The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-07-16
Wishy WasllY Executive Committee.

The action of the State Democratic Exec
utive Committee in calling a convention to
meet in August to decide as to whether the
delegates to the September Democratic Con-
vention shall be elected by primary or con-
vention IS being discussed pro and con all
over the State. Many think that the action
of the committee was unwise and that they
should have stuck to the first position they
took on the question, while others think the
committee did right in reconsldering their
first action and in calling the convention.
In our judgment the committee blundered
when it called the August Convention.
If the State primary was new thing and
just sprung on the committee the case would
be different. But it is not. and the commit
tee has had plenty of timeto consider the
matter. In every State Convention Of the
Democratic party for the past six years the
matter has been brought up and discussed,
and the Farmers Convention which met IN
Columbia last March asked the State Demo-
cratic Executive Committee to call an early
State Democratic Convention to consider
and decide the question, but the committee
at its first meeting to reorganlZe for the
campaign by an almost unanimous vote de-
clded against primary.
Sc far the action of the committee was all
right, and no one would say word about
it If they had not reconsidered the matter
at meeting in June and called State con-
vention to consider the primary election
question, which the committee has already
settled to the satisfaction of q large majority
of the people of the State Early in the
campaign Chairman Hoyt, in an interview,
SAID the proposition to hold primary elec-
tons for delegates on the same day in all
the counties was altogether ont of the ques-
ton, unless the counties agreed thereto. Yet
nearly two months after that interview the
committee calls convention to decide the
question right in the midst of the most ex-
citing political campaign the State has ever
known.
If that convention does not do more than
it is called to do, it will be most remarka-
bic body, as we are all prone to use power
when we have it. 1t would not surprise us
if the convention does nominate full
State ticket from Governor down. State
done such things before, and We see no reas-
on why this one should not do so if it felt
so disposed. If it should nominate ticket
We would all oe bound by its action. and we
think it would be well enough for the people
to bear this in mind in electIDg delegates
to it,
We are in favor of the primary for the
nominphon Of all candidates and delegates
to the State convention, and had the exec
utive committee early Ill the campaign call
ed q convention to consider the matter we
would have favored it, but to bring the mat
ter up now after several counties have al
ready elected delegates to the September
convention, which was called to nominate
State officers, we are opposed to it, and hope
the convention will vote it down. Let US
run the schedule through on which we start
ed. Whether we have primary or not the
result will be the same, and We see no ne
cessty for Introducing a new element of
discord into the campaign.-OiMnJeJeuy
Times and Democrat