The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-31
Things In Washington.

Inc hepuDllCau OOnHIcesloual Ooin
mittee have already got to work and
mapped out q plan of campaign. The
South is to be fought for in every Dis.
trict where the census shows a negro
majority. Contests will be invited, and,
in case of q Democratic minority in the
next House, seats from our section of
the country will be vacated By wholesale.
It is necessary for the Democrats to car
ry the Presidency to save the House be-
yond peradventure, so that, incidentally,
the Republicans may be baked in the
design of appointing managers of cleo
tions with all the powers of returning
board, Confronted with such danger,
it is the supreme of folly to insult the
business interests of the country and
risk defeat that will put US back twenty
years. This practical view. the keynote
of which sounds in every syllable of
Henry B. Payne's speech, has made not
q few tariff reformers wake up from
lunacy into which the Whiskey Ring
had led them.
It is thought here that Mackey, of
South Carolina, has been given the pat
ronage OF his State, in order to fix a del
egation in favor OF Arthur or Gresham
for President, The latter has posed be-
fore the country hitherto as civil ser.
vice reformer. and his opinion OF South
ern Republicans has been expressed in
the same way that Vanderbilt anathema'
tised the public. But recent events e1-
hibit him in different light. The over
whelming majority of the decent people
of Bamberg, white and black, petitioned
that the widow of the deceased Republi.
can postmaster should have his place !;
but Mackey had determined upon a ne
gro named johnson, member of the
State Republican Committee, and that
settled it with Mr.. Gresham. The
Clafin University professors went on the
negro's bond. Mr. Tillman made an
earnest appeal for the widow lady, but
in vain. She had no vote and did not
run primaries. The Edgefeld philoso-
pher ard statesman gave the Postmaster.
General dignifed rebuke and retired.
So much for Civil Service Reformer
Gresham.
The idea of nominating Butler and
Payne meets with favor In some quarters
and hostility in others. This Was to be
expected. Some people think that the
sentimental South would reject the Mas
sachusetts politician, because of some
old sins of his which are ranked with
offences against the Holy Ghost-not to
be forgiven in this world or the world to
come. A very shrewd Democrat, On the
other hand, says: "The nomination Of
Butler and Payne is not what | would
ordinarily prefer; but our party has been
put into such q ridiculous attitude by
provincial enthusiasts that something
out of the common run must be done to
secure victory next year. Butler and
Payne would at least divide the capital
of the country in political contest, and
behind Butler the laboring masses and
every element of discomfort would as:
semble. He would set the East and
West on fire and would neutralize the
best laid plans of the Republican ma.
chine. The hell that yawns for the Re:
publican mouster would belch behind
him Until the Democrats can get the
veto power and the patronage, they are
impotent to reform anything. They can
secure neither by being controlled by
their Don Quixotes. In my opinion, the
majority OF the Southern people want to
see a change of Administration; but
they are not apt to do so while led BY
the nose by village lawyers, college pro-
fessors, rural enthusiasts and senLimen.
tai dudes" This language may not
please some persons. l give it, however,
as it vas spoken to me, leaving the reader
to accept or reject it, as the case may be.
Correspondence Chronicle and C6nst'tu'
honaiist.