Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1884-04-24
For the Advertiser
The Hon. w. H. Zimmerman g.
plies TO "Sayannah River"

MEasRs. EDITORS: | had not Tex.
pected 80 soon to appear again in
your columns, but Savannah Riv-
er's" article in your last issuesde.
mands some remarks at my hands.
Freedom of speech is one Of the Boast
ed rights of American citizenship.
The Commonwealth of South Csroli.
ma, in her Declaration of Rights, in
Section Z, says: "All personssnay
freely speak, write and publishgheir
sentiments on any~subject, being re-.
sponsible for the abuse of that right;
but no laws shall be enacted 70 re-
stain or abridge the liberty Of speech
or of the press" Now, it seems that
Savannah River" is willing to
"csmp outside of the Constitution"
in order to abridge my right to@rite
and publish my sentiments upon
measures involving the public inter-
ests of the Democratic party Of Edge
field County, because, forsooths Il am
a candidate before that party for the
nomination for the State Senate. l
was surprised to hear from thatsource
that it was go especially out of place"
for candidate to discues matters OF
public policy over his own signature,
not boastfully, hut, as I thought,
courteously and fairly. 1t isl taken
for granted that men who aSre to
representative positions shouApos-
sess ordinary intelligence, and should
feel such utter, st in public matters as
to justify an expression of opinion
thereupon. And regardless Of the
Introduction of Savannah River, I"
(who seems to be the oracle FOR hi5
"whole section, y trust that candi-
date or no candidate, I shall always
have the manhood and independence,
whenever have clearly defneb views
on questions of public policy Or prin.
ciples, to express them undisgnlsedly
in propriu persona. l do not claim,
nor have ever claimed, infalibility
of judgment. am as often wrong,
doubtless. as others, in my opinions.
Interchange OF thought andspinion
enables men to draw wise AMI proper
conclusions; and it matters little
whether they al expressed in eocial
gath rings, in public assemblies, or
through the press. {
I neither ask nor desire that the
amendments, suggested to op. County
Constitution, shall be adopted as a
personal favor to me. All that de-
sire is, that they be consldefed upon
their respective merlts, expediercy
and practicaLility. Savannah Riv-
e." says: "If the people want Con-
vention, let them have it. If they
want majority instead of plurality
let them have it." So say I And
go further, and say, if the people
want plurality instead of majority
let them have it. If they yans v'vo
voce instead of ballot, them} have it,
and they a0iN have what they want
and / shall be the last man-to com
plain of their choice.
Savannah River seemSto make
much ads over my boldnssS I cannO,
divine ~hy, unless 'he fearaPoGs5Sa'S
will rob him or his next friend Of his
prestige. 1 do not like thas, and es
pecially when applied to eiivd uOce vot
ing for men. There is a degree O.
modesty and civility due from one
gentleman 10 another. There is 6
certain incivility and want of mod
esty in the act Of boldly Haunting
your. .viva voce vote in the face of fel'
low citizens, to which don't aspire
and which I will never commend
The analogy does not apply in the
case of writer, acknowledging hil
authorship Of an article, touching
public measures, by subscribing BIZ
name thereto, and that Of casting 6
vote in the selection Of men for posi-
tion, viua voce. If 30, then why moi
ask each voter in the primary elec
tions to come forward and Read out
The men of his choice? WoAld "Sa
vannah River" advocate that? Woulc
not his temerity fell him there2 Ther
let US be consistent. BallotiDg il
primary elections is nothingbut bal
loting in general Convention of The
people, congregated at different points
for convenience. The principle is The
same.
AS to majorities, Savannah River
asks the question: Would that be
Democratic, 10 throw out a half doz
en- and run two favorites?" l an
swer yes; it has the sanction Of higf
precedent, in the manner of election
of President Of the United Sta! et
when any one fails to receive a ma
jority vote in the Electoral College
But l would ask whose favorites would
be left out? a plurality vote has
not made them the first nor second
choice, 80 they suffer 10 de1iment
thereby. Rutthsy have the s4dvan'
tage and satisfaction Of a second
choice, which is certainly wortbso
thing. reassert what I said in nv