The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-23
Haskell on Haskell.
GFrom the Greenville News.

pears to have some bearing on present
conditions.
In 1887 there was bolt in Charles
ton municipal election. Certain cltl-
zens of that city claimed that the non-
mating primaries for aldermen were
fraudulent and independent Democrats
were put up against the regula: nomi-
neess in three or four wards. The News
and Courier fought the bolt fiercely and
brought much pressure from outside to
bear on the voters Of Charleston. The
opinions Of a number of leading men in
the State were obtained and published,
and among them this from Judge A.
G. Haskell:
II am shocked to see this thing. An
independent movement in Charleston
is not only treachery TO that city but
to the State, and if successful would be
repudiated by the State. If for the
sake Of personal dislike to leaders, the
Independents ruin the party which is
the White Mans party, and the party
of conservative and intelligent colored
people of the State, they will be con-
demned by all the people of the State;
they will he condemned by all the peo-
pie of South Carolina as traitors, not
only to their own interests but to the
interests of the entire State.
"This movement is leading back to
the condition Of affairs from which
they were rescued in 1876, and if they
get back to 1t the people Of the State
will not help them out of it. In South
Carolina it is not a matter Of local is
sues or personal preferences 1t IS u
matter Of life and death.
'There is only one way by which We
can hope to maintain honest govern
ment, and every true citizen is bound
to adhere to that, whatever his opin-
ions of persons or local questions; and
the way is to obey the roice Of the ma
jOrity Of the Democratic party. If he
| does not he is a deserter, and should
be so treated" !
What good, sound, wholesome ring
of true democracy that has!
Yet the man who said those words
is to-day doing the very thing he then
so bitterly denounced.
He was "shocked" because in city
election in an off year the citizens of
two or three wards were organizing op-
position to the regular candidates for
aldermen.
Their act was treachery. It was be-
trayal of the white race and the best
interests of the State, demanding the
stern condemnation Of all patriotic
people. Men guilty of boiling nomi-
nee for aldermen were traitors. Honest
government could be maintained in
only one way and that was by voting
the democratic ticket straight from top
to bottom, in State, county and city.
Every true citizen, Judge Haskell said,
was bound to do that thing
"Whatever his opinions of persons or
local questions"
Alexander C. Haskell, look the re-
cord and the people of this State in the
face, try and test and judge yourself
by your standards and your words and
answer
You were q mature man when you
spoke those words. 1t was only three
years ago. You did not speak them in
excitement or in wrath or in careless
private conversation. You spoke them
deliberately and for publication and
for the purpose Of condemning certain
of your fellows citizens who were talk
ing a certain political course.
You said if they refused to obey the
action Of the majority of their party
they were trai ors and deserters. You
said that in this State n honest Dem
ocrat could allow his personal opinions
of fnominees to sway him; that with us
it was not a question Of politics or pre-
ferences but question Of the life or
death Of the State; that the man who
bolted his party here was guilty Of high
treason in betraying the State to death.
Answer now, solcmly and fairly, be-
cause it is a solemn and threatening
question, wherein your action in bolt
ing now is any less to be condemned
than was their action III boiling then.
You have put yourself before the
State for trial and judgment, to have
your record weighed and your pur-
poses considered, and each citizen has
the right to demand Of you an an
swcr TO the indictment drawn by you
against boiling and independentism.
Answer why action that was treason
in John d. Murphy and John B.
Reeves and w. p. Russell three years
ago is any the less treason when taken
by you now.
Answer and say by what means re-
fusal to accept the will Of the majority
ofthe party is now any the less betrayal
of the party and the State that it was
three years ago.
And let those Of the people of the
State who are wavering in their pur-
pose or who are tempted by wrath or
disgust to repudiate the regular nomi-
nees of the party, study closely the
language of Alexander c. Haskell
whom they trusted as an adviser, fol-
lowed as leader and believed in as a
man. Let them study closely every
word and line Of his utterance when he
felt and spoke as Democrat, leader
of Democrats and a patriotic, thinking,
earnest citizen.
Let them apply that language to the
course and action OF Alexander c. Has
I =.