The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-07-10

hardest to phase. Hit him and he hits
back twice, trip him and he falls on his
feet.
In spite of this, there is a strange
unripeness in his speeches. Some of bis
charges show strange lack of informa-
tion about the State government. BE
thinks out things for himself, apparently
ignoring things which have been thought
out By others, and in this way he over
looks a great deal that his vigorous mind
would easily grasp. Political economy
he has fashioned to suit himself, and
the result is that he proposes radical
changes. As he says, he is young in
politics, and little experience in'the
executive department will make him
more conservative. Already he is begin
ming to feel the tremendous weight of the
responsibility he has taken upon himself,
and he begins to show that riding a cy-
clone is not wholly pleasant. he is
beginning to tell the people not to expect
too much and is using more moderation
in his speech.
The farmer is very mach like the OK,
he drives-slow to make break, but all
the world can't head him when he starts.
Mr.. Tillman may be in the position of
the little boy who yoked himself with
calf and started for Is race. He kept
ahead very easily at first, but after awhile
when the calf's blood got hot there was
no stopping him. Johnny could not get
out of the yoke, and at last, as they
dashed around the barn and over two
bitches alta time, he cried in tones of
despair, Daddy, head us, blame our fool
souls, or we'll break our neck p
This is the danger in extreme excite.
ment among the masses whether the
cause is just or not, and the suggestion is
given for what it is worth.
Captain Tillman is a man of iron will.
As an agitator he is success. As
ruler he is untried. There is something
Cromwellian about the man, his methods
are radical and treatment of his oppo-
nents is harsh. But there is one sign that
he does not bear malice. He says, if he
is not nominated BY the convention, his
strength will be given, not to o dark
horse in his own faction, but to one Of
the brave men who have fought him in
the lace OF heavy odds.
But though he should be willing to
make friends with all his opponents, he
would not be able to do so. He has been
throwing vitriol too promiscuouSly for
that. The bitterness of those he has
assailed is as extreme as the enthusiasm
OF his friendb.
This is the common lot of those Who
are or claim to be reformers. They must
make charges before they can start the
movement for reform, they must get
people to believe the charges before they
can get a following. Hate is the portion
of the reformers. To day the name of
Cromwell is hated, and agitators in
whateYer cause, have common fate.
The question is whether the proposed
reform is of magnitude to compensate
for the evils Of hatred and the destruc.
tiveness of popular passion. The seeds
of bitterness have been sown in South
Carolina among the white nainority which
is to control the black masses.
No evidence has been brought 10 show
that there is anything rotten in the State
government. There does seem to be
something in the complaint about the
method Of nominating State officers.
The club system is not calculated to give
perfect expression of popular opinion.
It seems to be in South Carolina what
the court house convention has been in
Georgia. These conventions have pro-
duced dissatisfaction here, and it is
natural that the club system should do
the same there. The further fact that
there have been no public discus
sions by gube1natorial candidates, has
added to the dissatisfaction. When the
people see q Hian face to face and vote
for him individually, they feel that they
have had voice in The selection In
Georgia, primaries have become almost
the only way of choosing officers, and
South Carolina will he better off under
the same system.
Gen. HASKELL makes good point about
the farmers majority in the Legislature.
But as in speech, the manner is often as
important as the matter; in elections the
method may justly cause indignation
when there is nothing very bad in the
result.
When they come 10 oluer PRIMARY W
nominate governor, these South Caro-
linians will have chance to improve
on the Georgia method. The Georgia
primary, by counties, does not perfectly
voice the will of the people. Where
each County sends 30 many representa-.
tiyes, whether the majority is large or
small, it may happen that man will
have a majority of the popular vote, and
yet fail to get majority of the votes in
the convention.
The same thing happened in the elec.
toral college of the United States when
Tilden got more votes than Hayes, Han
cock more than Garfield and Cleveland
more than Harrison-giving the paradox.
ical result of q majority in the minority:
There is reason for this in the federal
government, but none in a State.
The only way to get perfect express
sion ofthe popular vote of the democratic
party in South Carolina is to- have pri-
maries and consolidate the returns for
the whole State, showing the actual
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