The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-04-26
SOME POLITICAL HISTORY.
DoNALDsoN's BETRAYAL OF THE ALL
ANcE IN VOTING FOR CLEVELAND.
The Governor Gives His Reasons for
BlackIisting the Alliance Presi-

IIne @OVeThOr "lVcb ncfsSOhS AOl
BIackIisting the Alliance Presi
dent.
The Greenville County Farmers Alliance
recently passed indignant @ resolutions ipquir q r
listed Hon. M. L. Donaldson, President OF the
State Alliance, TO President Cleveland. The
Alliance appointed committee to ask Gov
ernor Tillman for his reasons for acting as ht
did. Governor Tillman answered the coin
mittee In this weeks Cotton Plant. as fol
lows:
Messrs. N. P. whitmire, j. R. Plyler and j. H
Latimer, committee.
Gentlemen: have your letter with the IN
closed resolutions passed by the meeting
ITO communicate with Governor TIllmar
and request that he return answer whether
true, and II true to furnish his reasons, al
given 10 President Cleveland, for his action
towards M. L. Donaldson, our State presi
dent"
Similar communications have been sent tc
me from the County Alliances OF Pickens and
Of Newberry, and shall furnish this sletter tc
the Cotton Plant as an answer TO all: ~
The effort appears 70 be made to link Mr.
Donaldson as q citizen with Mr.. Donaldson as
president Of the Alliance. and premise my
answer by saying that the Alliance has moth
except in 20 far as feel justified In prevent
ing It's further betrayal, To answer your
questions categorieaiIy, | asked Mr. Cleve
have no reference to Mr.. Donaldson's private
character, but to his public acts and dis.
claim any feeling OF personal resentment or
Last spring when delegates we're elected to
the May State Convention, Mr.. Donaldson
was repudiated by the Democracy OF Geen.
either TO his county convention or to the
bis friends in other parts Of the State
TO help him retrieve his failing polite.
f.. 1oot n LEADING III.
ancemen from other counties went TO work
and had him elected member Of the nat
ional committee. II was presumed by the
convention. at least that he was In lull sym
and certainly he never said anything to un-
deceive the men who voted for him.; You
are familiar with the Instructions. We not
only voted against Mr.. Cleveland, but worked
against him, with Two exceptions. Judge
! then our surprise on reaching Chicago to see
Mr.. Donaldson In open aff1liation Win the
Cleveland leaders, striving with might and
main 70 uefeat the purpose Of the convention
which had elected him on the national com.
mittee.
Again, when the State Alliance met short.
ard t. to ny surprise Wssn him
an explanation was told IL was the only
possible way TO defeat the candidacy OF an
avowed "Third party man" and that MIR. Don
aldson had pledged himself not to seek any
office, but to devote his energies TO building
up the Alliance. was not surprised, how
| ever, when two weeks later he entered the
field as candidate for State Senator from
Green VILE, feeling, suppose, that the double
endorsement OF the State convention IN May
and the State Alliance in July would REIN
state him at homo. But the people OF Green
Vile were true to themselves and he was not
elected.
II will thus he seen that Mr.. Donaldson
played false with the May convention by his
action al Chicago, and broke his pledge 70
the leading Alliancemen not to seek Of
flee.
Now, in addition TO that. when I remind
, you that Mr.. Donaldson, as Senator, " as the
means of Incorporating In the railroad bill
In '9I the two objectional features which
caused me to veto IL, you cannot be surprised
at my action. 1t was upon his motion, at
the suggestion, as was told OF Bunch McBee.
that the right OF appeal to the courts was put
| In the bill. He also championed that feature
OF the bill which kept the election Of Rail-
road Commissioner in the hands Of the Cen
eral Assembly, contrary TO the march plat
| form" )" thus showing his willingness TO stihe
the will OF the people. All these things TAX
en- together are sufficient, as take It, to war
rant my opposing his appointment az repre-
sentative OF the reform party" or OF the AL
| lance Self.interest rather than patronism
| appears 10 have governed his actions, and as
the Alliance.has been sidetracked in nearly
every other State by self-seekers and has
been seriously njured In this State from the
same cause, could not conscientiopsly stand
silent without protesting against his. being
rewarded for treachery TO the people and the
Alliance.
Regretting the necessity which has forced
q rehearsal OF these undlsputed facts, Whlch
OF themselves ought 10 have prevented Mr;
| holds. will submit TO the verdict OF the he-
formers and Alliancemen of the State as 10
the wisdom and propriety Of my action.
Respectfully, b. Il. Tlilman.