The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-08-23
BUTLER INTERVIEWED,
HOW HE LOOKS AT THELArE Srare
CAMPAIGN.

/
struotlvs-The Result ie ohoss.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.-'Che News
ana Courier correspondent to-day had
the following interview with Senator
Butler:
what Is the outcome Of the State
canvass In South Carolina?"
"Politically chaos"
"Do you mean to say that all polite
al parties are at seap"
"That Is exactly what mean to saw
The Democratic party is divided into
two factions, the Conservative and Re-
form factions The Republican party is
showing some animation and appears
to be getting ready to take advantage
of the Democratic split. The Third
Partyites are taking comfort and cour-
age from Democratic delays and dis
sensions In Washington, and so 1T goes.
So you can see what Tillmanism has
done for the Democratic party in South
Carolina"
"What will the Conservatives dor"
"Saw wood and say nothing. They
are thirty.live or forty thousand strong,
and have 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 disfrauchisementp
"Do you say the Reform faction is
controlled by ring?"
"The most unscrupulous ring that
ever dominated the politics OF any
country, but am not alone authority
for the charge. You may remember
that my colleague, Mr. Irby said in most
emphatic terms last winter or spring
that there was a estate House ring" in
Columbia. RefOrmerS have, during the
recent canvass, iterated that there was
a ring In the Reform faction. Every
Intelligent man In the State knows 1t Is
true, and masses of the Reformers are
kicking violently against the ring aud
!, It's tlagranG methods The Reform
candidates who have been and will be
slaughtered by the ring are very mush
outraged, and | do not believe will
quietly submit"
What will be the upshot of these
} conditionsY
, "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
I and wranglin.; which the ring has
DAooSho upOh Oul Oh UhO
stump and otherwise / have warned
! our people Of the langers Of division.
8 So have Messrs Tlndal. Ellerbe and
l Pope, Reform candidates for Governor,
and other Reformers. The ring rulers
. have mot appeals with scorn and derls.
! on, and the day Of reckoning for them
! will come in the near future.
f what about the dispensary2"
t "Oh, we'll, the diSpensary is huge
/ oh o,r,b; hoe ra1
! the livery Of temperance and morality
: to serve the ring In. It Is honeycombed
= with corruption, and If It's management
Is ever Investigated and the facts dis
closed you will see Seething mass of
corruption that will astonish the people
Of the country. 1t has been reOpened
without the consent, as 1t has been re.
ported without the consent, as am In.
formed, Of two of the three members of
the State board Of control, and have
no doubt IS to be run in the interest
and for the benefit Of the ring candl-
dates.
"The ringsters have so complicated
the political machinery that nobody
except those In the ring can understand
1T. Let me see If I can state the stua-
tion so that you can comprehend it:
On Saturday, the 9th instant, the Re
7 form clubs were to meet and elect dele
. gates toa County Convention. This
3 convention Is to meet on the 18th and
:, send delegates to State Reform Con-
;, vention to meet in Columbia on the
l 10th. The State Convention Is expected
to nominate for Governor and Lteuten.
4 ant Governor. Mind you, now, the
= Conservatives are to have no voice In
/. this business, but, as have said, are
disfranchised. Then there Is 70 be a
{ primary on the 28th of August, not to
t vote for Governor and State officers
Q but to appoint delegates to q State
A Convention to meet some time in Sep
! tember to nominate candidates to be
1 voted for at the general election ir
: November. Follow this problem
: through and you will see that the peo-
y pie are cut off from giving direct vote
J., for any cffice except at the November
election. l have stated the case as
o understand 1t, and If a more adroi
n scheme could be devised to bambooZlt
l. the people and defeat free expression
:. of their wishes L should bs obliged tt
d have 1t suggested. And yet we art
l. told one OF the cardinal features of the
r Reform Movement was to give thepri
d mary for all public offices. Satan could
not have hit upon moro effectual met
o hod to usurp the people and turn them
10 over, bound hand and foot, to q handful
J. OF selfish, corrupt ringsters."
senator, you seem to have survived
0 the campaign in good shape"
1t "Oh, yes; was never in better kelte
ls In my life. L spoke In every county, a
Y, every campaign meeting and extr
& meetings."
10 "Was there as much excitement al
!, represented in the papers2"
5 II do not think that there was NOR
!. excitement than usually attends pc
j, lttical canvass. The accounts wer
r. greatly exaggerated and sensational
!, With few exceptions the meeting
q. were quiet and orderly--not very larg
r and the people listened attentivel
80 and respectfully. Of course at som
N places few drunken fellows woul
< create disturbance, but they wer
70 generally attended to by the special con
1T stables or committee Of arrangement
ID and soon suppressed. Personally
ID have no cause Of complaint except OF
le three occasions. when two or thre,
1t rowdies attempted to interfere will