Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-04-24
The Coming Campaign.
WITH CHAIRMAN IoYT,
OF TuE EXECUrIvE COMMITTEES.
IFrom tho Greenyillo Nows.]

DlHCc Viz auJoNiuuiChV VI (uS
March Convention there has been
much speculation as to what course
would be pursued by tho State Demo
cratic Executive Committee in view
of tho action of that convention.
Numbers of suggestions have been
made as to what the committee
ought to do in the present unusual
condition of affairs in State politics,
but 80 far there has been no intima-
tion of the views o. any prominent
member of the body. With view
to securing an authoritive expression
of opinion on those questions arising
out Of the action of the March Con-
rention which come within the pro-
vince of the Executive Committee,
reporter for the Daily Ne,cs inter
viewed Colonel James a. Ioyt,
Chairman Of the Committee, and
the questions asked and the answers
given by Colonel lIoyt are given be-
low:
"Undcr the third section of the
platform adopted by the March Con-
vcntion there are certain demands,
but it is not clearly indicated rs to
whom these demands are to apply.
Has your Executive Committee re-
ceivcd any communication in regard
10 them?
"No, it has not" Colonel lIoyt an
swcrcd. ga few days after the
adjournment Of the March Convcn-
ton | received respectful and
courteous communication from Cap
tain G. w. Shell, Chairman of the
Campaign Committee, requesting
that the Democratic State Convcn-
ton should not be convened until
late in August; to which | replied
that his letter would be placed be-
fore the Executive Committee at its
first meeting, and at the same time
reminded him that the State Con-
vcntion was generally called about
the middle or last of August for the
purpose of nominating candidates
for Governor, observation-disclosures,
&c, but that the last Convention
was held on the 9th Of September.
81 have been surprised ut the
demands to which you refer, how
ever, and am curious to know upon
whom they will be made. The
avowcd author of tho platform is
Captain Tillman, and it is IL singular
fact that these demands of its third
section are utterly impracticablc and
unattainablc. The first clause reads
rs follows: we demand the reap
portionmcnt Of representation in the
Democratic Convention upon the
basis of the census of 1880, and that
it go into effect this gear No other
authority than the State Executive
Committee can issue call for the
Democratic Convention, and it must
be guided solely by the Constitution
of the party, which directs as fol-
lows: 'Thc State Convention shall
be composed of delegates from each
county, in the numerical proportion
to which that county is entitled in
both branches of the General Assem-
bly, The committee has no discrc-
ton whatever as to the basis of rep
rcscntation, and it is surprising that
Il gentleman aspiring to the high
office of Governor should dclibcr-
atcly make such a demand, which n
slight investigation shows can not be
complied with. | am in full sym
pathy with the idea Of rc-apportion-
mcnt when it can be done lawfully,
but the Legislature refused to change
the basis and we are bound to observe
the law rs it is laid down in the Con,
stitution of the party. Any other
course is dcmoralizing and suicidal.
"Thc other demand of the third
section is as follows: 'Wc demand
that the delegates to the State Nomi-
mating Convention shall be chosen
by primary election on the same day
that the other officers are nominated;
and that all the counties shall hold
these primaries on the same day, to
wit, the last Tuesday in August OF
each election year 1t is not clear
whether the author of the platform
meant that this portion shall 90 into
effect at once, but | presume it was
so intended. This demand is equally
unfortunate with the preceding clause.
There is no power to regulate the
election of delegates to the State
Convention and dictate the mode of
their selection. Certainly the State
Executive Committee has no author
ity in the premises, and it has never
attempted to exercise any control Of
this matter. Each county is entirely
free to provide its own mode of
choosing delegates to the State Con-
vention, and this has been the case
all the while. No power can pre-
vent any county from clccting its
delegates by primary, and it is
equally true that no power can com
pei any county to adopt the primary
for this purpose. The propositions
to hold primary elections for dele
gates on tho same day in all the
counties is altogether out of the
question, unless the counties agree
thereto. 1t would take considerable
time to make the agreement, for
what would suit one locality might