The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-23

They ask now not that they shall place cam
ton, but that in order that they may vote in
telligently candidates be brought before them
face to face In personal canvass In prl-
paha d1e hs expaXned tsX 70 them
issues In which they are Interested.
Thus many men and measures might re-
ceive their earnest support which they would
not be satisfied to support when stuffed down
their throats by o convention. 1t was this
unwillingness OF the people to give their sup.
port TO measures with which they Were not
acquainted thoroughly which gave to the
branding them with advocating third party
In South Carolina. Thus IT was that many
men had been compelled through fear of
hibition, for instance. to retract their honest
sentiments. Some OF the best men in Laurens
and Richland counties, within the past few
days, because they had expressed their honest
opinion on living question, had been de-
nounced by the newspapers with being SYM
pathizers with and instigators OF third par
ty movement in South Carolina. He could
had ever entered, their minds, and that. live:or
die, the Democratic party of Laurens County
would ever rpreserve and protect the interests
| All they asked was that the candidates for
office, whether from Charleston, or Beaufort
or any where else, should come before them
and explain their views, and d;L that They they be be
through the medium of the primary, ballot
box. This would relieve them from the con-
viction that they have been cheated and de-
ceived through the combinations and schemes
of convention, where men arc. put forward
by means Of trading and combinatlons-you
vote for my man and will vote for yours
under which system even before the conven-
ton meets the chairman in several counties
are communicated with and told that If they
will pull for this man somebody else Will pull
| we will cnnnort tho bput mon M nafter
where they come from. All we ask Is that
they shall be true and tried Democrats, and
shall be best fitted for the places they seek.
upon M your palense Tas genemen but sSPy Pers
few moments. This question of primary
election. in my opinion, is the most impor-
tant and surrounding the Democracy OF South
abnormal position. We are in possession OF
this Government because we are unit. We
are standing over volcano, gentlemen, that
Istand here representing the people of South
Carolina, who cry out for reform. You Say we
don't need any reform. That is the external
Cry of the demagogue politician. If had
different system of nominations In the State.
We in South Carolina, In other words, the
Democracy Of South Carolina, have differ
as to politics. ana those 20iitiGs must
election is demand from the people to the
politicians to give them their rights. This
convention represents soOuLu ChTOllud. sup
pose that it may We said that this Is a body Of
of representative Carolinians, and yet these
men are elected by clubs of ten or q. dozen
men who In nine cases out OF ten elect them
practical discussion before the people by the
candidates. Public discussion is the great
educator of the masses.
I want to call the attention OF the Conven-
tion to one fact, that in 1879, when johnson
Hagood was comptroller general, the eXpen,
ditures OF the State Government were S75O,OOO
a year, and yet with all the pledges OF reform
they are now nearly sl,0OO,000 q year. The
people know these things and they ought tv
know them, an they demand that the can
didates for public office shall come before
them and see them face to fnce, and explain
to them why reform has gone the wrong way.
l will not say anything about the injustice
which has been done to q Scertain class OF the
people in their educational college. / will
icians may succeed now in voting down the
right of the people, but they are only dam
ming back the waters, Two yearsfrom now,
when there is full head on, you will be
swept before the flood" Applause.
Col. Haskell said:
"There are, Mr.. Chairman, in this hall near.
ly three hundred men who are In every sense
of the word as true representatives of the peo-
pie as the gentleman from Edgeicld, who
threatens us with floods and volcanoes
GLaughter]
MI. Tiilman "I have not threatened any
body with volcano. 1 only said we were
Mr.. Haskell, continuing: "I havo heard
what he has said, Mr.; President. You have
heard what he has said. You have just heard
represent the people of South Carolina. The
people that represent will hurl you politi-
clans out of place unless you give, us our way,
Those that I represent are harboring their
whelm you" [Laughter]
Mr.. ,Tillman; II said did represent any
body but myself"
that his party was in his hat, and am glad to
hear him admit that he has come to my way
of thinking. [Laughter.l The people who
come here year after year year are representatives
Richlaud, sitting here, represent the people OF
Richland, and every man In the county had
voice In their selection. / say the same OF
in the State. That the people select their
delegates and select them as they will, and /
say that these men here to-day are as true
representative Of the people of South Caro-
says that he has left his data at home, and it
is good for him that he has. He says that
there has been an Increase Of quarter OF q
million dollars OF expenses M since 1879. Let
swer as positive as l do that 1t Is not So"
[Applause.1
Mr. Tiilman: "Do you dare say. sir, that
was not s2i7, 900 more than In 1870? I dare you
Mr.. Haskell: "1 do deny 1t most positively.
lApplause.I What the gentleman is driving
at is very easily explained. In 1879 there was
fund OF money in the treasury and the Leg
islature did make appropriations then largely
less than In 1857, because that surplus In the
treasury was used in addition to the appreprl-
levy and an appropriation. The levy Is what
you collect, and the reason why we collected
less In 1879 than In 1887 was because we had In
the treasury surplus which had been previ-
nnolv pOllnptpl II iS fact Sir. that tle x.
penditures have not increased materially,
and that they have been pretty much the
same. The appropriation bills upon our stat
utes are things which cannot make mistakes,
and they are better proofs than the data
which the gentleman has left at home. These
books are here, and my friend can satisfy
no such increase In the expenditures of the
Government as he charges, and say that the
people are heard here as fairly rs they are
heard In any primary election. | say that a
primary election will be subversive Of every
opportunity for the whole State to secure O
fair representation. If we have plurality
system, the choice of the people will rarely
get into positions of honor and trust, II we
have majority system the people will be so
worn out with repeated elections that they
will not enjoy the chance OF securing their
choice that they now do. ,[Applause.l 1t will
not do, MIR. chairman, in an Intelligent body
of men like this, who come here as the repre-
sentatives of the people with as much right to
speak as the gentleman from Edgefeld, men
who dare to do, as much and are
are as true to the State as he or his ever have
been, TO taunt them with being politicians
while he and his are the true Democracy Of
the State, [Applause. Tell us Of real
wrongs, tell us OF evils that the people are
really suffering, and we will try and help the
gentleman TO relieve them: but 1t wont do TO
make vague accusations, to charge all the suf-
ferings OF the people resulting from the war
and the period which followed upon the mere
system of making nominations: IT VIII not