The Greenville times., 1891-06-20

To ths Democratic Voters Of Wash
iugton County.

M&AHH AAaAAN
AT the recent meeting 81 your
Executive Committee 1nc change In
the method 81 -eeri.lg delegates %
tie CoHutY Nomiaslle Convention .
was adopted sud another recom-
msnded 0r yCur e0vernauee in The
primary conventions. Believing these
changes right anu proper, desire to
submit tu Eau uu behalf Of the eom-
ulittee. as IFS chairman, the reasons for
the ssme. The change decided upon
was that each precinct should hold lis
own separate primary convention for
selection Of delegates to the County
Nominating Conyenti0n-instead Of
by Supervisors Districts a. heretofore.
The change recommended was that in
The precinct conventions the voters
should vote their various and respective !
choices for each Office, which would be
A direction and instruction 10 the dele
gates selected at the same Time, to east !
the vote Of the precinoi in the County
Convention for the Candidates reeeiy-
iag the highest number OF votes
The first 0f these changes was SIM
ply a return Lu "a ctlstOm " hlch pre-
VALID in the county until 1881; when
J without s.atement Of reason the Com
udttoo directed the primary conveI-
tious 10 bs held by Supervisors Dis
! tricts. II las been, rs Is well rcmenl-
+ bered by me members of the Exeen-
two Committee, and readily under
stood by all, 4 continually recurring
source of inconvenience 10 voters, and
dispute over the places Of holding the
District Conventions, between the pre-
cincts of the LIST, 2nd, and 4th Dis
tricts. The purpose and motive Of the
return to the old method was to end
these disputes-sometimes settled by
fairness sometimes according to
numerical strength-to overcome this
inconvenience which required voters
at Leota to 90 to Glen Allen,
from Lelend to Hollandale from
Refuge TO Avon, or vice versa In
deed IN the 4th District to attend the
convention at Arcola required psrtici-
pants from tho northern part of the
. county 10 90 20 miles. In the 5th Dis
triet the injustice of only one conven-
ton was far more apparent. From
the Burt0nia precinct TO Hollandale
where the conventions were held be-
ing 25 to 80 miles by dirt road, and
often impossible. Thus the rule es-
tablished by former Executive Com
mitttec, rendered participation by
Democrats in the conventions Of the
party, where were practically settled
who were to be tho officers OF the
| county, unduly incouvenient, entailing
serious loss of time and sacrifice of
business, and in the case last mention
cd practically impossible. While the
State law, more considerate, establish
ed voting place, at which the Demo-
Gratis who were unable TO attend the
conventions, had the privilege of vot-
ing and working for the nominees
. selected by their more fortunate
, brethren in each precinct.
Such was the attitude of affairs
when your chairman received petit
ton signed by number of the repre-
, sentative tax payers Of the Burtonia
, precinct, Cthc white registered vote Of
II being about 65 against about 176 in
the other precinct of the 9th Dis
J trict, Hollandslel representing that
the system of holding district con.
yention at Hollandalc debarred then
I: from participating In the councils Of
the party or having voice In the
, selection of its nominees, and asking
, tor precinct conventions. The justice
Of the petition was emphasized by the
fact that a bill passed the Senate Of the
, last Legislature cutting off this portion
Of the county, large In area aud rich n
the promise of developments, on th,
A ground that 1t could not convenient,
take part in the affairs of the county
This circumstance had fully aroused
o its citizens to their vital inter
| est in county affairs. The petition
was mentioned TO several persons
members of the committee ant
Q representative citizens, the justict
of 1t was apparent to all and attention
e was attracted to the fact that similai
, reasons, existed more or less stronl
= for change in each country district
: and 80 the matter of division was agi
Q tated. In the Srd District dilIeren
j.. reason for division existed, but al leas
as strong as obtained in the others. II
within the last wv years our popu
: ation had not attained lis presen
$ growth. Partly from that reason, bu
o even more from tho fact that u
j., to that date there had been grea
unanimity among our Greenville pee
Z pie in their choice for office, their on
IS convention had been marked b
extraordinary freedom from hea
g aud excitement. No such col
4 dition confronts US now. The whit
n vote in this District will foot up owe
d 500, 9-10 of whom will certainly atten
o the convention. Officers for every otllc
. in the county arc to be chosen, unde
/. the new Constitution for terms OF
d years.fcw uncontcsted, there are sever,
@ CtlQluutto lol cOliit VI thoiti, huu hil
r these candidates have warm, zealou
J. friends and faction is deplorably riff
a. TO assemble this number of mel
r. crowded into any building in Greer
10 vile, heated and excited by feelin,
1T elated over the prospect Of victory {
IN chagrined ut the certainty of defeat,
a to bid farewell to calm deliberatiol
ct and to invite confusion trouble an
RS broils.
re These are the reasons lmpelllng Il
co committee TO the changes discusse
a. Another, one not heretofore existeu
- is that the new Constitution max
D. the precinct more distinctivoly Il
III unit of our political structure. III
is primary requisite to suffrageship is
ID residence of one year in the PREcTNo
ut or election district, and not as heret
as fore in the COUNTY. There is essenti
reason, under this condition, that Il
primary conventions should DO he
by the prescribed election boundari'
that the neighborhood acqusintan
ol o may prevent participation except