Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-03-31
Time Brings Its Reyeage'-A
50 Prediction.
Greenville Democrat.

Time brings its revenge, ana
sspolitics" not only makes strange
bed fellows" but does great
s many other strange things. One
Of the strange things, as well as
one of boldest piece Of assumption,
and presumption, to be found
among all the remarkable events
Of the last campaign, is to be
found in the appropriation of the
name of astraightout Democrats"
by the Haskell Hampton faction,
or more properly speaking, the
asIndependents" in this State. 1t
is but right and proper to call it
the aHaskell- Hampton faction"
or Independents, for that is the
proper name now unless we go
back and give them the name that
General Gary used to- call them
and that was athe fusionists."
General Gary wasthe real leader
ssof the straightout Democracy in
1875, for it washe who forced that
! plan of campaiga--irst in Edge
field, and then in the State, and
but for his individual, heroic
efforts, the State would not have
been redeemed in 1875. He defined
s'straightout Democracy" as "a
white mans party fighting for
white supremacy" in South
Carolina.
It was in pursuance of this
: policy that he called the 18th of
August, 1876, meeting, at Edgefeld
which decided the course of the
campaign; for it not only decided
the action of the State Convention
in nominating a straight ticket,
but wac followed up 80 vigorously
by Geo. d. Tillman and others,
at Blackville and Newberry, that
Chamberlain was driven out of
the field before Hempton got into
it at Anderson and the fact is that
Hampton never had any real
fighting to do, but was carried
around on the shoulders of our
& people, while General Gary
8 remained at Edgefeld with seven
Il companies of United States troops
5 to contend with, but carried the
election after spending 5000 Of
his own money BY such amjority
3 as secured the election in the
State. After the election Hampton
claimed that he had united the
whole people-white and black
by his f4concilatory policy, and
that his election was due to $4,000
negroes, whom he said has. voted
for him, thought straightouts like
Bob Toombs and Mart Gary
thought that" bribery and intimi-
dation, pure and simple" did the
work.
After the election Hampton
became the outspoken advocate Of
the tfusion policy,'' i. e., oftaking
ell the negroes we could get into
the Democratic party, and allowing
them, TO vote in our primaries,
conventions etc.. This is history,
as reference to the speeches of
Hampton, Hagood, Connor and
Dawson, at Blackville, in May,
1878, will show. General Butler
answered these speeches !. from
astonelands," in Edgefeld county,
soon after, but ere long he had
reconciled his differences and
joined the fusionists in their
campaign through the State, while
his old friend, General Gary was
soon;giyen the cold shoulder by
the executive committee, because
he asserted the principles Of white
supremacy too strongly at Green.
vile, and was forever left out in
the cold. They even violated all
fairness and party precedent and
principle in 1880 to. secure the
election of Hagood and to prevent
Gary from having chance before
the people. General Gary died in
1881 and WAS prevented from going
before the people in 1882, as he
had intended to demand Straight.
optprimary election and time NOV
ed along with Ned Met Crady's eight
box Law, until the old straightout
followers of General Gary found
another leader in B. r. Tillman
who claims to be as he is, "tht
political child of Gary"
The Tillman party had boldly
announced the principle Of "Whitt
supremacy" or straghtout De.
mocracy" and as soon as it became
o,,:do,,4 &lok ho ,,,os n hort r., oo,rr