The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-05-05

dition of mental and political bondage.
Unless these shackles are broken and
they would use the opportunity to assert
their citizenship and come out into the
light and liberty which was their right,
he was afraid that when the era of the
New South did come it would find the
lands of the farmers in the hands OF
aliens, and the sons of the present own
ers sunk into a condition of slavery more
abiect and degraded than that of the
slaves which their fathers held.
ssSay, you men Of South Carolina, y
exclaimed Mr.. Tillman, s'who own the
soil and pay three-fourths Of the taxes,
how do you take this system of dry nurs-
ing, this intolerable insolence?" He
urged upon them to find out what was
the wish of the farmers on this subject
and then so home, and in the primary
assemblies aid in securing true men to
represent them, he cared not what was
their calling, whether lawyers, doctors,
preachers or what not, so that they We're
prepared to do that which was for the
best interest of the farmers and ali other
classes.
What the farmers wanted was self
government. Since 1876 the negroes
had been corralled in a convict camp
with the Democratic party as a guard
over them. The guards had sunk into a
deep sleep, while a favored few had been
foraging the fields and reaping all the
benefits and emoluments. He earnestly
protested his loyalty to the Democratic
party, and said that ':no private citizen
had done or risked more than he had in
1876" If the reforms advocated by him
were adopted he believed that the bottom
would be reached, and the future would
be bright with hope and not dark with
gloom as now.
In the years in which he had struggled
to his present position as a farmer he had
learned little about farming, and when
he came to die he would probably have
learned about as much as he might have
learned in four years at well conducted
Agricultural College.
Capt. Tillman's address (of which the
above is but an imperfect synopsis was
well received, and was repeatedly ap-
plauded.
At the close of his address Capt. Till
man declared the Convention ready for
business.
DR.. w. H. Zimmerman, Of Edgefeld,
nominated the following-named gentle
men as temporary officers: Chairman, j.
E. TindaN. Vice-Presidents-First Dis
t1ict, W. T. Brooker, Lexington; Second
District, W. J. Talbert, Edgefield; Third
District, J. A. Sigh, Newberry; Fourth
District, N. L. Donaldson, Greenville;
Fifth District, J. H. Hardin, Chester;
Sixth District, E. L. Stackhouse, Ma
rion; Seventh District, George Upper,
Coneton. Secretaries-O. F. Cheatham,
Edgefeld, and Thomas ". Holloway,
Newber1y.
The Chair appointed Messrs. Thinner
man, Stackhouse and Thomas commit
tee to inform the Chairman of his cleo
tion, and they retired and soon returned
conducting Mr.. Tindall to the platform.
Mr.. Tindan returned his thanks in a
graceful speech, concluding as follows:
'sThe grandest of all Civilizations is
that which is built upon the social
country life Of an intelligent and virtu-
Gus people. It shall be only necessary
for this intelligent body to announce
their wishes, and there will be found
no party in the State who will have the
temerity to stand in the way of their en-
forcement."
A committee on credentials, consisting
of one member from each County, was
appointed, to whom it was referred to
examine credentials. The committee re-
tired, and the Convention took recess
till P. NJ.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
On motion, Commissioner A. P. But
ler and Master j. n. Lipscomb of the
State Grange were invited to seats OF the
floor OF the Convention.
Mr.. Allen, of Spartanburg, moved
that Governor Thompson be invited to
address the Convention. Mr.. Evans, of
Chesterfield, opposed the motion ard it
was lost.
Mr. Williamson, of Sumter, moved to
reconsider. Mr.. John j. Dargan sug-
gested a rising vote. If there were OBJ
jections or charges against the Governor
they should be made openly.
Mr.. Evans disclaimed any reflection
on the Governor, either as an official or
as an individual. He simply meant that
the time of the Convention should not
be taken up with general speech-rakmg.
The Chairman ruled the discussion out
Of order, as the Convention was not YET
organized.
After little further debate motion to
receive the report of the Committee on
Credentials was carried, and this report
was made by Mr.. Clarkson, of Richland.
The list Of delegates included the names
of two hundred and seventy-fve per-
sons-every County in the State being
represented except Barnwel, Beaufort,
Georgetown and Hol1y.
The report was adopted and the tenn
porary organization was made perma-
nent.