The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-04
CAN'T KEEP THEIR SECRETS.
But This News Is anOpen Secret in South
Carolina.
"a. w. Butts in Augusta Chronicle ]

"a. w. Butts in Augusta Chronicle
WASHINGTON, September 2S.-South
Carolina, it seems, cannct keep her po-
litical secrets at home. If that State
has surprised the world with reforms
in the last four years, 1t will continue
to astonish its own citizens with politi-
cal maneuvres during the coming two
years with plot and counter plot among
the reform factions.
There is plot now brewing to re-
hash the judiciary and some strong
political figures will 60 down in the
melee if the administration scheme
goes through.
The Hon. Eugene B. Gary. present
Lieutenant-G t-Governor, has been marked
! by Tillman for slaughter, for the rea-
son that he is not at the nod of the ad-
ministration.
The Hon. Ira 3. Jones, present
Speaker of the House, whom Gov. Till
man has made 80 prominent in the re-
cent railroad cases is to be made Asso-
ciate Justice, if the present scheme pre-
vails. The Hon. Samuel MCGOWAN,
present Associate Justice, is to be re-
tired to private life.
The greatest surprise will be when it
becomes known that Tlllman has set
his head to defeat Attorney General D.
A. Townsend, who is ambitious for the
judiciary, all because he could not ma
nipulate the dispensary cases as the
Governor thought they should have
been done. Then again Tillman is
making a move to gather about him
men of more ability than heuhas been
wont to have for, az a prominent re-
former said to-day, that it is the only
way Tillman himself can become a
permanent figure in politics.
The plan to defeat Mr.. Townsend, it
seems, is to give to him the choice of
running against Judge Wallace or of
going in the judicial district of Judge
Hudson, whom the reformers are in
tent on defeating, and then springiDg
the Hon. John L. MLaurin, now men,
Der OF Congress, and beat him. If
Townsend runs in the district of Judge
Wallace he will be opposed by the Hon.
r. G. Watts, member Of the House. and
in case the reformers are not strong
enough with Watts their plan is to
throw Watts forces to Wallace and
defeat Townsend with him.
Judge James Aldrich is t. be re-
tanned. Some forces are said to be
concentrating on the present mayor OF
Charleston, Mr.. Ficken, who is a re-
former, to defeat Judge Izlar, and in
the event Of not getting enough
strength there then they will concen-
trate on the Hon. W. G. BENEFIT of
Abbeville, ex-member of the House,
who will be championed by R. r.
Hemphill, the present State Senator.
There seems to be an unwilliDgness On
the part of Hon. D. E. Finley, State
Senator, to oppose the present pre-
siding Judge I. D. Witherspoon, in
fact, it is stated by Finley's friends
here that be has refused to enter a
plan to defeat or oppose Judge With
erspoon. In that event>the field will
be left open to Hon. J. G. Jordan and
Hon. r. c. Watts.
In the judicial district of Judge T.
B. Fraser, no reform lawyer can be
found with sufficient strength and le-
gal ability to risk fight in the field
and the reformers do not want>to dis
play their weakness by acknowledging
that there is not enough talent in their
ranks as to take another candidate from
the field at large.