The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-28
THE PRIMARY MEETING.
Large, Interesting, Enthusiastic.

1ldlS &C.,
The meeting on Monday evening was one
of the largest and most enthuslastlc meetings
of Democrats ever held in this city. There
were divers opinions represented and express
ed, hut the purpose of the meeting was 10
discuss the questions before the public and
decide on the line Of action necessary to re-
tain the control Of the CITY government in the
hands of the Democracy OF The city, and there
was no strife or ill-feeling engendered. At
times there WAS considerable excitement and
enthusiasm, aud The chairman had to pound
his desk vigorously 10 secure order. The
meeting was characteristic Of Sum'er, full,
free. earnest and enthusiastically devoted to
the best interests Of Sumter.
The meeting was called to order by Hon.
Altamout Moses r o.. Purdy, Esq was
elected chairman ; Hubert G.. Usteen, secre-
tary.
Mr.. Moses was requested 10 state the ohj-ct
of the meeting. He prefaced his remarks by
reading the call under which the meeting as
sembled .'AlI citizens in favor OF II Demo-
cratic Primary for Mayor and Aldermen are
requested TO- meet in the Court House on Mon
day evening, March Goth, at 100 p. No., to
arrange for same. This meeting is not called
in the interest of any candidate or faction"
He said: The Democrats of Sumter, the
white voters, are the tax payers. They rep
resent the intelligence. of the city, and it is
time TO say who shall rule the city, whether
the taxpayers. and intelligent citizens shall
rule or whether they shall be dictated to.
fhe issue is before US and we, as Democrats,
must meet it. II may re we'll, however, be-
fore any action is taken, to have Il resolution
before the meeting as TO whether or not II
Primary shall be held.
Mr.. w. a.. Ingram rose to u question of
personal privilege. He had signed the call
for the meeting. but did so with certain rsser-
%vations, which had been stated to the gentle
me1 who presented the call for his signature.
In signing the call he did not consider him
self bound TO support and taVor the idea VI
holding g Primary. He had come to the
meeting unbiased ia his opinion and was
amenable TO reason. If the supremacy of the
whites is threatened, hefavored putting down
those who made the threat. But he believed
there were grave objections against Primary.
There was no use to destroy those friendly
relations heretofore existing between the
whites and negroes, without good and sutfl-
Gent reasons.
The chairman called for a motion in order
that the question might be in tangible shape.
Mr.. Moses offered ahe resolution, THAT II
is the sense of this meeting that a Democratic
Primary tie held
Mr.. /. Schwerin in secondiog the motion
said: wns informed last week that the
negroes had held II meeting under the leader
ship of zone q. E. Walker, and appointed a
committee consisting of n certain number OF
Piersouites and q certain number of RyttenlfeS
to call on the candidates and make certain de-
mands. 4 E.. Walkers speech was very
Republican and very offensive in tone. This
kind of thing must not be endured. Now is
the time 20 act 1t is not too late 10 hold the
Primary. The Primary must be held and
the issue met, or We can walt and have 1t
forced upon US.
&C. Manning, Esq, vas in full accord
with what Mr. Schwerin had said. He bad
heard a portion of Walkers speech, and did
not like the tone. If the negroes have de-
mands aud make them, it is we'll to meet
them in a business way. No disorganized
way will do and we must meet them fairly
and squarely. 1t must be considered whether
it is possible to elect a ticket without regard
to the demands and those who make them.
The meeting should also consider what the
demands of the negro committee amounts to,
and he, for one, would like to know the pre-
else nature of the demands before taking any
action in regard to the primary. There were
present, no doubt, those who knew what the
demands Of the negroes amount to, and ne
would be glad to have a statement made TO
the meeting az Information. Ii was reported
and no one could deny having. heard the
repor,s-that the two prominent candidates
for Mayor had been interviewed by this negro
I'D .Hn laononao crhp0fffQd m
them. 1t was TO be regretted that the CAN
dida,es for mayor were not prerent, as they
would have been able to set the meeting right
on this point.
Capt. A. C. Phelps said that he had been
informed by one of the candidates that nc
demands would be made by the committee OF
negroes. TIE candidate referred to- had been
waited on by the committee and asked If be
would put a negro on the police force. he
had replied that this was a question for the
whole Council to decide and not for the
Mayor. The committee asked also whether
be would give the negroes a better school
house. His reply had been that this was for
the School Board to decide, but that he
would aid them if it was found that they
needed a better building. Capt. Phelps
stated further that he had been Informed that
Tue uCkEV COmmlttSC SpuS w ~ q
ceased to exist.
Mr.. w. q. Ingram said that this state
ment revealed the worst phases of the loose
way Of candidates announcing themselves OF
being announced by their personal friends.
1t does not matter what the demands are; i,
is enough that any demands have been made.
When candidates come ont, the temptation is
very great to secure election by some COM
pliance with the demands of the element
holding the balance of power. No oue
would think of charging any of the caudi.
dates of yielding to the demands, but we
should organize the Democracy aud relieve
the candidates from these temptations. Lei
the negroes treat with the Democracy and
not with the candidates Let them know
that their interests are safest 10 the hands OF
the whites. Let them know that if they have
just and proper demands to make, that the
Democracy, the organization Of the white
people, will respect them and grant them
when possible. While here in this meeting
we should act as white men and citizens and
not as partisans of any man; and action
should be taken only after full, free and fair
E