The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1890-08-27
The Straightout Conference.

The straighout conferred ee called
be ex-Chancellor Johnson MET III the
State House, Columbia, lasg evening
at s o'clock, about 400 being present.
Those in attendance from Lexington
were: Joab Edwards, T. H~blzhauser,
". Westmoreland, D.. U. Ahdy, J. f.
Vineyard, J. B. Vineyard, \ NJ.
Vineyard, E. E. Wingard, !. II.
Eleazer, A. S. Laird, NJ. II. witt, J.
n. Fowles, S. P. Vineyard, Albert +.
Taylor, G.. A. Guignard, al. b.
Eleazer, ". C. Hane, B. F. Gardner.
The following preamble and reso-
utions, which were adopted inthe Sc
cret session, were given to thepuDlle;
Whereas a Convention Of theIDemo-
cratic party of the State, assembled
in the city of Columbia on the 18th
inst, pursuant to the call of the FIX
ecutive Committee of the party, for
the sole and exclusive purpose Of d"
terming whether the delegates to the
State nominating Convention, to be
held in the city of Columbia on Sep
TENDER 10 OF thereafter, should be
elected by primary or conventin and
for no other purpose whatsoever; and
whereas the said NsYentiof, when
orsanized, proceeded to adopts new
constitution involving radical changes
in the fundamental law of tht party
and to elect a new State E$ecrtire
Committee Hereunder, agaiast the
earnest protest Of a number OF ITS
members whose loyalty to the party
is beyond question; and whereas htty
nine delegates from the counties OF
Beaufort, Charleston, Georgetown,
Richland and Sumter, after sflemnly
protesting against such aetApn and
imploring the majority to pause in
Che usurpation of power, was Snally
impelled by a sense of duty tot their
constituencies to withdraw FROM the
convention, being unwilling IL their
acquiesence to commit those| whom
they represented to a precedent 50
dangerous; and whereas the uhautho-
rized exercise of power by the ma
iority of said convention he's caused
confusion in regard to th$ organic
law of the party and the Executive
Committee of the same, WHICH threat
ems to increase the unfortu1sStSpdif-
ferences now prevalent and pro-
duce further division in our inks;
and whereas it is the delibera! ddg-
ment of this conference ta the
action of the said conve these
respects was not % ~unWlse
and unnecessary, but SN null
and void, and we therefor Secog~
nize the constitution under (which
the. said Convention assembled ASIDE
ing sill of binding force and Authority
and the then existing Executive Com
mittee as being still the lksghtaf@a-
head of the party; and whereas, in
the anomalous social ase political
conditions now obtai2 IN South
Carolina which rendeA continued
supremacy of the whiteXace in the
control and administration of the
government a consideration Of para
mount importance to which the inter
ests of individuals anG factions
should be unhesitatingly abcrdi.
mated, we regard the restod on OF
political harmony among ourYpeople
as a high necessity, and cherish the
hope that this may be consufnmated
through the exercise of mutual for
bearance, inspired by the bSoadest
PATRIOTS; and whereas while cSidemn-
ing the leaders of said majority and
reprobating their methods, wasenter-
tain only feelings of kindness Upwards
our fellow Democrats who ale sup,
porting them; ard whereas tf con,
test made during the preseni&eam
paign has been conducted
view to ITS final decision ia