The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-17
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.
GETTING UNEASY ABOUT THE CON
sTrTUTloNAL CONVENTION.


What tho Canpsjgn Committee Has te
Say Abont the Nj .tter-The People
Urged to Vote for the Call of The Con
vention.
COLUMBIA, 5. c.. Oct. 10.-Chairman
Irby of the State Democratic Executive
Committee arrived in the city yester-
day, and last night promulgated in be-
halt of the Democratic campaign com
mittee the followipg & important address
TO the Democratic voters of the State:
To the Democratic voters OF South
Carolina:
The executive committee being
!. charged with the welfare of the party
and the success of It's policy as outlined
In its platform, which policy carries
with 1t the welfare of a majority of the
people, We feel constrained TO direct the
special attention of the Democrats of
the State to tne'necessity and import
ance of the plank in the platform
adopted by the recent Democratic State
convention urging every Democratic
voter to sustain the call for a consti.
tutional convention.
1t is well known that there are great
differences existing between the white
factions in the State, one OF which has
yielded reluctant obedience to the will
/. Of the majority. Fhe strained relations
which have existed since 1890, with the
fractional bitterness displayed by that
portion of the State press which has
opposed the governing majority with q
malevolence and factional spirit almost
unprecedented, point inevitably to a
permanent division In the ranks of the
white people, for which this: minority
alone must be held Irresponsible. Con-
frohted as We have been by colored
voting population 10000 in excess Of
the whites since the revolution of 1876
white supremacy has been almost the
! only test of Democracy, and its main.
tenance the compelling motive for SUBJ
mission after the party had spoken at
: the conventions and primaries. But
there are many evidences that the ties
which have bound our people together
are being Systematically riven asunder
and the public mind being educated to
appeal to this ignorant, ,debased vote to
restore to power those who have been
unable to command q majority of the
white vote. The State newspaper, the
organ which was started by the Inde-
pendentsi In 1891 and which has recent.
" exhausted all its expedients to bring
about another bolt and defeat of the
party nominees, has time and again
ridiculed and sneered at the possible
danger Of an appeal to the colored vote.
This newspaper, backed by a large
number of other papers, Is now urging
the organization of the so.called "Crue
Democracy" and boldly announces the
purpose to ignore the present party
mar hinery and the executive commit.
stee as at present composed as being
representative Of the Democratic party.
These facts are known Of all men and
they can have but one meanlDg-the
purpose on the part Of the minority to
appeal to the negro as the arbiter of
our politics In the campaign Of 1896.
During the past sprlDg and summer
strenuous efforts have been made os-
tensibly at the instigation of the Re.
publicsns to overthrow the registra-
tion law. We have reason to know
that the Independents, as shown by the
columns Of certain newspapers, have
7fhstigated and sympathized with these
attempts. SO that it cannot be reason.
ably disputed that tbere ts desperate
faction In the State bent on fesaining
power at any cost. We deem 1t unnec-
essary to direct attention to he inevi-
bic consequences which will follow
lViSon OF the whites into anything
like equal factions, and the bringing In
of the negro as the balance Of power.
The only reason why We are not now
in the throes of q political agitation,
with contending factions mobilizlpg
the black army Of voters, Is that the
movement was considered hopeless. 1t
was question Of expediency and not
one Of principle or patriotism with
many. We are glad 10 know that the
failure of the plot which came to the
surface on the 9th Of August IL due to
The patriotism and self-c0ntrol of the
large body Of the conservative men
who, while voting with the minority In
the campaign of 1892, submitted grace
fully to Its results and were unwilling
to jeopardi2s the public welfare BY such
8 desperate venture. Fortunately the
opportunity Is offered the white people
Of the State in the coming election to
obviate all future danger, and fortify
Anglo.Saxon civilization against every
assault from within and wi hout, and
that Is the calling of q constitutional
convention to deal with the all-import.
amt question Of suffrage. BY strange
and unsccountable change of base that
class In the State which has always
stood for qualified suffrage, and denied
the capacity or the right OF the masses
to participation in the governme MT, are
today loud-mouthed in their declara.
ton that they are champions of the
Door white man whose vote is threat
ened, as, they say. Every newspaper
controlled by this class Is teemlng with
all manner OF specious and false argu-
ments against voting for convention.
They say that the white voters who are
ignorant and poor will have cast their
last ballot If they vote for convention.
They harp on the enormous cost to the
taxpayers. They dwell with pathetic
concern on the injury to the free
schools aid by every device known te
sophistry are trying to throw dust in
the.eyes OF the masses. Plain speaking
is Test and We shall not mince words.
We propose to show that there is deep.
dye0 treachery to white supremacy IN
this antagonism to a new convention.
: In the so-called convention composed
of self appointed delegates which as
sembled on the 25th of September for
the avOwed purpose of nominating an
Independent ticket and appealing to
the negro, the following resolution,
which betrays the whole damnable
scheme, was passed and the opening
cpr, for zoe firod.