Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-23

the Ocala demands, and hence he may win, al
though the race will be q close one.
The sixth district fight for the seat Of the late
Congressman Stackhouse is a lively and inter-
estlng one. There were four candidates for the
nomination by an alliance caucus and, contrary
to expectation, Attorney General John L. Nc
Laurin of Marlboro was nominated over State
Senator W. D. Evans Of the same county. Sem
ator Evans is large planter and man Of con-
siderable ability, who did more for the Tillmsn
cause than any one in his section Of the state.
But last winter Gov. Tillman desired to have
bill passed giving him the appointment of three
railroad commissioners, while q number Of leg
isators desired to retain the right to electthem.
The governor on the last night Of the session
sent message to the Tillmanite senators that
the bill must be passed and Senator Evans re-
volted. He joined his conservative colleagues
In fhbustering against the bill, declaring that
he was lighting boss rule" Gov. Till
mans fine Italian hand ia believed to
have been felt in the alliance caucus,
and the caucus nominated his favorite lawyer
over Farmer Evans. The latter in published
letters accuses Attorney General McLaurin Of
duplicity and treachery in seeking the nomina-
ton while pretending to support him. and is
giving quiet retaliatory support to jeremiah
Smith Of Harry, conservative alliance man,
who now has good chance Of election. "Uncle
Jerry smith, plain and rough farmer, fights
from the national democratic platform. The
attorney general, on the contrary, does not
accepting the alliance nomination, and is stand
ing on the Ocala platform.
THE BLACK DISTRICT.
The seventh district is known a. the ''black
district" because Of its enormous negro major
ity. The registration and light box election
laws, however, make it fair fighting ground for
democrats and it has two candidates for the
nomination Of that party-Gen. E. w. Noise of
Sumter and VIM Henry Hayward of Colleton,
Congressman Elliott having declined renomina-
ton. Gen. Noise was elected as adjutant gen.
eral on the Hampton ticket in 1876. He is
lawyer and a brilliant speaker. He Is q con-
sentative and stands on the national platform.
His competitor is also a lawyer, but de-
rives his living from q country store. He is
an extreme advocate Of the Ocala platform.
The district has been conservative in its ten
denotes and Gen. Noise will probably be NOM
mated.
All this by way Of showing how the lines are
drawn between the Cleveland democratic and
third party policies. The fight in some Of the
districts is SO bitter that the alliance candidates
would be likely to go into the peoples party il
defeated in the primaries were it not for their
pledges to abide by the result. Unquestion-
ably, with nearly ell the white vote to be cast in
the primaries under oath to support the ticket
nominated. there is not much prospect of third
party nominations for state officers and Con-
gressmen, no matter whether the entire alliance
ticket be defeated. But there are interesting
possibilities as to the presidential election.
THE ELECTORAL TICKET.
The delegates to be elected at the state con-
vention will in that convention have the nam
ing of the democratic candidates for presi-
dental electors. Voters in the primary must
swear to support the nominees of the primary
but the question arises, Are the presidential
electors chosen by the state convention nomi-
nees of the primary" Directly, no; indirectly
yes. 1t is already claimed by indiscreet alli-
ance men who incline toward the third party
that they have been instructed by the alliance
that in taking the oath at the primary they do
not obllgate themselves to support Cleveland
electoral ticket, and that they will be free to
vote, and will vote, for Weaver electors Of
course, this seems to be forced and unnatural
theory. but If the Tilman-Ocala voters should
be made angry at the defeat of Tillman they
might, in desperation. adopt it. In such case
they. would have no difficulty in forming an al
lianGe with the republicans, who are hopeless of
success bya separate party movement. and
nearer-than Kolb did in Alabama. have
positive information that third party move
ment will be begun. and this would hardly be
contemplated il all the alliance voters in the
primary held themselves bound to support the
electoral ticket put out by the September con-
vention.
Then there is another possibility. So nanv
of the candidates for election as delegates to
the state convention are believers in the doc
trines Of the third party that they NAV NOM
mate electors who will vote for Weaver instead
of Cleveland. The Sumter Freeman, the only
outspoken third party paper in the state, sug-
gests this very forcibly. 1t says that the third
party men in the state are seeking to gain their
ends by indirection and hypocrisy, and that
Cleveland will not get the electoral vote of the
state If the Tillman. ''reformers' win. 1t
thinks that if Gov. Tillman can control the
| N n ha hnra lanf.- d.
would at least not vote for Cleveland until the
governor had been promised the bestowal of
the federal patronage in South Carolina. Shop
pard and Orr, it declares. are the natural and
logical allies of Cleveland aud Stevenson and il
Cleveland should be elected the conservatives
would have control of all the federal offices:
that Tilman would not submit to this. prefer
ring to defeat Cleveland rather than have his
enemies aided and encouraged by the national
administration. 1t protests against a policy
which it terms hypocritical and treacherous,
! and advocates an open fight for the third party
There Is room therefore. for very interesting
speculation as to what may happen after the
primary, and it is likely that October may come
| before the question whether South Carolina
will have an organized third party or not will
be determined. While Cleveland would be SUD-
ported by majority of the white vote minor
ity. aided by the great negro vote, would make
South Carolina too doubtful to be set down as a
certain Cleveland state. The feeling among
| thousands of the alliance men il SO bitter
against Cleveland and the eastern school Of
finance that regard it as inevitable that South
Carolina will at no distant day have third
party under its proper name. As it is we can
only judge by subterranean rumblings that an
explosion is likely to occur.