The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-24
Wednesday, Oct. "a, 1894.
Irby's Convention.

The REGISTER has usually been reasonabl!
fair, but when that paper makes Statement
which seems to excuse an inexcusable act o
partizanship, we are surprised. A few day
ago, that paper said:
pledged to q Constitutional convention, ant
IL is not the business Of the State Democfatl'
executive committee TO have tlckets sgalns
the convention printed. The Republican
ton can have tickets printed II they wan
them. It 10 their business TO look after that.
The great public heart loves justice and fall
play, and honest men, under all circum
stances, despise q little mean thing, and i
will be very surprising to us If the better ele
nent of the Tillman ranks do not resent tht
apparent effort to take advantage Of anybody
Good Tlllman men in this county love fall
play, and would not win by trick.
The act in itself il not worthy Of men wht
claim to be fair in dealing with their breth
rem.
"The Democratic party is pledged to Con
stitutional Convention"
The Joint Resolution submits the question
"to the qualified voters OF the State" and moi
to the Democratic party.
The Democratic party Is not pledged to or
der the Convention. II 30, why did not tht
Joint Resolution refer the question TO thai
party, instead Of to "the qualified votersT
But suppose the question had been left en-
tirely to the Democratic party, (and from
which election all Republicans and 1nde
pendents would be excludedD 1t was certainly
as much the duty Of the executive committed
to furnish ballots for those Democrats who
were opposed to the Convention as it was te
furnish ballots for those favoring the Conven.
ton. ...
But We commend the honesty OF the Regis
ter in announcing the unfair purpose on the
part Of the executive committee IN time tc
give fsir minded citizens an opportunity, no,
only 70 resent the proposed trick. but to pro-
vide tickets whereby full and fair vote may
be taken on the question Of calling needless
100000 Convention to be paid for with five
cents cotton.
The evident purpose Of the executive com
mittee not to seek full and fair expression
Of the people has been discovered In time to
prevent any snap judgment In favor OF those
who presume to dictate to intelligent and
decent white people how they shall vote.
In Radical days the recently emancipated
negroes received orders from Columbia as 10
how they should vote, and their tickets were
prepared for them, and they would vote no
other, but We hardly think that Intelligent
white men OF Abbeville county are going 10
submit TO the dictation that was practiced on
the negroes twenty years ago.
The Press and Banner believes that there is
no public demand for Convention, and we
are OF the opinion that the farmers Of this
State ara not going to do so foolish thing as
the ordering of Convention would be. But
whether they order 1t or not they will express
their own opinion, and will not to 60 to the
polls like parrots. o.
We believe the people Of Abbeville are dis
posed to do a little OF their own thinking on
the Irby Convention and we believe with ex.
ception OF those who must, as a matter Of
course, do their masters bidding, that large
majority will express theic disapproval OF
not only the costly convention. but Of the
method which has been adopted by the pol.
iticians to secure 1t.
The people Of Abbeville have been enthu-
siastic Tillman men, and have steadily voted
for the mon and measures which met their
approval, and will continue to do 30. but they
arenow, and have always been jealons OF
their personal rights, When the excitement
ran highest, and when reason seemed de-
throned. they never forgot their personal lib
erty. When IL was attempted TO tell them
what they must read. they manfully and In.
dIgnantly resented the effort to usurp their
right, and we believe they will resent any un-
fair effort to secure the Irby Convention.
Now, when reason has been enthroned. and
when Mr.. Irby has not given q single reason
for calling his Convention. we hardly think
he will find a majority of the liberty.loving
free white men OF Abbeville county either
willing TO do his bidding, or willing TO endorse
methods which will no doubt seem TO the
more ,inteliigent citizen as reprehensible.
Any attempt on the part OF partizsn officers
TO interfere with the ballot ought TO be, and
will be, resented.