The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-08-21
HOW BUTLER LOOKS AT TT.
A REVIEW OF THE SENATORIAL.
CAMPAIGN.

A REVIEW OF THE SENATORIAL
CAMPAIGN.
Senator Butler is Confident of Success
He Found an UnscrupuIous Ring
In South Carolina Poiitics-ChaOs
and Confusion Throughout the
State.
WASHINGTON, August 13.-Special
The News and 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 politi.
cal parties are at sea ?"
THAT is exactly what l mean to
say. The Democratic party is divided
into two factions, the Conservative
and Reform 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 com
fort and courage from Democratic de-
lays and dissensions in Washington,
and so 1T goes. So you can see what
Tillmanism has done for the Demo-
cratic party in South Carolina"
What will the Conservatives do ?"
Saw wood and say nothing. They
are thirty-five or forty thousand
strong, and have been disfranchised, SO
far as the nomination for Governor is
concerned, by the ring in control OF
the fifty thousand Reform faction.
Do you suppose that many white men
will submit to acknowledgements" ?"
AN UNSCRUPLOUS RING.
"Do you say the Reform faction is
controlled by ring ?"
"The most INSCRIPTIONS 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 State House
ring" in Columbia. Reformers have,
during the recent canvass, iterated and
reiterated that there was a ring in the
Reform faction. Every Intelligent man
in the State knows it is true, and the
masses of the Reformers are kicking
violently against the ring and its flag
rant methods. The Reform candidate
who have been and will be slaughtered
by the ring are very much outraged,
and | do not believe will quietly sub
nit"
THE DAY OF RECKONING AT HAND.
What will be the upshot of these
conditions?
"In my judgment the Conservative
element will in due time come to the
front and bring order out of chaos, and
give us relief from the confusion and
wrangling which the ring has brought
upon our politics. On the stump and
otherwise | have warned our people
of the dangers of division. So have
Messrs. Tindal, Ellcrbe and Pope,
Reform candidates for Governor, and
other Reformers. The ring rulers
have met appeals with scorn and
dcrision, and the day of reckoning for
them will come in the near future.
THE DISPENSARY CORRUPTION.
What about the dispensary ?"
ooh, well, the dispensary is a huge
political machine which has borrowed
the livery Of temperance and morality
to serve the ring in. 1t is honey.
cOmbed with corruption, and if it,
management is ever investigated and
the facts disclosed you will see seeth-
ing mass of corruption that will
astonish the people of the country. II
; has been reopened without the consent,
as ] am informed, 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
candidates.
WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.
1.-The ringsters have SO complicated
the political machinery that nobody
except those in the ring can under
stand it. Let me see if can state the
situation SO that you can comprehend
it.: On Saturday, the 9th instant, the
Reform clubs were to meet and elect
delegates to County Convention
This Convention is to meet on the 18th
and send delegates to State Reform
Convention to meet in Columbia on the
10th. The State Convention is expect
ed to nominate q candidate for Cover
nor and Lieutenant Governor. Mind
you, now, the Conservatives are tt
have no voice in this business, but. as
have said. are disfranchised. Their
there is to be primary on the 2Stf
OF August, not to vote for Governor
and State officers, but to appoint dele
gates to u State Convention to meet
some time in September to nominate
candidates to be voted for at the
general election in November. Follow
this problem through and you will sec
that the people are cut off from giving
direct vote for any Office except al
the November election. have stated
the case dis understand it, and il q
more adroit scheme could be devised
to bamboozle the people and defeat 1
free expression of their wishes
should be obliged to have it suggested
| And yet we are told one OF the cardina
features of the Reform movement wa.
TO give the people a direct primary fol
all public offices. Satan could no
have hit upon more effcctual method
to usurp the rights of the people ant
turn them over, bound hand and foot
to handful Of selfish, corrupt ring
sters."
| PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
Senator, you seem to have survived
the campaign in good shape"
"Oh, yes; | was never in better
kelter in my life. / spoke in ever,
county, at every campain meeting ant
extra meetings."
WAS there as much excitement a.
represented in the papersy"
f" i do not think that there was NOR,
excitement than usually attends
political canvass. The accounts wer,
greatly exaggerated and sensational
With q few exceptions the meeting
'were quiet and orderly--not ver,