The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-04-12

members of the Fifty-third Congress. and W
saw pencil marks at my name, DR.. Strait
name and Mr.. McLaurin's name. ASKED
him what that meant He said, "These ar
LatImer, and that is Dr. Strait. We are no
Third partyites. 1 never uttered Third par
tp sentiment In publ In my lile." Ihes
charges have been made, Mr.. postmaster zen
eral, down In our districts through the news
papers. and finding our names marked In tn
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Generals ONCE
II was natural for us 10 inquire VINO ola II
The Postmaster General said we should com
back and see him again that tnere would o'
nothing done In our State until this was IN
vestigated. We left there and went back u
our hotel. and that Is why we asked for thi
conference.
THE BLACK LIST.
The Postmaster General: So far as that Il
concerned want 10 say right here that hat
q con versation, think with you, but certain
ly with Two or three other gentlemen, Wht
presently in which explained to you tina
the list you referred 10 was list of the dis
iricts In the whole country that had beer
made up by some clerk In the department
aud had been laid upon my desk, and re
mained here openly on this desk all the tin'
for weeks until thsFourth Assistant PoStmas
ter General was pomina ana confirmed
Alter that handed the list over 10 him.
marks or any other marks on 1t. do no
know who made up the list. 1t was made nL
as q list OF all the districts In the United
States, as understand 1t. did not ever
and said: This may be Of service to you.
Now. that is the beginning and the end OF thu
relation OF the Postofflce Department to tha
list. There was no determination about II al
10 Third party man, or Democrat, or 6
Republican. or anything Of the kind; there
was no decision or determination upon thai
list That 1 explained, aud l supposed thai
was ey
that but The only point In my mind Is thai
there ia a contest In our State and the Fourtf
Assistant Postmaster General having, said
that there would be nothing done until this
was Investigated, I asked Tor this.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
That Is proper.
LATIMER's POLITICAL FAITH.
Representative Latimer: am ready here
to face any men who ever accused me OF being
u Third partyite or having uttered Third
party sentiment on the stump. l advocated
the Democratic party, went into my coun
ties after Cleveland was nominated making
speeches. urging the people to vote this Dem
tic ticket. I never advocated anybody OF
voting the Third party ticket, publicly or pri
vately. Now, II anybody can dtsprove that,
would like to hear It, or If anybody thinks to
always been u Democrat; have always voted
the Democratic ticket. never attilllated
with or had any sympathy with any other
party.
been Democrat, and are now Democrat9
Representative Latimer: Yes, Sir; | have
always been Democrat, and am now.
Postmaster General: And claim 10 be enti
tied to recognition as q Democrat, and that
you owe allegiance TO none other than the
Democratic party?
Representative Latimer: Yes. sir. There is
a charge that went TO the Omaha conven.
tion. was not there. went TO st. Louis. 70
from my State-to the Alliance convention
went In there as q delegate and took part In
the proceedings. But when 1t adjourned and
there was mass meeting called and delegates
simply because went TO an agricultural con.
vention at st. Louis. / nay there is not q
mortal who walks the earth who can say. that
ever made Third party speech or advocated
fore finish want to say that went into the
Democratic primaries; ! am chairman Of the
Democratic party In my county; went into
the Democratic pri imarieS and met my oppo-
never accused OF being Third party man In
that canvass. ! ran as the Democratic nomi.
nee; In the Democratic primaries he with.
drew.
Senator Irby: He was defeated.
Representative Latimer: He was defeated
In the primaries; Igot the nomination, and
then 1 ran against Republican.
STRAIT HUNTING FOR CHARGES.
Represen tative Strait: was going TO ask Il
there was any one present who had any
charges TO make. We are informed there
were men who had made charges.
The Postmaster-General: Does any gentle
man desire TO make any charges or ask any
questions? II he does, right now Is the time
to do 1t.
Mr.. HEMPHILL REPLIES.
Mr.. Hemphill: want TO make state
ment. ! represen ted for ten years the district
which DR.. Strait has been elected for.
thought knew something Of the people o.
that district, and think so still. AS long as
the Democratic party In South Carolina was
united and had u fixed set Of principles upon
which the party agreed, there was always 9
great deal OF kind feeling between the Sena-
tors and Represen tatives here. through which
the Representatives OF tine State practically
made the recommend dations, 80 far as the ap
pointments OF postmasters was concerned
That was courtesy extended TO US by the
Senators from South Carolina which was moi
extended by Senators from any other States
In the Union. That understand. has been
varied In some respects, because there are l1
South Carolina Democrats Win dineren1
kinds Of faith. That Is the trouble IN this
matter.
do not say that these gentleman are moi
Democrats. according to their conception o.
what Democracy is, but / say that have
master General OF this Department, first, as 6
citizen OF South Carolina; second, as q man
who has represented that district Tor Ter
years, and who understands II as we'll as any
man in the country does understands II, and
because have always been and am today 6
Arm believer In Mr.. Cleveland and the policy
which he believes In and the policy which be
was elected TO carry out
The question, II seems 70 me, is this: Whal
r DnmnNrQtl these i
have no personal accusation against them
They have right TO advocate whatever prin'
ciples they want to; but the question II
whether or not they advocate such Democ
racy rs M. Cleveland wants 10 sustain, is te
recognize and to encourage in South Carolina
That, IT seems 70 me, is the real question.
Now, as 1 say, wanted TO make some rec
concentrations here on the grounds that
have stated, and because Senator Butler. as ht
stated TO you the other day, has asked me tc
do that because he wanted some Information
which had, and which he did not possess, ir
reference TO the people there. 1t Is matter
different views In the Democracy Of South
Carolina, and that Mr.. Cleveland shall either
sustain one side or the other, and II is for him
10 determine which side he will sustain:
may say that came here in addition tt
that because am surprised TO see these gen
tlemen here. DR.. Strait, the gentleman with
whom ran at the primaries. was q member
of the convention which adopted the famous
IesolutlOus III mdy TeCotu uuSuuSd oy WI. haU
liner. These resolutions have been printed
from one end of this country to the other
They say that the nomination Of MIR. Cleve
land is q prostitution to Democracy. Die
they believe 1t, or did they not believe It.?
they believed 1t, then Mr.. Cleveland Is cor
rupting the Democracy OF this country. /
MI Cleveland believes that, let him stand BY
the people who think that OF him. II he doe
not believe that he Is corrupting the Democ
racy Of the country and prostituttng II, then
say he ought to recognize his friends.
say, therefore, that am astonished tha
these gentlemen are here asking for patron
age Or course, we ATE all inclined to judg,
people somewhat by ourselves, but II l hat