The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-23
A PRIMARY REMEDY.
COL. EDWARD McCRADY TALKS SOME
SOUND SENSE.
TiIIman In Not the Disease but n
Symptom Of it-..Cause and Cure of
the Dissatisfaction of the People,.
A General Primary Fairly and lie.
galIy Conducted.
Ne,pS and Courier.

the DlSSntlSIuctlOu Ol Tie IeOple'''
A General Primary Fairly and LIE.
galIy Conducted.
Ne,ps and Courier.
At the solicitation of reporter for the Nc,os
and Courier General McCrady consented yes
terday to give briefly his views on the present
condition of State politics. 1t will be seen
out General McCrady's views both as TO the
existence and cause Of the present trouele In
the Democratic party. and as 10 the hest
method of removing the trouble and securing
unity and permanent harmony. The follow
Ing Is the substance Of the interview:
Question: There Is a good deal Of talk just
now, General, in regard to division in the
is really auy danger OF a divislone
Answer: think our political condition is
q very serious one, but do not think IL will
cism. We arc going through phase Of our
politics which Is inevitable from the condi-
tion or the political problem we have to solve.
In sn address before the Military Academy at
difficulties of our situation in the necessary
maintenance OF an tnlperfnni IN in,pe'fo. This
address was very much criticised at the North
and denounced by the Republican press. But
I see that MIR ingalls, now recognizes the exi.
gences or our situation and admits that we
must manage 10 control our State govern
ment: that In, to maintain a government
within the government. But this government
Is necessarily selfimposed. We can't hang a
man for treason to It, We must "nanage"l TO
keep the good will OF all our people II we can.
candidates for office than places To put them
In. and rs the defeated candidates multiply
with each election they form first body OF
few grumbllns discon,ents, or "soreheads." as
they are now termed, and then ns they In.
crease in numbers they become the nucleus OF
q new party.
Question: Granting all that, who is TO
blame for this trouble?
Answer: The result have mentioned Is
the natural evolution OF parties and must be
expected, and indeed In ordinary conditions
is not only inevitable and necessary but salu +.
which keeps people alive to the public affairs
and their political condition. All practical
politics In some sense 10 but the smashing of
them. Two Office holders will unite and
pool" their strength 10 secure their re-elec.
tlon to office, and IL necessary will combine"
with third and fourth and 80 on and then
a power and becomes arrogant Let Us select
the best and purest OF our citizens and put
them In the public buildings, and something
like this will Inevitably come to pass as long
as human nature remains.
But before we exhaust ourselves In indigna
ton let us look at this matter of rings In an
other aspect Tho very existence OF a ring Is
but the evidence or the neglect Of their public
duties by the "good people" Of the &mmunl-
ty-the 'boni" ana "optmatl" of old Rome.
Rings only exist because the business men
not take the trouble to attend to their poliu.
cal duties. If the "best men," the "goou citi.
zens," will not take the trouble TO come out of
an evening to attend ward meeting what
right have they to complain when those who
do 60 take public affairs into their own exclu-
sivc control? A "rIng" Is quite as much II
not more tho outcome of neg ect OF public af-
fairs on the part of those who should attend to
do not
Question: After all, then, you think there
Is trouble. and that nobody Is entirely free
from responsibility IN regard 10 IL? What
Answer: Bearing in mind that we are all
responsible, would recclect also Marion's
conduct In dealing with the Tories. He would
never forget, or allow his followers to forget,
that they were their kith and kin--those with
whom, however the struggle ended, they must
live and die. He would, therefore, allow no
retaliation, even for Injuries. The time would
gIveness on one side or the other, and he was
determined that 1t should not be his part to
be forgiven. In our party differences think
we should recollect this precedent and follow
closely Marlon's advice.
Question: 1t seems hard 10 follow your ad-
vice and be lenient with stirrer-up Of strife
like eTillman. Do you think he really has any
Justification for his course?
Answer: We may be sure that there never
was q general discomfort without some renl
cause, though the discontented may not them
T IS Now Mr. Timan liz s may S 5s individealiy M e yS
good man, or q bad man, but politically he Is
only symptom-the symptom OF discontent.
XIII him off and unless you find and remove
the cause OF unrest some one else will take his
place. Don't let US then waste all of our ex-
rletlves and energy In denunoiation OF him,
or Of others who agltate. Let us rather try 10
find out what is the real trouble at bottom. !
think II we look 1t will not be difficult TO find
at least one OF the chief causes of discomfort
in the cilse.
Question: What is that9
Anot 1a ttrfa kna
they do not think the primary elections are
fairly conducted, or, If fairly conducted, they
think mat some persons and cliques have
acquired too much control Of them, Much Of
this may be mistake or cxaggeration; but
there Is no doubt or some real cause for COM
plaint In the matter, Let US try II we cannot
remove the cause Of their doubt as 10 our
primary elections.
Question: How are we going TO dol
Answer: The real difficulty. think, is In
the loose and Indefinite manner In which our
primary elections are conducted. We want d
carefully prepared general primary election
for the Democratic party for the whole State.
Our primary election is our real election, and
you may say that 1t is going to be our real
going to determine upon the government oi
the State, with or without Mr.. Ingalls, leave
But this being the case, 1t is very reasonable
that the people throughout the State should
II Abbeville has to be Influenced by the
twelve votes In the House from Charleston
she Is interested In having these twelve men
fairly elected. II, on the other hand, Charles.
ton Is TO be affected by the vote Of Abbeville,
she has right TO be consulted as 10 how the
election In Abbeville is to be managed.
There should be one and the same primary
election law for the whole party throughout
the State. Whether II Is best that the cleo
tlon should be by direct vote of the people
OF the party for every office, or by the people
electng only delegates to q convent tion In the
first instance, Is matter for consideration.
But one way or the other should be deter
mined upon and made one rule for the whole
State. My own beliefts that n direct primary
vote Is the best and In The end the safest.
Question: But how are we going to man.
age general primary and enforce uniform
system throughout the State9
Answer: In the last Legislature I secured
the passage OF general primary election law
which gives legal effect to any regulations
which are made by any political party, and
l am glad to see that the late convention held
In Columbia demanded the enforcement OF
It's provisions. IL the Democratic party,
therefore. now will adopt u proper uniform
system OF rules and regulations for tho con-
duct of It's elections under the law, such pro-
visions may now be Ell forced, and any frauds
upon them punished as frauds upon the cleo
tlnn laws OF the State / beieye that the
best and surcst and only mode Of keeping the
party together Is by insuring the open and
fair conduct OF primary elections.