The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-02
An ABLE. POLITICAL PAPER.
HON. JOHN C. HASKELL TALKS TO 1.-THE
STATE"
fEe Makes Il Plain, straightforward
Talk, and Strikes Square Out
From the Shoulder.

fEe Makes Plain, Sera,SniOrWaru
Talk, and Strikes Square Out
From the Shoulder.
The State.
| The State to-day furnishes some interesting
| reading on the political situation, which will, ,
no don6t, receive much attention from all
| f:.ctiOnS throu" bout the State, whether IL
agrees with their respective views not
Col John Z. Haskell, member of the LegiSla-
lure from Ri,hland county. member Of the
| Nal ional Democratic Committee from South
Carolina, and one of the most prominent men
| in politics III the State, returned tO the city n
| few days ago aiter stay In New York. Last
! night he again left for that city on important
business. He will return, however. before the
meeting of the 1rby committee. 1t Is his re-
sume of the Olitical situation that the State
| publishes to-day.
upon Col. HaSk ell yesterday and asked for an
| Interview. he found the Colonel "up TO his
eyes In work. but he consented to giye his
Views on the present political situation.
| In response to the direct question prUpound-
ed hy the reporter rs to what he Thought of
the political Status of affairs in this State, as
outlined on the political horizon. he said:
| "fhe political situation, | think, is rather
| bad. IL is very clear that there is IL strong OPP
position 10 Governor Tilman among the
| tniuking portion Of those wh0Supported him
Two years ago believe that good man, if
properly supported, could defeat him; hut
| here Is Il fact which j. Il very uniavorable sign
The three principal papers of the Sute,
| which are all opposed TO him. seem as sharp
| ~ opposed To each other as they are to Till
! man, and fear each paper.will have its fol-
| lowers in this anta.onisin among themselves.
| Il agree fully with the position that we
should only fight the evils OF the Tilman ad-
minlstratiun within the party lines. l think
any other course is perfectly hopeless. There
is no question about IL, whether they did 1t
willingly or unwill lingly, the majority Of
those who took part In the last election voted
for Tillnan. There Is no question that how
ever outrageous certain features of the pres
ent constitution are (and think some OF
| them are lpfamouSJ, ii wa adopted By ma
jority OF the regular Democratic convent ton
UI the State. The people Of the South woud
have been unanimous In pronouncinS the
Force Bill, II IL had passed, as Infamous, but
| that IL WAS no law because 1t was unjust.
| II think that, to-day, the party is practical
| ~ divided, and the question is how TO bring 1t
together 1t has been divided, not by those
who opposed Tiilman but by those who fol-
lowed him. -Four years ago the men who
since that lime have been Tlllman supporters
innuguratcd the outrageous practice of hold
ing secret caucuses during the session OF the
| Legislature and binding the members of the
caucus 10 support those measures. In that
| way Il minority would come into the House
with minority vote, though large part Of
their vote. IL IT, had not been bound by the
caucus. would have voted with the minority,
which was excluded In the caucus.
| "A II were excluded who were not farmers,
| eSCcpI IU'Se WIZ NCul III lltGc iB.GeIUP 10
support blindly amy measures advocated by
ihr majority of the farmers. Many of the
| best farmers of the lie iSlature were excluded
The call Issued recently for the March con-
| vcntion WAS signed by men who have always
| voted with the regular Democratic party.
| M, one of them could have gone into the
| caucuses which called themselves 'Detnocrat-
| ic caucuSes.' Such Democrats rs Judge Ker-
shaw, Judge WaiI.ce Senator Butler, General
| Brnttun and many Others would not nave
been eligible 10 these caucuseS, yet this Cab
Gus party undertook To absolutely dictate me
| policy OF the party. In other words they said
| To these gentlemen and other like them: We
admit you've been Democrats all your life A;
! you've been most active leaders I'm the regen. J..
| Grafton OF the Stale; but from this time on we
will hold secret oath bound caucus es. dictate
what shall be done, and whether You approve
| IL or not you must follow Us.
