The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-24
The Recent Democratic Conference.-The
Demand of the Hour.

To the Editor of The Columbia Reg
ister.-The special auspices-heated
though honest-under which the recent
conference was summoned were not in
the judgment of many citizens promi-
sing of good tc divided Democracy
and discordant people. However, cool
heads and conciliatory tempers con-
trolled the assemblage and turned it to
sagacious conclusions.
The conference has acted with
moderation born of patriotic spirit and
a keen appreciation of the political
situation.
1t is grievous error to assume that
the Democrats-calledT Tillmanites by
some. but claiming to be reformers-
are to be dealt with like the banded
robbers of the State, against whom in
1876 Hampton and his followers led
their memorable fighta and gained their
glorious victory.
These citizens of South Carolina who
have chosen to follow the standard Of
B. r. Tillman, but who do not neces-
sarily endorse his uufounded charges
against the State administration and
the past of the Democratic party Of the
State, are by large majority good men
and true-white men-Democrats to
the core-men with their honorable re-
cords-mer, in fine, entitled to their
opinions, and responsible therefor only
to their conscience and their State.
To abuse them is an outrage upon
political fair-dealing. To style them,
even in metaphor, ''the enemy" is the
acme of political indiscretion, and to
proceed against them as such is worse
is political madness.
The State is in the throes of q politi-
cal revolution. Caused or causeless, the
revolution exists. It is fact. Not to
see it, is to close ones eyes. Not to
recognize the popular swell, is genuine
Bourbonism.
We are involved in family quarrel.
1t is Greek meeting Greek. AS has been
said, "to be wroth with one We love
doth work like madness in the brain.'
1t is brother VS.. brother.
For one, the writer-not in political
life but alive to the demands of citizen
ship-stands for conciliatory methods,
as regards the opposing political forces
is for treating the great issue dispas-
sionately and considerably.
The good of the good old State is in
volved and hangs trembling in the
popular scales. This is the'vast question
that confronts US. To cultivate and to
restore white fraternity and Democra-
tic unity-this is what the crisis de-
mands.
We do not need now the sons of
thunder so much as the sons Of peace.
We need Nestors more than Hectors
or Achilleses or Ajaxes. We want men
divine in speech as we'll as divine in
judgment.
The writer's for Bratton or Earle, as
the choice may be of the regular De-
mocratic convention.
But We recognize the patriotism and
we respect the motives of the Demo-
Gratis on the other side Of our divided
house.
May we come together for the honor
and prosperity OF South Carolina, our
common mother and the parent of our
grand inheritance of State glory in
arms and in arts-in the triumphs Of
war and in the better triumphs of
peace!
In the meantime, while dissensions
rule and bitter feuds prevail, let us,
after the fashion of Camillus, who
lived 400 years B. c., erect a temple to
Concord-that is, use all our efforts to
harmonic the warning factions Of a
grand old party.
In 1876 we had men to confront who
were enemies to commonwealth and
a menace to our civilization. 1t was
right to fight them with all the Wea-
pons ofpolitical warfare and to employ
every device, justified by honor, in
order to defeat their nefarious purposes.
1t is wholly different now. This is
the time for the fraternal clasp and the
fraternal appeal, and no other method
will meet the States great need in this
crisis.
Let us treat our opposing fellow
Democrats as our peers and our friends,
aud thus, mitigating the rage of pas
sions evoked, add to the po Ger and
dignity and unity of South Carolina. p
J. z. IT.
COLUMBIA, S. c., July y, 1890.