political conference was held in one
Of the Senate committee rooms last night
between number Of white men and
Miller, the colored Republican Senator
from Beaufort. Thirteen white men, all
OF whom are said 10 have been Demo
crats, were present. They hailed from
seven counties and were all from the up
country, excepting one, who was from
Charleston. Greenyillc and Anderson
counties were represented, but the name
Of the parties present are refused by
Miller, who says the object Of the meet
ing was TO ascertain the meaning OF his
recent speech on the registration bill,
and to adopt some plan for future politi-
cal action independently Of the Demo
cratic organization. The strictest secrecy
is preserved as 10 the results Of the de-
liberatious. Miller, who is Vice -Presi-
den. of the Republican Executive Com
conference Of Republican leaders, or
that any appointment Of conference in
February has been made.
COLUMBIA, January 22.-The dispatch
10 the News and Courier concerning the
mysterious conference Of thirteen white
Democrats with the colored Republican
Senator from Beaufort on Thursday night
has created considerable speculation in
political circles. 1t is not certainly
known w.io the white men were, but from
various circumstances which have come
10 light it has been pretty well deter
mined that j. Hendrix McLane, the
Grccnback prophet from Feastcrvilc,
w. w. RUSSELL a prominent Granger
from PendletOn, Anderson county, and
ex-Judgc Thompson II. Cooke, Of Green
Vile, were in the conference. OF course
| do not state positively that they were
present, but circumstantial evidence
strongly supports the conviction that they
| took au active part in the mopgrel con-
| spiracy which is intended to disrupt the
! present Democratic organization and
secure control Of the State government.
On the night Of the conference Nc
| Lane was with Miller, and several days
ago Col. l.. J. Patterson, the Senator
from kershaw county, was approached
| by Russell with the request that be would
use his influence to have the Grange
adopt the new paper which McLanc is
about to establish at this place as its Off
| cal organ. The proposition was that
the paper would devote one column tc
the advocacy Of Grange principles if the
Grange would recognize and support it
1t is hardly necessary to say that Col
Patterson most cmphalically declined tC
have anything to do with the paper
Russell was present ut my recent inter
view with McLane, he has been closely
associating with the Grcenback apostle
for several weeks, he made the PROPOSE
ton to Col. Patterson above related, anC
he was in Columbia on last Thursday
But little importance would attach to al
this, however, if it were not true tina
other agencies are ut work and Other
scheme. on foot to bring about n coali
ton between the disatiected Democrat.
throughout the State and the regular Re
publican organization.
Last night met the Rev Bruce vii
liams, the colored Republican Senator
from Georgetown County, on the stree
and applied my interviewing pump will
indifferent success. He would net sa,
what precise line of action would b.
adopted in the coming campaign, bu
declared that the present Democratic
party could not hold together, that it wa
already going to pieces, aud that it woult
certainly meet with vigorous aud deter
mined opposition throughout the Stat,
in the approaching struggle. He said
moreover, that the plan which he hat
adopted in Georgetown County two year
ago would be the plan adopted for tn,
State Mt large. 1t amounts, in Il few
words, to n fair and equal distribution o
the offices without regard to race or par
ty affiliations. Under this arrangement
in Georgetown County the Senator ant
one Representative in the Legislature
the judge Of probate, the school com
missioner and one county commissioner
were elected from the Republican party
and one Representative, the sheriff, The
clerk of court, the coroner and twt
county commissioners were taken from
the Democratic party. \ similar distri
button Of the Offices in the remainin.
counties of the State and in the executive
department OF the government will b.
adopted by the new party as one Of tn,
strongest plaUks in its platform, upor
which, according to the Georgetowr
Senator, many of the most inflnentia
Democrats of the State will take thei
stand.
When | asked my victim what would
be the controlling issues of the campaign
he declined to say, upon the ground tba
it was ''too early to go into PARTICULARS
He declared, however, that the presen
Legislature had succeeded in making
great many issues, and was confden
that they would be used 10 good accoun
in the campaign. This view is not helt
Ey him alone, for, as Democrat of tn,
straightest sect told me yesterday, "i
seems as if the Legislature is bent OF
kicking up r0w." 1t is intimated tha
the public will not be in suspense for ,
great while, and that the plans and pur
poses of the new party people will short
ly be given full circulation.