The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1890-10-22

The nomination of another State
ticket in Columbia on the 9th in
slant brings US upon great political
crisis. We now have brethren ar
rayed against brethren, Anglo Saxon
energy, brain, and courage, arrs led
against Anglo Saxon energy, brain
and courage. At no time since 1860
have we seen the intelligent white
men of our State in political hos
t~ilities; and this fight is fraught with
the greatest consequences on account
of the great danger with which we
are always confronted here of being
again subjected to the rule of men
who have neither the greatest intel
ligence MOI even q respectable minor
part of the wealth of the State.
It goes with the saying that the
welfare of the State rests in the
Democratic party. Both the Till
man and Haskell tickets call them
selves Democrats, and in political
faith have been Democrats, but they
cannot both be nominees of the DEM
ocratic party. The nomination Of
the Tillman ticket must have been
by the Democratic party, because 1t
was made by a call under party
law, regularly organized, and the Elk
~ecutive Committee Ire now peacefuly,
lawfully and, by proper succession, IN
possession of the records and treas
ury Of the party.
The Haskell ticket has been nomi-
mated by a convention Of gentlemen
called without party authority and
outside of party organization and
party machinery, and, being thus
nominated, they must be Independ-
ents so far as party rule and law 60.
Democrats in political faith they may
be and doubtless are, but they are
now Independent Democrats. We
concede to every man the right to
withdraw from his party and join
another, or set up n for himself,
but we cannot see any good that may
now or henceforth come to this State
from such action. These Independ.
ents are men of brain and social po-
sition and cannot be driven from
their position by abuse. They are
simply mistaken in their notions OF
loyalty to the State, and instead OF
feeling resentful toward them we
should pity their short sightedness
and error and show them by u ex
ample ~ Southern Raaosrsss
political crises.
No good can come from Independ-
ent movements, but they will come
into the body polite, chaos, instabil-
ity, unprincipled men, discordant
political principles and a breaking
up of the financial and industrial
fabric of the whole commonwealth.
And whit is it all TO-? Because:
they say, Tillman is personally un-
pleasant and uncouth, and because
he has charged the State government
under the party with fraud and mis-
management. I ask if these hide
pendent gentlemen, who have hereto
fore been considered the flowers of
South Carolina chivalry and patriot
ism, will endanger the political status
of the party, the commercial and
manufacturing of the State simply
because they do not like Tillman, or
because he has said things untrue?
Can our Governor make laws for the
State? Can he control the Legisla-
ture? But why nominate other State
officers if Tillman is the only man
who has done wrong?
It is useless to multiply words.
Independentism, even if it comes
through the best people of the State,
cannot and must not be tolerated.
Have we come to this that three
fourths of the white people of our
State cannot say who must be the
nominees of the party without this
fearful stab? Never! But be sure
that every nan goes to, the polls
quietly on the 4th of November and
show Col. Haskell and his followers
that a majority of the white men Of
this State shall and will rule, and we
must beat him so badly that no man
will ever again dare to raise his head
as an Independent in this State. Let
every man constitute himself q COM
mittee of one to see that his neigh
bors vote the regular Democratic
ticket, and if they are Indifferent or
infrm take your wagons and buggies
and carriages and carry them to the
polls, and elect the regular nominees
at all hazards-but quietly and peace
fully. G. NJ. EFIRD.
October IA, 1890.