The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-05-25
THE STATE CONVENTION.
Editorial InkIihgs. Random Shots,
and Disconnected Thoughts In Re.
ference to the Democratic COnven.
tion. whIch Met In Columbia, May

t1On. WOlch Met III SSluhnid, "RS
IL. 1892.
| The State Democratic Convention was held
last Thursday to nominate delegates TO the
| National Democratic Convention which
meets in Chicago next month.
| The body was composed almost exclusively
of AllIuncemen, or men who sympathised
with the Alliance or Farmers Movement
| plain Democrat had no showing Mt all for
any of the hOnnrs, but the Alliance-Demo-
Gratis had everything their own way.
| The farmers seem now To be solidly arrayed
| against those of their felow-ciiiZens whom
| they have honOred in the past, and their OPP
| position TO the old methods and the old men
who have been foremost in State and Nation
al politics isapparent in all that was done by
| the convention.
Tne leaders OF former years seem 10 have
served their day, and a new generation de-
mand that they stand aside that new men
| may take their places.
Their verdicts in the past. and their de-
mands for the future. uproot the Old estab-
lished ideas. and new ideas aud new men are
to take their places.
Except the ofTice-holdng or the office seek.
ing class, the change in sentiment will prac.
tIcally effect very few Of the great mass OF
our ciizpns, and ninetenths of the people.
| whether Til NANTES or anti-Iill NANTES, may
accept their new methods and their new plans
| with comparative indifference.
| The men who compose the great multitude
| Of farmers are the same men who redeemed
the State in 1916. If we look back of that
| time-in lSGJ-iI will be found that they barred
their breasts In the fight for Southern rights.
They fought valiently with musket In hand
until uisarmed by Union soldiers In 1861
| They faced Federal bayonets in &c to restore
Home Rul'to their beloved South Carolina.
Their loyalty and their patriotism has nev.
| er faltered.
This is their country-as 1t is our country
and they Will never be false to what they con-
ceive to be their best interests.
| To seek the otticeS-the honorS and emolu-
| mentS OF officia! position-is commendabe
and praise.'7orthy In any citizen. Without
ambition - rise TO distinction. and without
| he determination TO win some OF the honors
Of ones country, we would become as dumb
| driven cattle.
If, In their zeal to promote new set of men
| to official position, they should run counter
to our own individual sentiments. and II they
| should cast aside some of our own personal
| friends TO elevate some OF their own number,
1t is our patriotic duty 10 submit to the will
| Of the majority.
| II III becomes us to assume the role OF the
BOBBY, or to act the part of the pOuting boy
| who pettiShly refuses To play.
| 1t is Il condition that coufront Is as, and
| those of US who cannot adapt our
selves 10 the changed condition or accept the
iacts az they are can only injure our useful
| ness and retard the return or the very stale
OF things which We most deroutly desire.
Movement in South Carolina has everything
its own way. The determination OF the men
who compose that body need not be doubted.
| 4 fool can zee this, and an Idiot may learn
that they are in the majority.
| Their work, SD TO speak. Is just com menced.
Flushed with victory, led BY an army OF Of
hce-seekers, they will never stop until they
have occupied every official position, and
| their conqu quest Is complete.
| Those ottice-holderS who are now out. and
are To be put OUT should accept the situation
| gracefully. They have for u time enjoyed po-
silionS Of honor and profit. Recanse OF the
State which they love so well, they should
act like men. Defeat, no less than success
brings the individual into the crucible which
proves his qualities. Let them stand aside,
If required " do SO, and resume heir honnred
places i'll the private walks OF lie, where
| their character, their example, and their pa.
triolism may reflect the highest credit upon
themselves and their native land.
| AS the union men OF 1850, yielded their OPP
position TO secession, and went with the ma
jOrity, might 1t not he well ior the 'oppOsl
tiOn' of to-day TO stand aside, yield to the In
evitable, and wait for u time when the exist
ing lines between Democrats In south Caro-
lima may be obliterated? 1t isn't worth our
while TO quarrel about he offices. For fifteen
years one set has held them, and IL IL said
that turn about is fair play.
i We attribute the many ,indiscreet acts o
/ the Convention, not To any lack OF patriotism
Oh the part of the members Of that body. but
to the TACT that they blindly followed the die
tates Of those whom they trusted TO lead
them, and If their leaders led them into er
4 ror, IL was not because they loved the error
more than the right. 1t was because ot their
lack Of experience IN public affairs. We are
ble record, and would not willingly do any
thing TO cast odium on the fair name OF South
| Carolina.
Last week the South Carolina Conven.
i ton took action, which Will be n shock tC
many of the purest and best citizens not Ony
of this State, but OF the whole nation. No
content with endorsing their avorite PreSi'
Dental nominee they made serious charges
against the pureSt and best OF our Democratic
standard bearers
TO show definitely wherein we think tht
Convention erred, we submit some remark:
in reference TO particular acts.
The resolutions In reference 10 CLEVELAND
are remarkable coming, as they do. from
Sla u which received more favOrs at his hands
than did the people Of any other State.
These resolutions are unprecedented, w
presume In political history. Mr.. Cleveant
is not II candidate for any office, and the Con
| ventiOn should not nave taken such libertie,
with any gentleman who was not candidate
| The third resolution makes Il charge agains
Wall street and Cleveland which We believe
cannot he prov ed, nnd which we further be
lievr, is untrue and abSo lutely without foun
datiOn in any other fact than that CievelanC
l is opposed TO The foolish financial policy
which is demanded by the Ocpia platform.
| The past record of the man dlsprDveS the
insinuaLion which Is made In the fourth reso
luton.
In the fifth resolution an attempt seems tC
be made 10 read Cleveland out OF the Demo
cratic parly. The demands OF the 0cala plat
fUriu not having been Incorporated in'the Ma
y
of the Democratic PLATFORM, and the Demo
cratic party OF South Carolina must make
their Platform of principles conform 10 those
OF the National platform. II might have
been proper for South Carolina to have made
her preference known, as between candidates
uut ii was no part of the duty of the South
Carolina Convention to assume the roll OF
dictator in directing the National Convention
what planks !: must put In its platform
neither was 1t the province of the South Car
ollnu Convention to forbid the nomination OF
any man.
Asa matter Of policy 1t was an error 10 20
out OF our way TO make q fling at Wall street
| especially at n time when we are seeking to
sell our own Slate bonds In that very street
| lf we ever sell them, or refund them, the pro-
liability is, that Wall stl eet will have some
tthing To do with the transaction.
| Delegate eS should have k nown that II Is the
National Convention to define the principles
and lay down the lnw of the party in Nation
| al politics. As the county Democracy must
conform To the State Democracy. so the State
Democracy must conform TO the National
/ Democracy.
AS the Ucala committee issued an edict from
which no State, or county, or local Alliance
may appeal. 30 the National Convention
adopts the constitution and laws OF the party
| to which all Democrats must give nlleS lance
The refusal to adopt the resolution con-
denning the detection OF fellow Democrats
| from their own ranks 10 the Third party
Is on II line with their denuncialion o
The most distinguished and most conspicu.
Gus democrat In the United States.
For the ma iOrIty faction of u party 10 use
It's corporate influence in favor OF any candi.
date Tor State office Is, we presume, mos
i unusual proceeding.
The adoption as their own. by the Demo
cratic party of the platform OF a secret society
is the first instance of the kind of which We
have any knowledge.
! IT. will be difficult for the five hundred needy
l persons To say ':o,hing OF the merchants nlo
specuIutors, who are annually v accom- modated
by the Abheville National Bank, to under
stand how the State Conventio could declare
auuinSt National Banks while receiving