The elimination of this was the conven-
| lion by which Il irind cOnS Seried u minority
in favor OF Ti!lman into an apparent MAORI.
ty for him, and practically turned The State
over to secret oaih-bOund organization
which, by lis very terms. excluded men who
| have been for n generation the accepted lead
| crS Of The people. But how long Il party can
| exist when excludes absolutely from It's couil-
ellis its most distinguished members, II is hard
| TO say. IL will be contrary To human nature
| for men of capacity and character TO- for all
time, submit To follow the blind dication OF
| Others in measures In which they have no
voice. Bnt we cannot lose sight of the fact
| that the Democratic organic alton is regular.
No matter by what c!Iicaucry and tricks the
| present rulers gOi control OF IT, The majority
of the people still look on itaS the Democratic
| party and vote within It's lines. 20 break or
| from II or to Z" outside oi IT, H. to go against
| this ma jurity. and 10 This am opposed.
| "Hnra as the task Is the only hope, in my
opinion. is TO awaken the people. who have
| ihe right To say who shall he the rulers. to the
| unworihin"SS Of those who have succeeded in
getting INTO power. 70 tainely submit and
make no opposition because we do not think
| we will succeed Is most cowHrdiy and most
| ,,iSn inn hf. talk ,Iip
poscu persons can have no sympathy.
| II think the letter Of DR.. Maxwell comes
nearer the mark than anything have seen !;
but think he Is wr0ng-and am sure he
| will admit IT. when he looks into the matter
nuie Guiiy-in saying that the credit of the
State and the prices OF bonds are not affected
BY the present nd niniStration.
| "ihcie is 40 doubt That the credit of the
south generally Is seriously affected by the
| low 1,ite of cotton and general depression !;
but When " G remember That the railroads are
almost entirely owned 10y New York capital.
I>tS. some of whom are The leading financiers
| OF New York. ii must be self evident that the
attempts TO oppreSS the railroads will bc re-
scented by these men. They are the ones who
| southern securities. Our banks depend al
most entirely on New York capital for the
money with which the business of the coun-
try is carried on. New York bankers keep
thoroughly posted as to the condition OF af-
| fairs in this State; and when we see the
comptroller, who IS recognized as speaking
: WIN JlllWluH NbVe attempting WllilL the
Courts have without dissent pronounced to be
illegal attempts at oppression, we find q ready
| explanation of The Iucl that New York banks
have been very slow 10 give accommodation
| to the ba lks in this State. Insurance com pa-
nics are among the heaviest lenders of money
| in the State. and they, 700, have felt the op-
preston of the present administration and
| reSen! II.
| 81 have heard much OF these things, rs
have been In New York for the last six weeks
| constantly meeting and comforting with the
parties who are most active in Southern en-
| terpriseS. / believe that the conuuct of the
| courts in enioining the illegal course OF this
young man Uhe CompirOllerj will havea very
happy effect and nothing will have better
effect than the tact that Associate Justice
Pope has justified the confidence OF his
| friends, who opposed him politically, I'm his
dignity of the Law.
| ~ am confident when the people are arous ed
| they will correct these evils themselves. To
go outside Of the party and Try To convert
| them by attacking them and dcnOuncing
| them aS If they were part Of Tillman'S gov
| crn :nent lisa great mistake.
MY experience Is the last Legislature ell
| ables Inc to say this: The Legislature, with
very few exceptions. was composed OF strong
Iadherenis of Tiiiman. and with but few r%-
ceptiUns they hal no experience in lrgiSla-
| tive work. Any one who has served In the
| Leg gi>lature knows that II new member what
until he learns the forms. so TO speak, and lie
| is liable to be misled. The last Legislature
when 1t came down fell into the hands OF Till
man and perhaps the worst set of DEM
agogurs who followed him that ever sat with
in the Halls of the General Assembly. Dur