The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-03

on the same day that the other officers
are nominated; and that all the Coun-
ties shall hold these primaries on the
same day, to wit: the last Tuesday in
August of each election year.
4th. We demand that the Board of
Agriculture be abolished; that the
privilege tax on fertilizers and every
thing pertaining to agriculture or me-
chanics, or industrial education, in
cluding the agricultural stations, be
under the control of the trustees of
Clemson Agricultural College; and
upon said trustees shall devolve all
duties now performed by the present
Board and Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, except the control Of the State
phosphate interest.
5th. We demand that the South
Carolina College shall be literally sup
ported as classical and literary instl-
tuition.
9Th. We demand that the school dis
tricts in the various Counties of the
State shall be as nearly square as prac-
ticable, and of an area to allow only
one white and one colored free school
in each district, and that the school
trustees be elected Instead disappointed.
7th. We demand rigid economy III
public expenditures, the abolition OF
unless offices reduction of salaries and
fees of all officers, State and County to
conform to the increased purchasing
power of money and decreased ability
of people to pay taxes; that the public
officers shall be paid in proportion to
their labor and responsibility.
Sth. We demand that the Railroad
Commission shall be given all needed
power to protect the rights and interest
of the people without injuring the rail-
roads, and that the commissioners be
elected by the people after nomination
by the Democratic Convention. 1t is
the sense of this meeting that saiaried
attorneys of railroads and phosphate
companies should be ineligible to seats
in the Legislature.
9th. We demand that there shall be
a survey of the States phosphate beds
and their classification into three
grades, and that commission COM
posed of the Governor, Comptroller
General and Attorney General shall
control and direct the mining under
rigid rules, each river or phosphate
district being leased at public auction
for term of years after the commission
has fixed minimum royalty &C ;ording
to the value as shown by the 81 ryey.
10th. We demand that a cons Litutio-
nal convention be called to give Us all
organic law framed by our own people
and adapted to our condition aud
wants. We believe that we cannot OBJ
tain any great relief from our burden
some taxes till this is done, and we
have lost faith in the power to amend
the present constitution so that it will
answer the requirements.
II. Believing with Thomas Jefferson
"That the diffusion of information and
the arraignment of all abuses at the bar
of public reasonn is fundamental
principle of free government, and it
will give the needed relief, We demand
that candidates for Governor and Lieu
tenant Governor shall, and all other as
pirants to State offices are invited to
canvass the State, and that those ask
ing our suffrages for the General AS
senbly shall canvass their respective
counties on these issues, SO that the
people can after hearing the cause act
intelligently and render their verdict
at the primary election. We warn the
people against being forestalled as they
were two years ago in some counties.
Let no delegates to the State Conven-
ton be appointed before they hear this
joint discussion.
ADOPTING THE PLATFORM.
The platform was then read by sec.
tions and adopted seriatim, ali amend
ments offered being summarially els
posed of by otipg to lay them on the
table. All these votes were taken viva
voce and the preponderance Of voices
was decidedly on the side of those evi-
dently determined to have the plat
form adopted as reported.
A delegate from Union excited tenn
porary sensation when the paragraph
in reference to school districts was
reached ty expressing bis belief that
the taxes should not be used for the
support of negro schools. He was sup
pressed by the Chairman and the read
ing of the platform continued.
Paragraph 2 caused some discussion,
and motion was made to amend by
striking out the word "other" before
the words estate officels," but the
amendment went by the board, as did
others in relation to the eleventh sec
ton, which seemed Objectionable to
many.
In reference to canvass being asked
of candidates for State officers and
members Of the General Assembly, one
delegate suggested that often the very
men who would not seek an office by
canvass or otherwise were just the ones
the people would like to see in office,
and he wanted nothing done to exclude
anybody from being considered can
didate. His words of wisdom were
wasted, however.
After the reading of the platform as
reported was concluded, the platform
was adopted as whole.
AND NOW THE FUN COMMENCED.
At this point in the proceedings the
issue which had all day been stirring
the depths, and occasionally had come
to the surface, came there to stay, and
the contest of the occasion was precipi.
tated by the offering of Il resolution
distinctly committing the Convention
to the policy Of making nominations
for Governor and Lieutenant Governor
at least.
A CAUSE OF pIseoRD.
Mr.. Padgett, of Edgefeld, proposed
the following resolution, to be adopted
as a part of the platform:
For the purpose Of educating and
arousing the masses we will proceed to
suggest candidates for Governor and
Lieutenant-Governor who favor these
measures and we ask those who dis
apree with us TO do likewise Without