The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-30
CAROLINA'S BALLOT WAR
THE BIVAL FACTIONS TO FIGHT 1T
OUT AT THE POLLS TO-DAY.

| daCY or GOV. IllImdn Tor h6-el6CtlOn.
A Review Of the Exciting Canvass
Closed Last Saturday at Laurens.
The Narrow Escapes From Bloody
Riots.
| COLUMBIA S. c., Aug. 29.-"The coming
campaign is likely to be the biggest little
political hell ever kicked up In South Caro-
lina-189O will be nowhere in comparison 4"
Such vas the remark made by a we'll
known politician six months ago. 1t was
prophecy The expected has happened.
The campaign nesting at Laurens last
Saturday closed the most remarkable polit-
zeal canvass in the history OF South Carolina.
| The whole fight has conferred on the candi-
daoy Of Gov. Tillman for reelection. For
six months "a family quarrel" as It's
| originator termed 1t, has been
| waging with bitter animosity and mAlig-
nant hatred between the "TillmaRites," or
followers of the governor, and the "con-
servatives," or ants. So bitter are the two
factions toward each other that bloodshed
was predicted as the outcome Of the meet
| ings, which have been held In every county
Of the state except one, where 1t was called
of for fear Of trouble.
HARD WORK TO KEEP DOWN RIoTING.
In the last two months the people have
witnessed what the oldest inhabitaut never
saw befors-cordous OF state constab les
surrounding political meetings not only to
| preserve the peace, but to protect the lives
! of those present. The time has come when
such strife and hatred exist among the peo-
| pie that 1t is not safe for them to meet to-
| gether in public debate. At Newberry last
week the factions confronted each other
with pistols, knives and clubs In their
hands, and II was Gods mercy chat the
streets of tho town did not flow with the
blood of the state's best people.
At Laurens and other places there was
such a condition OF things that the blood OF
| perhaps q hundred man was saved only by
| the presence of women and the strenuous
| exertions OF q hundred constables.
Gov. Tllman claims the credits for having
inauRurated thess joint debates. In his
speeches he declared that they were made
necessary, because the people were under a
government Of lying and infamous news
papers owned by banks and corporations.
But for that, says he, 81 could make
two or three speeches, have them printed,
and you could read them at home and save
all this worry and trouble"
OF DOUBTFUL BENEFIT.
It Is doubtful whether the meetings have
been productive Of good. Each succeeding
bitterness, and now they are wider apart
than ever before. There Is no doubt that
the canvass has been detrimental to the
Tillman cause. It does not take a judicial
mind TO see that Gov. Tllman and his col
leagues have been chiefly dependent in their
speeches upon Incorporate appeals to the
passions and preJudlces OF the people. And
there is no doubt that they have argued
their case with exceeding ingenuity.
AS an instance OF how the governor arrays
GLASS against class In his speeches the follow
ing is given: At Abbeville he told his fol-
lowers that the opposition wanted 20 ride
you like beasts of burden" that the ner-
chants, the money power and the banks
we're making war against the people, and
that they believed they were class above
the ''ragamutfins and one-gallus crowd that
they want to put un der their heels" "You
are no longer blowing on" said he, while
somebody else levies the taxes and picks out
the men for you to vote for"
EFFECT OF HIS UTTERANCEs.
AS most Of the governors followers are
the ''one~gallus boys" fresh from the plow-
handles, 1t is not strange that this kind of
language finds ready lodgment IN their
minds and causes them to look upon the OPP
| position as their very enemies. In fact it
| snrages them. There are Thousands Of them
who actually believe that Tillman is a sort
of agricultural Moses, who will lead them
out OF the wilderness, and that the state
| ments Of the conservative speakers are moth
ing but pack OF lies pure and simple.
The power that Tillmap Yields over these
men is remarkable At the meetings they
have been heard to say that IL he advocated
the Limitation Of suffrage they would not
vote for him, yet his plea for a constitu-
fional convention to impose property or
educational qualification without submit
ting it back to the people for ratification
has been met by these very men with shouts
| of approval and cries Of You're right
That's what we want" 'If Tilmnn says
so it's right"
POWER ON THE STUMP.
1t Is an undisputsd fact that Gov. Till
man ID one OF the most powerful stump
speakers in the United States His Ian.
| guage is the very opposite of chaste II re-
semblcs that Of Sam Jones, and is full of
farm lingo and spicy slang. While discuss.
ing political matters his talk Is robbed of
much OF its force by the bitterness with
which he speaks. While speaking Of "these
old ringsters," his face assumes a sardonic
expression, and so fiercely does he champ
that the saliva forms flakes of foam at the
corners Of his lips.
There never was a stronger manifestation
Of credulity ana faith than is seen In the
ready acquiescence Of the governors rural
| followers In measures that can result only
| TO their detrimenk IL the conservative
| were TO ask them 60 deprive themselves of
toe right to vote, Of the power to save their
homesteads, OF the ability to raise money
on their crops, and to tax their heads three
times as much as they are already taxed
they would want to mob them. But when
Tillman asks them to vote for qualification
Of suffrage, for repeal of the homestead
and lien laws, and for So poll tax, they
bend their heads to the yoke and are driven
to the shambes.
THE ISSUE IN THE COUNTIES.
Tillmanism is the issue In the local county
campaigns. The governor has told his fol
lowers ITO draw the line from governor to
coroner, and if your brother is not a Till
mantle, vote against him" Every candi~
date who gets upon the stump is asked the
question: Are you for TillmaDn and that
Is all the argument that his followers re-
quire. Those who reply in the neg alive are
! treated with scant courtesy. The con-
sequence is that rillmanism breeds a race Of
coat-tail swinRers. and if Tillman is re-
elected scores OF one-horse politicians will
ride Into Office with him on the tidal wave. 1"
J. W. G.
MIXED ON THE TICKETS.
One Of the most serious dangers threaten
ing the conservative cause intthe election
is the confusion which has grown up In re-
gard TO the matter of tickets. 1t is charged
that 1t was the purpose of State Chair man
lrby to effect this very result waen he