Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-05-06
FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS.

FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
MORNING SESSION.
The State Convention of Farmers, called
to meet in Columbia on Thursday last, was
attended by about three hundred delegates,
every county in the State except George
town being represented. me ConVehtioli
was composed largely of middle-aged ana
elderly men, though several of the dele
gates were of the younger generation, ana
among them were a dozen of the members
of the last Legislature, two or three lawyers,
about a dozen doctors, three or four editors
and quite a number who combine merchan-
dising with farming. 1t is fair to conclude
that all the professional men in the onVen-
ton, not excepting even the editors. are
identified with the farming interests OF the
State.
The Convention was held in Agricultural
Hall, nearly every seat in which was occupl-
ed long before the hour advertised tor the
proceedings to begin. Promptly at II O'Clock
Capt. Tiliman entered and was greeted
with rounds of applause. He walked up
direct to the platform and ascending IT.,
without any preliminaries called the con,
yention to order and proceeded to read
from manuscript a lengthy address setting
forth the objects and purposes or the Con
vention and the causes which lea 10 the
calling of a meeting of representative laTm-
ers of the State at the present time: Ills
address occupied an hour in its delivery,
and as we shall print it in full next week,
a SYNOPSIS here is deemed unnecessary,
At the conclusion of the address capt.
Tillman said that the next business IN order
would be the election of temporary oftlcers
of the Convention and asked that some
member would make the nominations
DR.. w. H. Zimmerman, of Edgeheld,
then presented the following list, agreeu
upon by the committee, and on motlon the
gentlemen were unanimously eiected;
Chairman-James E. Tinda!l, OF C!aren-
don; Vice. residents-First District, w: /.
BROKER, Lexington Second Dlstrlct, w.
Talbert, Edgeield; Third District, >; a.
Donaldson, Greenville; Fifth District, j. II.
Hardin. Chester Sixth District, E. L.. Stack
house. Marion; Seventh District, George
Tupper, Colleton, Secretaries-O. +. Cheat
ham, Edgefeld; Thos. w. Holloway, New
berry.
The Chairappointed Messrs. Zimmerman,
Stackhouse and Thomas a committee to
inform the Chairman of his election, and
they retired and soon returned conducting
Mr.. Tindall to the platform.
Mr.. Tindall briefly rendered his thanks
for the honor, throwing himself upon the
kind consideration ofthe body for any short
comings during the brief period OF MS tem-
parry Presidency of the convention. ~
He recognized that we are in the transl-
ton state in South Carolina as to our laws
and industries, and it was the duty OF the
farmer to endeavor to heal the causes which
had produced or accelerated the evils under
which they labored, and to examine into all
things which would either retard our prog
ress or advance our interests.
The first thing to be done was to see that
the farmers of the State were thoroughly
organized, for without it nothing would De
accomplished. They would be without the
knowledge of the wrongs under when they
suffer, or the power to redress them II known.
They should realize that the farmers IN the
Legislature were but a mob without unity
of interests.
The grandest of all civilizations was that
which was built upon the social country
life of an intelligent and virtuous people.
It would be only necessary for this lntelll,
gent BODY to announce their wishes, and
there would be found no party in the State
who would. have the temerity to stand IN
the way of their enforcement.
The chairman then ordered the roll OF
counties to be called, and as each was called
the Chairman presented a list to the Secre-
taries. A committee of one from each
county, nominated from the floor, was ra!s-
ed to examine credentials and report the
delegates to the convention.
The Convention then, at 80, took a recess
until 3 p. NJ.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
On the reassembling of the Convention,
the committee on credentials not having
appeared to make their report, b. r.. Ill
man offered a resolution that Hon. "A. L;
Butler, Commissioner of Agriculture, ana
Hon. j.. n. Lipscomb, Master OF State
Grange, be invited to take part IN the de-
alterations without the right to vote. Gar
ried.
Mr.. Allen, of ~Spartanburg, moved that
Governor Thomson be invited to address
the convention some time during it's session:
The motion being seconded, MIR. Allen said
he thought that if such an invitation should
be extended to the Governor it would lend
dignity to the proceedings, and expressed
the hope that his motion would prevail.
This motion was opposed by Mr.. Evans,
of Chesterfield, who did not favor introduc-
ing prominent persons to the convention
whose presence would be calculated to over
shadow the real object before the oody.
The motion was put and lost.
Mr.. Williamson, of Sumter, 10Y a re-
consideration, and this motion gave rise 10
a somewhat acrimonious dlscusslon,, MT.
Williamson and others contendlng that a
refusal to entertain Mr.. Aliens motion was
an indignity to the chief executive OF the
State and would act as a stigma upon the
farmers which they could not wipe OUT.
The discussion was somewhat prolonged,
when the Chair ruled that the body being
yet u%norganized the question could be en-
tertained no further,
1t was then moved and carried to hear the
report of the committee on credentials, anu
the report was submitted by MIR. Clarkson,
the chairman.
OF the delegates the following were re-
pOrted from York: Benjamin II. Massey,
Frank H. Brown, Iredell Jones, }. Ernest
Lowry, John r. London, Robert r. Guth-
rie.
On motion the report was received as
correct and the committee discharged, ana
a motion was also put and carried that the
temporary officers be made permanent.
AT this point of the proceedings the Chair
announced that he felt constrained to put
the question as to inviting Gov. Thompson
to address the Convention at some conven-
lent time, and he hoped that some mem
Der would submit a motion to that ERECT.
Mr.. Donaldson, of Greenville, made the
motion and it was unanimously adopted:
Mr.. Talbert, of Edgefeld, offered the fol-
lowing preamble and resolutions when
were unanimously adopted as expressing
the general platform of the Conventions:
Whereas the farmers movement has
been %stigmatized by some as antagonistic to
the interest of other professions: and
whereas, it has been said by others that
said movement has for its object the Great
ing of a new party and injecting into our
body polite false issues, &C.; therefore be