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

| So'o1eu-So"s or Gne Spaeohes VarR In
structlvs-The Result is ohoas.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.-rhe News
ana Courier correspondent to-day had
the following interview with Senator
Butler:
"What Is the outcome Of the State
canvass In South Carollua?"
"Polttically 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 tho Democratic split. The Third
Partyites are taking comfort and cour-
age from Democratic delays and dis
senstons 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 dop"
"SaW wood and say nothing. They
are thirty y'Gve 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 mon will sub.
nit to disfrauchisementp"
"Do you say the Reform faction Is
controlled by ring2"
"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 q 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 and
,, It's f1agrant 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
, conditionsp
"1n my jugmeut 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
and wrangllng which the ring has
INAoeSAo "Po1 Oul pOllulSS' vi ULO
-, stump and otherwise l have warned
!, our people Of the dangers Of division.
So have Messrs Tindal. Ellerbe and
Pope, Reform candidates for Governor,
and other Reformers. The ring rulers
have met appeals with scorn and derls
on. and the day Of reckoning for them
l will come in the near future.
f "What about the dispensary?"
"Oh, we'll, the dispensary is huge
nn1ittaQI q {po xr,hio hnrrn xuoH
, the livery of temperance and morality
to serve the ring In. 1t is hOneycOm bed
with corruption, and If its 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 1 have
no doubt Is to be run in the interest
and for the benefit Of the ring candI-
dates.
"The ringsters have 50 complicated
the political machinery that nobody
except those In the ring can understand
1T. Let me see If can state the situa-
tion 30 that you can comprehend it:
On Saturday, the 9th instant, the Re
form clubs were to meet and elect dele
| Ss'NSo W. OonbOJ L h1o
Convention Is to meet on the 18th and
=, send delegates to State Reform Con-
, vention to meet In Columbia on the
| 18th. The State Convention Is expected
to nominate for Governor and Lieuten.
ant Governor. Mind you, now, the
: Conservatives are to have no voice In
b. this business, but, as 1 have said, are
disfranchised. Then there Is 70 be a
primary on the 28th of August, not to
UntQ for NnUnrnnr tof
. but to appoint delegates to a State
4 Convention to meet some time in Sep,
tember to nominate candidates to be
! voted for at the general election In
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 !
8 understand 1t, and If a more adroit
D scheme could be devised to bambooZle
/ the people and defeat free expression
Of their wishes l should be obliged tc
d have 1t suggested. And yet we are
l. told one Of the cardinal features of the
r Reform Movement was to give thepri-
l mary for all public Offices. Satan could
not have hit upon moro effectual met
D hOd to usurp the people and turn them
9 over, bound hand and foot, to handful
j. OF selfish, corrupt ringsters."
= OenhCOT, you seem TO nave survived
D the campaign in good shape"
t "Oh, yes; was never In better keltel
8 In my life. L spoke in every county, a.
:, every campaign meeting and extra
& meetings."
Q "Was there as much excitement az
!, represented In the papers?
b " do not think that there was NOR
= excitement than usually attends a po
!, litical canvass. The accounts wer'
;. greatly exaggerated and sensational
J, With few exceptions the meeting'
J, were quiet and orderly--not very large
= and the people listened attentivel,
IS and respectfully OF course at som
n places few drunken fellows woult
: create disturbance, but they were
Q generally attended to by the special con
It stables or committee Of arrangements
d and soon suppressed. Personally ]
d have no cause Of complaint except on
Q three occasions, when two or three
It rowdies attempted to interfere with
L.