Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1892-03-24
A Dispassionate Review Of the Politi.
cal Situation and the Grave Prob
lens now Facing the Democracy OF
South Carolina.

To the Editor Of the Meas and Courier:
In reply to your letter requesting my
views among others as to the political
situation in South Carolina / would say
that absence from home and professional
engagements have prevented earlier atten-
ton to it. 1 would prefer to stand mute,
but as my views are sought shall frankly
give them. however unimportant Or unin-
fuential they may be.
We are certainly in a most unhappy
political condition, and from present
appearances the hope of reuniting the
party in the near future is dim. The
opponents of the administration are
divided as to the policy to be pursued,
and the letters published in your paper
show that no two of them agree as to the
solution of the vexed problems which
are presented and fail to blaze out a path
by which we can emerge from u politi-
cal wilderness. 1 shall not attg~rpt
.ther-I4 to be ap~prehended that, in
the differences of opinion as to the policy,
there is a cepyerging towards an ntoler-
ance which, if cryst., Ill Pr5auce
disharmony among those who are not
administration people, and Jet abided
the action of the September Convention
of 1890.
1t is to be taken for granted that
among the opponents of the present
administration there is a common pur-
pose to heal, if possible, the unfortunate
division now existing and reunite the
party, while their opinion is uniform
that a change in the Executive Depart
ment would be beneficial ard conducive
to the best interests of the State. They
hold that Governor Tillrnan's admins
tration is a failure; that he had the
opportunity of giving the State a broad,
conservative, ~non-partlsan ~administra-
ton, an opportunity which rarely comes
in a political life, and could have con-
tributed more than all others towards
reuE;tirg the party. But he has nj
done so, and they hold him chiefly respon-
sible for the present unfortunate condi-
ton of affairs. Very naturally there is
a strong conviction among a large num-
Der of his opponents that he should be
opposed, and vigorously opposed. Others
equally earnest and patriotic believe in
not opposing him by an active campaign,
but to make the fight for the Legislature
on the ground that with a Legislature
ever measucably stronger than the pres
emit Il (which, Notwithstanding three
fourths of it's members were his follow
ers, refused to ~legislate according TO his
behests or pass his pet measuresl he
would be still more handicapped, and at
the expiration of his second term would
cease to be the potential factor he now
is, and that without active opposition by
an opposing candidate he could not so
infuse his personal influence into the
canvass in the counties as to secure a
Legislature to do his bidding.
To ascertain which Of these divergent
views prevailed in the several counties
or how far he had lost ground, would it
not a v been more prudent, before
deciding on a line of %action, to have mad
a conference of m more representa-
tive men from each county, instead OF
thirteen gentlemen, however able. patri-
otto and deserving, undertaking to decide
what should be done? This is said in no
fault-fnding or captious spirit. Be this
as it may, they have acted and issued a
call for a convention embodied in a most
conservative paper and proposed to act
within the party lines. Was not this
call for a convention unfortunate? They
followed the example of Shell and his
allies. who called the March Convention
of 1890. That convention was righte-
ously condemded and its promoters
denounced because their action was not
warranted by party law and usage, and
it was generally held by their opponents
that tie then State Committee should
have disciplined its promoters and "sug-
eestee." 1t was not done, and was the
beginning of other violations by them.
I hold that there is no authority that
can call a convention of the Democratic
party except the State Committee, nor is
there any provision for any wing or fac
ton Of the party, or any number OF Dem
ocrats, to call one. Any number OF them
NAV meet in conference and request
w~homsoever they may see fit to come
cut as candidates, or mass meetings ray
make such a request, and certainly any
citizen may announce himself. and run
for Office, but there is no authority to
have a convention, otherwise than is con
! stitutionally provided, formulate a plat
form or devise rules upon which 1t Is
proposed to conduct a campaign.
believe in a strict construction OF party
law and following Of party usage. Any