The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-01-31
ArALK WITH COL. HOBBS.
..rHE PLAN OF 1850 CHANGE
OF VIEWS.

4 -
general way about his travels and
his stay in Australia, our converse
ton turned upon some of the politi-
cal events of 1880, and ran substan-
tally as follows:
"Col. Hobbs, it is reported that
your political convictions have un-
dergone a change since 1880, and,
as you formerly had many friends
in Newberry, perhaps you would
like to say something on the SUBJ
ject."
"Yes, have something to say on
that subject, which you may pub
lish or not, as you see fit. The
people generally suspected that /
was misled and ill-advised in 1880,
and / confirm their suspicious. I
was shamefully advised and aban-
doned in race that was not of
my seeking, and certainly not of
my bringing about. leading Dem
ocrats took advantage of my zeal
and liberal convictions to use me as
a fgurehead in a movement which
they had not the courage openly to
champion. I found this out too
late. Once in the breach, with the
press and the clubs firing at me, I
| was left to make the fight and meet
| fba resnlts alone
by what plan did you hope to
meet with success p
II will give you the plan. In
1880, I was sent for by an infuen-
tial Democratic leader, whose name
I need not call, who unfolded his
plans to me. | was seen by other
honorable gentlemen Democrats,
ALI on the same subject, and I was
asked all around to represent a gen.
eral movement Of the opposition
Democrats-political soreheads of
the late State convention, perhaps.
The whole matter was sub rosa, of
course. When our movements was
under foot, a convention was to
meet quietly in Columbia, q few
/ days before the day ofeleetion, and
nominate the spirit and mover for
| Governor, and others for the.ofices
of the unpopular nominees of the
! regular ticket. / was rendered
| either of the other nominations ex-
| cept that for Attorney General
| this offer I declined Thompson
and Richardson were to be en-
dorsed. Having thus semblance
of a Democratic nomination Of some
kind, the new nominees were to
make short, bold and vigorous
appeal to the people, before the
press had time to work down the
opposition to the weak candidates
on the regular ticket
! '.Wbat did you expect to accom-
| plish by a movement of that sort,
| if successful %
4 was in favor 4ef. the movement
~
because of the men who we're work
| ing it, and because it was in the
| direction of my pet dream-Liber-
alism. / am as zealously and hon
estly opposed to it now, because
reflection and the more mature
thought of hard experience tell me
| it was wrong l am and always
was bitterly opposed to Radicalism
IL am also opposed to fossil Dem
oeracy. A progressive government
of liberal Democrats was my dream,
and to this I honestly worked. I
see now that the plan was wrong.
This plan Of Democratic re-organi-
cation was unsound in principle or
policy. The plan was for the liber-
/ al, progressive element to leap into
the arena, and force the fossils out;
but I have sounded the planks of
this platform, and they are rotten.
!. confess this. I now see that the
result aimed at can be accomplished
only by correcting the defects ofthe
press democratic organization
s6ould be done in the lines by
We wedding process. / am,
and have always been Democrat
/ in principle"
s:You are convinced, then, that
you blundered in 1892"
/ .Yes, / know have made many
blunders and mistakes, and / feel
| no less man because l have the
manhood to admit them. If the
public sees fit to indict me for being
political fool, I am not prepared
to plead .'Not Guilty" In mitiga-
ton, howeyer.I give the honesty of
my purpose, the secret and unmanly
abandonment of me by my advisers
and hackers, and the inexperience
of youth. l ask no man S pardon.
/ simply plead to my mistakes,
purposes, and blunders, and accept
the verdict of any honest mind as
to my guilt
"Upon what course have you de-
termined p
..After spending a few weeks in
Edgefeld and Lexington Counties,
i viii settle in Atlanta and practice
my profession, devoting myself es-
pecially to Criminal and Corpora
ton, or Railroad Law.
In February of 1882, Col. Hobbs
went to Australia by way of the
Golden Gates" While there he
acted as agent for the Pacific Pub
fishing Co. He recently returned by
way of the Holy Land, and Eng
land. He gives a very interesting
account of his travels. He brought
with him valuable collection of
I