The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-09
THE JUNE CAUCUS.
What DR.. Stokes Says About the Confer
ence to Which He was not Invited.

yybat DR. Stokes Saws About the Confer
ence to Which He was not Invited.
Enterprise and Alliance Monitor.]
It beng very apparent that DR..
Stoaes, the president Of the State ALI
aDee and the editor of the Cotton Plant,
had been left out of the "June Confer
ence" entirely a reporter Of the Enter
prise and Alliance Monitor sought him
out to see what he had to say about the
matter. He was not at his office, but
was at his country home which is about
six miles from Orangeburg. [ went
out to his residence and found him
busily engaged with his farm work.
He had not seen the World yet, be-
cause he had not gone to the postofhce
to get his mail, so that had the pleas
sure of first presenting him with the
great news. I presented him with
copy of the World, and he read the
account through with much interest.
Every once and while he would smile
and say:
''They got it pretty straight" which,
7 of course, meant that the Worlds
wonderful kinetograph had taken
thing down very correctly.
I first asked him if he had received
an invitation to the meeting, which
was held at Columbia on June 3.
rs He said that he had not; that he did
not know why he had been so un-
tremendously left out! land that he has
not yet received, nor does not expect
an explanation of the why and where
fore of the matter. Any explanation
along this line would have tn come
from other source. as be certainly had
none, nor knew ofany to give.
In answer to other questions, DR..
Stokes said: had some intimation OF
this gathering, but did not know when
# would come off.
'sThe views of those who discussed
The matter of the establishment OF an
out and out administration paper with
me beforehand, seemed to recognize the
difference between the Farmers move
1nent and the Alliance. They drew
the same distinction between the State
Alliance organ and paper designed
to defend the Reform administration.
s:ttwas recognized as very desirable that
5 there should be daily paper in Column
bia, fully sympathising with the ad-
ministratlon and capauie as we'll as
willing to defend its actions-or at any
rate, to see that its actions we're fairly
presented to the public. This function
the Cotton Plant was not in position
TO perform even if it were within the
scope of it's purposes. It's field is the
advocacy Of Alliance interests and prin-
cipIes along lines Of political economy
NOT the defense of any party or fac
ton. It is az liberty to comment upon
current events, and does so whenever
it sees proper; but that is no part ofits
duty except as its duty is to do the
right and see that the right is done.
Consequently there could be no con-
fIict between the Cotton Plant and'
such a paper as I understood was
under contemplation.
'tI certainly think that such paper
as have indicated above would be
very desirable. and in fact, almost ne
cessary to the presentation OF the ac-
tons and purposes Of the Reformers IN
Office"
ssDo YOU not think, Doctor Stokes,
that the fact of the Cotton Plant ad-
yocating the demands of the Ocala
platform, ani especially the sub-treas-
ury idea, while Governor Tillman and
others Of the dominant element oppose
the sub-treasury scheme, absolutely
prevent the realization ofany hope that
the Cotton Plant could ever become
the organ of the present adminlstra-
tion?"
DIR. Stokes replied that he did not
think so, though the Cotton Plant had
never aspired to that position, think
said he, "that there would be no more
impro priety in our occupying thatre'
lation than there would be in an anti
silver Democratic paper occupying the
same relation, for the great majority OF
the Democratic party are pronounced
in favor of free silver. In my Judgment
a sub-treasury Democrat is about as
good a Democrat as an anti-silver Dem
oerat.n
SIS it not somewhat more than prob
able" asked, ''that the chief function
of the proposed organ, by the June
conference, would be to boom certain
men for future political preferment"
"Well, while such paper might be
used in that way, in my judgment the
controlling motive in the minds OF
those at the conference, in its establish
ment was to secure for the friends OF
reform fair statement Of what was
being done by the exponents Of reform
in Columbia"
'What in your opinion, will be the
effect of the present factional tight
among the leaders of the Reform ele-
ment; for do you not regard this con-
ference as naught else but throwing
down of the gauge Of battle to the ad-
vocates of the sub-treasury plan by
those opposed to it?'
:I do not construe this newspaper en-
terprise as a challenge 10 the suo-tgeas
ury element of the democracy. L have
never considered the difference between
the sub-treasurv Democrats and other |