The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-30
A POLITICAL CYCLONE.
How the Farmers in Orangeburg got Con-
-, troll of the County Convention.

.,,,-. troll of the County Convention.
CONDENSED from Charleston World
In the Orangeburg political eye
lone" as it has been termed, no person.
alities were INDUCED; the fight was not
made against men, but against meth
!, DDS, and, contending on this line, the
people came out triumphant.
The most forcible illustration Of the
determination of the farmers, who con-
stitute the great majority of the people
Of the county, to have things run by
the majority and not by few men at
the county-seat, is the fact that Gen.
James F. Izlar, the man who has for
years been the idol Of the people OF
| Orangeburg and the admired of the
whole state, was not spared in the
general new deal, but went down with
the rest because the people, while still
admiring him as the man, condemned
the methods they thought he and his
friends had adopted.
THE HISTORY OF THE CASE
is brief, but it is not lacking in interest.
1t seems that for several years past, as
has been the custom almost all over
the state, few men-good men it is
true-at the county seat had pretty
we'll controlled the affairs Of the county
so far as the delegations to state con-
! ventions and such matters were con-
cerned. At the same convention Of
1856, out of delegation oftwelve, it is
stated that eight were lawyers. These
gentlemen represented the county in a
satisfactory manner, and no special
complaint was made of their action in
any case. But the farmers had stood
by long enough and seen themselves
represented by men of other professions,
and they came to the conclusion that
being intelligent men, it was TIME they
should represent themselves. And
this was what precipitated the new deal
which has created so much excitement
in Orangeburg, and such great interest
throughout the state at large.
THE FARMERS ASSOCIATION.
In Orangeburg, as in many other
counties, there exists strong farmers
association-not a Tillman club, but
simple organization of formers, banded
together for the best interests of their
class. The President Of this association
is Mr.. J. E. Wannamaker, a we'll
known citizen of st. Mathews, and a
man of considerable prominence in the
county. 1t is the generally-accepted
opinion that Mr.. Wannamaker was the
prime mover in the uprising, although
as most Of, their proceedings We're sub
resa, it can not bestated positively. The
other prominent movers were Messrs.
E. r. Walter and J. G. Holman, both
prominent planters, the former ofwhom
was once citizen of Charleston.
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
On the day before the convention the
executive committee of the Farmers
Association, together with the presi-
dents of the various local farmers
clubs, held cancus, at which every
thing was arranged to be worked
through the convention the next
morning.
DEMANDING THEIR RIGHTS.
This cancus discussed the situation
thoroughly, and decided that as three
fourths of the Democrats in the county
were farmers they should have three
fourths of the representation; and ac-
cordingly they agreed to put forth the
following gentlemen, nine in number,
as candidates for delegates to, the con-
vention: G. NJ. Norris. J. H. Hydrick,
J.E. Wannamaker, H. H. Salley, E. R.
Walter, J. NJ. Moss, L. S. Connor, J. G.
Holman, w. T. G. Bates.
On the floor of the convention these
gentlemen were nominated by various
farmers, number Of city men being
nominated with them as blind; but,
of course, the agriculturists did not vote
| for the latter.
Whether or not runners had been
sent through the country, or that the
thing had been arranged weeks before,
is not known; but one thing is certain,
and that is that the farmers in the con-
vention voted for this ticket.
ALMOST TO y MAN,
signally defeating such men of promi-
nence as the County Chairman \. s.
Hydrick, B. H. Moss, NJ. I. Browning,
and others of equally high standing in
the party. A number Of others from
the city had been nominated, but they
got an inkling of what was going on
and saved themselves from defeat by
withdrawing.
That the whole affair was precon-
certed is proved by the fact that every
man on the farmers ticket was elected
by large majority, and that there was
hardly the difference Ola score between
| the number of votes cast for each of the
candidates. The entire farmer element
seemed to have stood together almost
solidly.
no REFLECTION on IZLAR.
1t is asserted on good authority that
it was the intention of the farmers to
have General Izlar elected by acclama-
ton, but when his name was proposed
some opposition was evinced, and the
Generals friends promptly withdrew
his name. To show that no reflection
| Lo +o r,,,,