The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-08-22
BUTLER INTERVIEWED,
HOW HE LOOKS AT THE LATE STATE
CAMPAIGN.

ticsl Contests-Reports Greatly E1sg
gerated-Soms OF the Spsech es Vere In
structlve-Tha Result is Choss.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.-'rhe New
and Courier correspondent to-day hat
the folio wing interview with Senate
Butler:
What is the outcome of the Stat
canvass in South Carolina?'
POLITICALLY chaos"
'Do you mean to say that all polite
al parties are at sea-
THAT is exactly what mean to say
The Democratic party is divided int
two factions, the Conservative and Re
form factions The Republican party is
showing some animation and appear
to be getting ready to take advantage
Of the Democratic split. The ThirC
partyites are taking comfort and co Ut
age from Democratic delays and dis
sensions in Washington, and 50 1t goes
So you can see what TillmaniSm has
done for the Democratic party in Soutf
Carolina
"What will the Conservatives do?"
"Saw wood and say nothing. They
are thirty-fye or forty thousand strong
and nave been disfranchised, so far as
the nomination for Governor is con
cerned, by the ring in control of the
fifty thousand Reform faction. Do you
suppose that many white men will sub
nit to disfrauchisement?
''Do you say the Reform faction is
controlled by ring?"
The most unscrupulous ring that
ever dominated the politics of any
country, but l am not alone ayshority
for the charge. You may remember
that my colleague, Mr. 1rby said in most
emphatic terms last winter or spring
that there was "State House ring" in
Columbia. Reformers have, during the
recent canvass, iterated that there was
ring in the Reform faction. Every
intelligent man in the State knows it is
true, and masses of the Reformers are
kicking violently against the ring and
its tlagraut methods. The Reform
candidates who have been and will be
slaughtered by the ring are very mush
outraged, and l do not believe will
quietly submit"
"What will be the upshot of these
conditions?
"In my jugment the Conservative ele-
ment will in due time come to the
front and bring order out of chaos, and
give us relief from the confusion
and wrangllng which the ring has
brought upon our politics. On the
stump and otherwise l have warned
our people of the dangers of division.
So have> Messrs Tindal, Ellerbe and
Pope, Reform candidates for Governor,
and other Reformers. The ring rulers
have met appeals with scOra and derls
on, and the day Of reckoning for them
will come in the near future.
sWhat about the dispensary
"Oi, well, the di5pensary is huge
political machine which has borrowed
the livery of temperance and morality
to serve the ring in. 1t is honeycombed
with corruption, and If its management
is ever investigated and the facts dis
closed you will gee a seething mass of
corruption that will astonish the people
of the country. It has been reopened
without the consent, as 1t has been re-
ported without the consent, as am IL.
formed, of two of the three members Of
the State board of control, aud have
no douot Is to be run in the interest
and for the benefit of the ring candi-
dates.
"The ringsters have so complicated
the political machinery that nobody
except those in the ring can understand
it. Let me see If | can state the sltua-
ton so that you can comprehend It.:
On Saturday, the 9th instant, the Re
form clubs were to meet and elect dele
gates to 8 County Convention. This
Convention is to meet on the 18Th and
send delegates to State Reform Con-
vention to meet In Columbia on the
10Th. The State Convention is expected
to nominate for Governor and L!euten-
ant Governor. Mind you, now, the
Conservatives are to have no voice in
this business, but, as have said, are
Then there is 20 be a
primary on the 28sh of August. not to
vote for Governor and State officers,
but to appoint delegates to a State
Convention to meet some time in Sep
tember to nominate candidates to be
voted for at the general election in
Follow this problem
through and you will see that the peo-
pie are cut of from giving direct vote
for any Office except at the November
understand it, and if a more adroit
scheme could be devised to bamboozle
the people and defeat free expression
Of their wishes l should be obliged to
have it suggested. And yet we are
sold one Of the cardinal features of the
Reform Nov ement was to give thepri-
mary for all public offices. Satan could
1ot have hit upon more effectual met
nod to usurp the people and turn them
over, bound hand and foot, to a handful
If selfish, corrupt ringsters."
Senator, you seem to have survived
the ca npalgn in good shape"
"Oh, yes; was never In better keller
N my life. | spoke in every county, at
every campaign meeting and extra
"Was there as much excitement as
represented in the papers -
II do not think that there was more
excitement than usually attends a po-
itical canvass. The accounts were
greatly exaggerated and sensational.
With a few exceptions the meetings
we're quiet and orderly-not very large
and the people listened attentiyely
Ind respectfully Of course at some
places a few drunken fellows would
:reate a disturbance, but they were
generally attended to by the special con-
stables or committee of arrangements
md soon suppressed. Personally l
nave no cause of complaint except on
;hTee occasions. when two or three
'owdies attempted to interfere with
ne. l had no trouble in thrusting
hem aside and in proceeding with my
speech. Everywhere the committees
Ind the people were as kind and hospi
able to me as they could possibly be
Ind appeared anxious 50 hear me
speak. The canvass has had a good
fleet in shaking things up and, as |
lave said, believe order will come ont
If the political chaos into which ring
ule has brought us. And want to
,oy another thing. Somp of ha stunoD