Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-07-17
Col. Hoyt, OF the State Democratic
Executive Committee, on the
Situation. ,l
GnEENvlLLE, S. O., July7, 1890.

Governor of this State, that in re-
sponse to his speech at Ridgeway,
early in May, the State Executive
Committee had refused to order a
primary election. / was not aware
that he had assumed the authority of
political dictator, but it would seem
that he has been discharging the du-
ties of this position, according to
his own confession. The State Ex-
ecutive Committee has steadily pur-
sued a consistent and tenable course
from the beginning of this. remarka-
bic campaign, and this course has
been strictly within the lines of it's
prescribed duties, as they are found i'll
the written constitution of the
Democratic party. That it has not
escaped censure from either faction
is an observation which need not he
proven, but it has turned neither to
the right nor the left in its purpose
to maintain the unity and integrity
of the party. Mr.. Tillman has que
ted frcqgesntly from an interview, in
which | fid that the demands Of
the March Convention were "utterly
impracticable and unattainable" in
this campaign, so far as reapportion
mcnt and the election of delegates
by primary were concerned. He is
endeavoring to make capital for him
self by assailing the position assum-
cd by me OH the 10Th day of April
and now claims that the August Con
vcntion will rcapportion delegates
and order primary election. My
statement was based upon the
facts of the case, and related solely
to the duties and powers of the
State Executive Committee, ,undcl
the present constitution. His pre-
diction is yet to be verified, and il
may or may not be fulfilled. My
declaration was made in good faith
because there was general acqui.
escencc in the proposition to delay
the nominating convention, in which
Mr.. Tillman and his executive com
mittee fully concurrcd, rs l have
written evidence to show. Now, If
the State Executive Committee had
ordered an early State Convention,
under the circumstances existing at
the time of the Ridgcway meeting,
can any one doubt that nominations
would have been made ut that date,
thus cutting off all opportunity for
a preliminary campaign. 1t might
have been wise to avoid the heat and
rancor of this preliminary campaign,
but Mr.. Tillman is mainly response
bic for the tone and temper of the
meetings, and not the State Execu-
tive Committee, whose duties were
plain and imperative.
Ii is fair to conclude, then, that
the demands for reapportionment and
the election of delegates by a gene
raj primary were "utterly impracti-
cable and unattainablc," unless q
State Convention was called into ex.
istcnce. Did the State Executive
Committee retrace its steps when the
August Convention was called? Not
at all, and it is in order to show that
Mr.. Tillman initiated the movement
which led to the preliminary convcn.
ton. If there is any one to blame
for this state of things, he is the au.
thor of the suggestion itself. AT
the opening meeting in Greenvillc
and at other places, Mr.. Tillman
urged his opponents, General Bratton
and Colonel Earle, to unite with him
in asking the State Executive Com
mittee to order State Convention
for the purpose of securing a gene
raj primary. On the 10Th day of
June, nine days after the preliminary
campaign opened, l received mes
sage from Colonel Joseph II. Earle,
through the Hon. w. i. Mauldin, to
tho effect that Nlessrs. Tillman,
l'ratton and Earle had agreed to
ask the Executive Committee to or
der State Convention for the sole
and exclusive purpose of changing
the constitution 50 as to provide for
a primary election of delegates to
the Nominating Convention already
called for the 10th of September,
and that the agreement between
them was that neither would accent
q nomination for Governor if the
convention thus called would under
take to nominate a ticket. Within
ar hour after the message was re-
cciycd, tho call was issued for the
State Executive Committee to meet
in Columbia on the 25th of June to
cOnsilpr thia t,ronneit;on rolo,nl