Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-02-20
The March Convention Of thu Farm.
ers' Association.

press of the State on tho conyen-
tion called by Chairman Shell, to
convene in Columbia in March.
With ono voice it has been said that
no nomination of State officers should
then be made. Many representative
farmers have given expression to the
same sensible and conservative view
through the columns Of our great
daily papers. No objection has or
can be made to the assembling of
all who advocate the much needed re-
forms and the adoption of some
practical plan of campaign work.
Such a.course would doubtless meet
the approved 81 all true and conser-
vative Democrats, at the same time
strengthening the reform element by
an agreement upon definite line of
action. Tho following suggestions
are made by the Cotton Plant:
"Thc remedy for the present
emergency, in our judgment, is di-
rect appeal to tho Democratic voters
in every township of the State. We
have been contending for years in
behalf of State primary, by which
the choice of the masses might be
obtained, and the opportunity is at
hand TO secure an expression from
the rank and file Of the Democracy.
1t will require more trouble and sac
rifice than to hold mass meetings,
but it will more certainly represent
the wishes of the people. 1t is pre-
sumed that there arc Democratic
clubs -in~ every township of the State,
Tand if there are not such already in
existence, it would not injurc the
party itself to have general re-or-
ganization III every township. The
farmers are in the majority, of
course, and these clubs will express
the sentiments of the vast majority
who are in sympathy with the objects
of the proposed State Convention.
Now, instead of making The nomina-
tions rs suggested, why not relegate
this important business to the club
meetings of the Democracy, and
earnestly invite every man to indi-
cate his choice for the places to be
filled in the State House? The man
ncr in which this can bc done is very
easily outlined. The Democratic
State Executive Committee will is
sue a call in ample time for the
State Convention to assemble and
make nominations for the party.
The county chairmcn in their turn will
call upon the township clubs to send
delegates to the County Conventions,
which are to select the delegates to
the State Convention. Let the
county chairmcn or the presidents of
the township clubs arrange to hold a
primary election on the day when
the delegates to the county convcn-
tions are chosen, and let each men,
Der of the club vote for the men he
prefers to be Governor, Lieutenant
Governor and so on. There is moth
ing cumbersome in this plau, and it
cannot fail to give satisfaction to
those who are willing to test the
sense of the people in this important
matter. 1t certainly possesses the
merit OF consistency with the de-
mand of the farmers in the past
few years, and we believe that they
are sufficiently alive to the situation
to enter heartily into the plan, if it
is recommended to their favor by the
approaching convention. We want
unity and harmony among those who
nre fighting with the definite aim of
securing reforms in the management
of our affairs in this State, and we
cannot afford to make the serious
blundcr Of forcstalling the wishes of
the people. Signal victories have
been won already, but there must be
no turning aside from the wcll-dc-
fined principles heretofore governing
this contest. One of the cardinal
features of the revolution in progress
is that the people must be consulted,
so that the administration of the
government may clearly represent
the majority of our political party.
1t would be fatal abandonment of
this principle to press the early nom
nation of any set of men, and there
after to insist that such men only
are worthy the confidence and sup
port OF the party. a voluntary
primary in the Democratic clubs
will avoid ali danger Of this sol l.,
and will confinc the issues strictly
within party lines. 1t is easy enough
to see that there arc differences of
opinion among the people as to who