The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-09-05
SHOWING THEIR HAND.

As the date of the general election
draws nearer, the Conservatives, self
STYLED, of course, are becoming bolder
in their opposition to the Reform nom
inees and instead of bowling grace
fully to the will Of superior num-
bers and accept the inevitable as
intelligent men, they are attempting
to kick against the pricks and max
inc confusion worse confounded."
They are, or some Of them at least,
playing a deep but desperate game,
and are building up hope for the
success of their efforts to overthrow
the choice of the people at the gene
raj election upon conditions which
cnly exist in the exuberancy Of their
fertile and resourceful imaginations.
They certainly exhibit tremendous
amount of confidence in their ability
to so shape the current Of political
events as will undermine the large
majority politically opposed to them
and work the overthrow Of the pop
ular Reform Movements and the build
ing up Of their faction upon its ruins.
One of the most delusive dreams
which they are hugging to their
bosoms in blissful ignorance thatitls
only chimera destined to have
rude awakening is, that the dissatls-
faction which they claim exists in the
Reform ranks is of such a nature as
to hold out the inducement that by
combination with the disgruntled
politicians and the Conservative vo-
ters, enough strength can be obtained,
with the use of such tactics usually
employed in polical campaigns, to in,
sure at least a possibility Of the elec-
tion of the representatives Of such
coalition. The hope is father to the
thought.
As d proof Of the existance of such
widespread dissatisfaction, which they
roll under their tongues with gusto
worthier of a better cause and mag
Nifty a mole hill into a mountain, is the
seemingly apparent falling off OF
the vote in the last primary, and from
this they argue that this alarming
dissatisfaction exist. Of all the alb
surb arguments coming from that
side of the house in recent years;
this is the most absurd of them all.
They claim in one breath that
there has been a falling off, which
we admit, but in the very next breath
they account for the larger proportion
Ct this falling by gleefully proclaim
ing that the Conservatives refrained
from voting, and they turn around
again and attribute this falling off in
the vote to the dissatisfaction among
Reformers. They claim that the Con-
servative vote number thirty odd
thousand, then, if they refrained
from voting in follows that the vote
in the last primary fell off just that
number Of votes.
It is true that the full Reform vote
was not polled in the primary which
can be accounted for on more reason
able grounds than dissatisfaction. In
this county the total vote in the pri-
mary of 1892 was 1850, of which the
Conservatives polled IA. The total
vote in the primary on the 2Sth was
l650-the 744 Conservatives not vot-
ing-shows a falling OFT OF only 2o6
Reform votes, and not single gain
to the Conservatives. This surplus
vote could have been utilized by the
Reformers had their been opposition
such as existed in 1892, So when
we consider the thirty odd thousand
Conservatives not voting it will be
found that the seemingly small vote
of the last primary offers absolutely
no ground upon which to build the
hope of the existence Of such dis
satisfaction likely to cause the defeat
of the nominees of the primary held
On the 26th ult.