Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-04-17
The Case as 1t Stands.
[Grccnville Daily Ncws.]

The dangers that besct this State
are now becoming visible and evil
dent. They are not in honest diff
ferences of opinion or division in
matters Of policy and principle
among the people, but in the unrea-
soning words and actions of men on
both sides, who either seek popular
favor or noisy declamatior and cx-
IRENE positions or arc urged to them
by zeal without knowledge or iudg-
ment.
On one side we have Mr.. Talbert,
of Edgefield, and some others
preaching fire and destruction against
all who dare to differ from them,
proclaiming that they alone are the
friends of the people and that all
who refuse to follow meekly in their
footsteps and swallow obcdicntly all
their prescriptions in the shape of
manifestoes, speeches and candidates
are traitors and foes to the public.
On the other hand We have some
body writing the Neacs and Courier
over the signature of "Old Guard"
and appealing in fiery terms to the
State Democratic Executive Com
mittcc to proceed forthwith to pun
ish the followers of Tillman as
traitors and rebels against the Demo
cratic party. In case the committee
fails to act "Old Guard" declares
that wc must meet organization with
organization, appoint State, county
and township committees and put
stump speakers in the field to meet
and battle with Tillman and Till
manism.
We hope and believe the thinking,
conservative people will find their
way safely between these two cx-
tremes and reach the correct view
and sound conclusions.
There has never in the history of
the State been a time in which it
was so necessary as now to impress
on the public mind the conviction that
every man is entitled to his opinion
and to express it without having his
character or his motives assailod, and
the good Democratic doctrine of the
right of tt, majority to rule.
The Farmers Association had the
same right that any other body of
citizens has to meet and formulate
demands and choose persons whom
its members will support for certain
Offices. We believed and believe it
was bad policy for the Association to
take such action; we believed and
believe the voice of that Association
was not fairly taken; that its repre-
scntativcs were forced against their
will to endorse the weakest and most
Objectionable man in their ranks; we
do not approve Mr.. Tillman's course
or methods. But he has been put
! before the Democrats of the State
as candidate for their nomination
for Governor. 1t is for them to say
whether they will or will not accept
his leadership. Each one of them
has the right to express and main
tain his opinion in the matter.
The Democratic Executive Com
mittce has no right to take sides or
interfere in any way in the internal
disputes of party which it repre-
scnts as whole, further than to do
what it can to prevent these disputes
from becoming so violent as to
endanger the party's supremacy.
Certainly its appearance on one side
or the other would do more than
anything c'so we can imagine TO
increase irritation and widen the
breach.
Anybody else in the State has tho
same right the Farmers Association
had and used to nominate n candi-
date for Governor. The merchants
can, if they like, meet and put up a
man; so may the lawycrS, doctors,
preachers and editors or another