The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-06
WHY NOT BE FAIR

The Rev. j. A. Silgh, as cnalTUan VI
the Reform Democracy of Newberry
County and member of the Reform
State Executive Committee, hss issued
q call for the organization of Reform
Democratic clubs on the 23d Of this
month. The call is published in an
other column. If We remember correct
" the Rev. Mr.. Sigh in the meeting OF
the executive committee spoke rather
sneeringly of the proposition of Gen.
Hampton to organize National Demo
cratic clubs and intinated that such
plan was in the direction ofan indepen-
dent movement. Now Rev. Mr.. Sigh
announces the organization Of Reform
clubs into the membership of which
only certain faction is to be admitted,
while in the clubs called by Gen. Hamp-
ton all Democrats were invited to parti-
cipate. The Herald and News has not
advocated the National clubs because
we have thought we had too many
organizations and factions already,
though we can see no harm in them ex-
cept that it gives demagogues an op-
portunity to talk about bolting the De-
mocracy.
It would seem that the .dea of the
Reformers is to disfranchise the Con-
servatives as near as they can and
while they get up and talk loudly about
peace and harmony, everything is
being done to keep from having peace.
They want peace, yes, but by total
disrespect and disregard of the rights of
the minority and by a servile and
cowardly submission Of the minority.
The Herald and News believes in the
rule of the majority and submission
on the part of the minority - the will
of the majority and we have always
bowed to that will, but we should re-
member that the minority has some
rights which the majority must respect
and regard.
We appeal to the common sense of
Justice of the voters of this county and
State and ask if it is right that the
rights of the minority should be thus
trampled upon and disregarded. We
have the primary system and it was
given so that we could get full and
fair expression Of the public will. Do
we get that when there is a caucus or
primary within the party to which only
faction is allowed participation.
The Reformers, as we said sometime
ago, if they want peace and harmony
should so act as to bring it about. The
minority is not asking for anything but
fair showing and that their rights be
respected. But there is point beyond
which endurance and submission ceases
to be virtue. The time may come
when the minority will be wanted and
wanted badly. We would like for the
voters, the rank and file, to think about
these things and in calm and deliber-
ate way and ask themselves candidly
if the methods used are right and just.
The Herald and News is not wanting
anything and is not writing in the in
terest of any candidate or faction but
we have only the common good at
heart and having that we want to see
fair play and justice.
If the majority faction is to have a
primary of its own and rule out every
body else, what in the name Of COM
mon sense is the use Of the general
primary. It will be sham and a
mockery. Let there be justice done to
all factions and let everybody who
wants to, 60 into the general primary
and there let the will of the majority
say who is to be nominated as the |
standard bearers.
True we are told there is to be no
caucus in county affairs, then why
have one for State officers. If we are
all to be expected to support the nomi-
nees we should be given voice in
saying who they shall be. We submit |
these facts to the appropriated COM
mon sense of the white voters of this |
county and we ask them in candor if
we are not right. Why not be fair?