The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-03-21
Ellerb, Must Come Down.
State, 18Th.

The manipulation Of the political
chess board of Reform just now seems to
be productive Of some new surprise every
day. The practical withdrawal Of Secre-
tary of State Tindal from this race for
Governor was no little surprise OF itself
and it was much talked Of yesterday, but
there is another surprising condition OF
affairs which has arisen since the Lex.
ington campaign meeting, which will
likely affect the coming campaign and
fight for. the nomination, both in
the convention and In the primary, far
more than Mr.. Tindal's withdrawal:
The State has already predicted that
the fight was going to be narrowed down
to battle between one man from the
Irby Reform side and one man from the
Alliance Reform side, and 1t was stated
that the two leaders who would 30 cattle
would be John Gary Evans and Comp
troller General Ellerbe. This was tho
case up to the time of the Lexington
meeting on Saturday, but now 1t begins
to appear that some one else will
be at the head Of the Alliance Reform col
umn.
Yesterday, q very prominent leader on
the Alliance Reform side had a long talk
with a representative of the State and he
gave some Information of very snrpris-
Ing character. It is all the more surpris-
ing because he has all along been warm
supporter of Com ptroller General Ellerbe
as against all the other candidates whose
names have been suggested. He states
that at the Lexington meeting the Comp
troller General disappointed his friends
terribly. Ellerbe, 1t appears, failed to
deyelop as stump speaker and after
getting half way with what this man
terms his ''school boy" Grafton, he falter-
ed, got mixed up and finally gave up
com pletely and took his seat. Now, ne
saws, unless Ellerbe retrieves himself,
and shows up more strength as stump
speaker at the Spartanburg meeting, on
Saturday next, as much as they wish to
push him through. they will select some
other leader.
He states that they have no idea that
John Gary Evans Is going to abide by
the nomination Of the coming nominating
campaign, in which they will be able to
do as they please, and they must have
man who, as soon as he has to go before
the people and make the fight, can
tackle John Gary Evans on the stump
and give him as good or better than ne
sends.
He states further that they are already
looking about for another leader. He
saws that some arc anxious to take w. D.
Evans up. This man has had fine train
Ing as q stump speaker and can more
than match bis youthful opponent, but
the objection to him lis raised that he Is
president Of the State Farmers Alliance,
and that organization wishes to Keep us
officers out Of active politics. He says,
however, that Mr.. Evans can resign the
presidency. Some of the other men IN
this faction, he says, are very anxious 10
have Congressman MoLaurin come pacK
from Washington and enter the lists
against John Gary Evans. as the leader
of the Alliance Reform faction. The
trouble with this, he states, Is that NJ =
Laurin Ia practically the only man SO tn
Carolina now has in Congress and 1t
would come hard to take him out Of that
body.se He regards McLaurin az the
ablest fighter in the reform party and
says that he could easily meet and handle
Nllman on the stump.
Such Ia the situation now. Things
are unsettled, but in Two or three days
after the Spartanburg i1eetirg the leader
will be definitely decided ur and from
that time on the fight will be made to the
finish between the two factions, and the
very condition Of things that Secretary
of State Tindal described in his letter
yesterday and. deploEed the fact that
such condition was imminent will ex-
ist. 80
II seems that the anticipation Of the
fact that John Gary Evans will not abide
the decision Of the convention 1s well
grounded.