The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-03
THE LATE CAUCUS
PUT DOWN AS ONE OF THE GREAT
EST POLITICAL FARCeS

Soio
Comfort.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Sept. 26 One OF
the greatest political farces ever enact
ed in South Carolina was the late eau,
Gus cf the anti-Tlllman Democrats,
which was held in this city last Tues
day night. The Register says it was the
most gigantic farce Of modern times
and the worst demoraliZed body of
men which ever assembled for political
purposes in the State of South Caro-
lima. AS much soreness was engender-
ed in that unharmonious organization
as was ever known and one OF the last
things attempted was the Offering of
a resolution severely condemnlng the
men who had Withdrawn from the
body when it bad been decided to
make nominations. The resolution of
condemnation was defeated by a few
votes. How the caucus could have
passed the resolution Is not known,
when many of the delegations had
served express notice early in the eve
ming that they would desert in body
if nominations were attempted. Some
of them further served notice that In
addition to leaving the caucus they
would fight whatever ticket was put
cut.
AS an illustration of the number of
bruised spots left behind It may be
stated that as some of the delegates
who withdrew were leaving the hall
they were guyed aud sharply reproved
by those who remained. This caused a
personal feeling between many and it
has not abated. Another specimen OF
the feeling engendered against those
who left the hall is found in the follow
ing uttersnces of Col. n. &. Gonzales,
in which the boilers are put down as
deserters:
1t was the sense of the convention
that they were outrageously deserted
by men who had submitted their
claims to the Judgment Of that con
vention and after having the fullest
and freest discussion had been beaten
by decisive majority. That when
they went out they threatened not only
to desert the ticket but that they
would fight it and put us In the posi-
tion of breaking up the Conservative
party. We refused to rescind the reso-
tion, but concluded after appointing
the com mittee on platform and reso.
lutiors to place the responsibility
whera it belongs and abandon the
whole thing in disgust"
1t Is learned taat early In the eve
ming A. b. Williams offered practically
the same resolutions which the caucus
passed just as it adjourned. They were
rel i9cted. He also submitted a plan for
tue appointment of an Executive Com
mittee which should have the power OF
nominating a full State ticket. This
committee was to spring a ticket on
the public two weeks before the elec.
tion aud the Independents were to try
to carry it with rush. It was to keep
the matter dead secret until the time
fixed. The plan did not meet the ap.
probation of the caucus. One stumb-
ling block in the way of the caucus
was that a great many were doubtful
if there was anything undemocratlc IN
the platform adopted by the regular
Democratic convention last week.
They could not see the point In the ar
guments of some of their opponents
that the platform was undemocratic,
full Of Ocalism, etc.
The secret has leaked out that during
the evening J. G. Hemphill, OF the
News and Courier, telegraphed to the
caucus that he had direct Information
from Chairman Harrity, of the Nation
al Democratic Committee, and from
Chairman Faulkner, Of the National
Democratic Congressional Committee,
that these com mmittees would not recog.
nize the Independents as Democrats.
This did not have much effect on the
hotheads, and they did not pay any at
tention to it, but the sober minded
men needed it.
a summary of the reports made to the
caucus by counties showed that there
was no chance of carrying the State.
Representative of the following eigh-
teen counties reported that their coun-
ties could not be carried: Aikeo, Abbe-
vile, Anderson, Barnwell, Charleston,
Clarendon, ColletoD, Edgefeld, Hamp'
ton, Lancaster. Laurens, Lexington,
Marion, Newberry, Orangeburg, Pick
ems, Union and Williamsburg.
The following ten counties were re-
ported as solid for the Independents:
Beaufort, Chester, Darlington, Far
field, Florence, Georgetown, GreenVille,
Oconee, Richland and York, although
there was some doubt about York.
The opinion about BerBeley, Horny
and Spartanburg was divided. -Four
counties, Sumter, Chesterfield, kershaW
and Marlboro, had no representative
in the caucus and this betokened that
those counties were solidly against In
dependentism.
The reorganization called for In the
resolutions adopted has not begun.
The symptoms are more of decomposl
ton with probabilities of an early de-
cline and an inglorious death. What
the verdict of the coroner's jury will
| be is wholly matter of speculation.
Ooe of the Independent papers is al
ready calling for reorganization to
start. 1t is now believed that the men
who favored nominations will refuse
TO have anything to do with reorganl.
ZatiOn.
The last resolution of those adopted
is regarded by some as bid for the
negro vote in 1896. 1t opposes the call
ing of constitutional convention and
tells the negroes, without using the
| word, that the aid of the independent
organiz alton will be given them to
fight this ubiquitous, undenocratlc
tyrannical ani dangerous proposition.
a gentleman said yesterday that II the
negroes and Independents join in fight
ing the call 1or convention the lnde-
pendepts can say to the negroes 10
1896: eve helped to save you from los
ing your suffrage. Now come to our
aid and give us your vote
Everybody noticed that the promi-
nent negro and Republican lie aders
including Deas. Webster, Miller and
Smalls, hung around the caucus like
buzzards. They were eager listeners
to whatever news was brought out
from the hall and gathered in groups
to talk secretly of it. They had some
object. There is rumor to the effect