The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-04-28
GOV rILLnANs REASONS FOR BLACK
LISTING n. L. DONALDSON.


LISTING II. L. DONALDSON.
Mesu, ". II. Whitmire, J. u. Piyler and j.
III. Latinser, Commiffee:
GkNrLENBs:-I have your letter with the
enclose res lution passed by the Greenville
County Alliance at its last meeting: ITO
communicate with Gov. Tlllman aud request
that he return answer, whether this news
paper reports OF said blacklist be true, AMI
il true 10 furnish his reason, as given to
President Cleveland, for his action towards
NJ. l.. Donaldson, our State President"
Sirailsr communications have bseu sent to
me from the County Alliances Of Pickens
and of Newberry, and l shall furnish this
letter to the Cotton Plant as On answer to all:
The effort appears to he made to link Mr..
Donaldson rs q citizen with Mr.. Donaldson
as President OF the Alliance, aud l premise
my answer by saying that tho Alliance has
nothing to do with it, either dir sctly or
indirectly, except in so far as ] felt just
fed in preventing its further betrayal. To
answer your questian categoricslly, | dii
ask Mr.. Cleveland not to appoint Mr.. Don
aldson to office.
My reasons were these and again they
have no reference TO Mr.. DoUaldsou's private
character, but TO his public acts. and l dis
claim any feeling Of personal resentment or
desire to ipjure MIN:
tH the May State convention Mr.. Donaldson
was repudiated hy the Democracy Of Greeu-
Vile and he failed to be elected delegate
either to his county convention or to the
State convention. lie appealed to his
friends in othor parts Of the State TO help
him retrieve his failing political fortune,
and small caucus of leading Aliancemen
from other counties went to work and had him
elected member of the National Committee.
II was presumed, by the convention at least,
that he was in full sympathy with its oppo-
silion to Mr.. Cleveland, and certainly he
neither said nor Il Il any thing to undecsive
the men who voted for him. You are
familiar with the Instructions given our
delegation to Chicago and our action under
those instructions. We not only voted
against Mr.. Cleveland, but worked against
HIM, with two exceptions. Judge then our
surprise on reaching Chicago to sec Mr..
Donaldson in open attiliation with the Cleve.
land leaders, striving with might and main
TO defeat the purpose If the convention
which had elected him on the Natl nal Com
mittee.
Again, when the State Alliance met short
ly afterwards, to my surprise | saw him
elected President of the State Alliance.
When l asked an explanation was told
that it was the only possible way to defeat
man." and that Mr.. Donaldson had pledged
himself net t, seek any office, but to devote
his energies to building up the Alliance.
l was not surprised, however, when two
weeks later he entered the field rs a eaudi
date for State Senator from Grcenville, feel
ing, | suppose, that tho double endorse
ment Of the State convention in May and
the State Alliance in July, would reinstate
him At home. But the people of Greenviile
were true to themselves and he WAS not
elected.
1t will thus be seen that Mr.. Donaldson
played false with the May convention by
his action nt Chicago, and broke his pledge,
TO the lending Alliancemen, not to seek
office.
Now, in addition to that, when | remind
you that MIR. Donaldson, as Senator, was
the means OF incorporating in the railroad
bill 10 81 the two Objectionable features