The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-01-24
Senator Irby "Snuffs Treas.
on i'm the Tainted Gale"
Doesn't Want to see himsel ".Assassi-
mated IN the Dark"-Mo Pop,list
Need Apply-Plasn Language
From Truthful John.

GTOM x10tSy W OOiSfe.
WAsRlsGroN, Jan. 6.-The follow.
ing reply has heen made by Senator
Irhy to communication received by
him from the Hon. w. T. G Bates,
Bates, Treasurer of South Carolina:
United States Senate.
Washington, D. G, Jan. i6, 1894. :
Hon. w. TIC. Bates, Colnmbia, S. c..
Ny dear Sir Ihave your letter of
the 14th inst, in which you make
inquiry as to what / think should be
done In reference to holding fac
tional convention of the Reform party
of South Carolina, to which / answer
hastily, but frankly.
I regret, as deeply as you, to see
divisions in the Reform movement of
our State. The purposes for which
it began have not been accomplished,
and cannot be, without the exercise
of harmony, justice, common sense
and fair dealing I have had but one
purpose from the very beginning. and
that was to do my duty by it to the
very best of my ability. Nothwith-
standing this, | have been prosecuted
5byzmen, supposed to be prominent in
the Reform movement, from the very
beginning, until made up my mind
that Il would not submit to it any
longer. and appealed tosthe true men
among us to protect me against such
political assassination.
g It's snot ny fault that we have
stheses evidencesof division ID our
State furnished no excuse sfor
every Reform ersWho goessinto Golum-
sbiia from tie raral districts to The
State House to be taken one side and
groomed aud prejudiced against
"Irby's management Of the party" :"
when even the Ants themselves
acknowledge that my conduct as
chairman. has been perfectly fair. l
am unwilling that Third Party
leader shall take cbarge Of the Reform
movement in South Carolina, and
thus dictate the. nominees of the
Democratic party i am satisfied
that the people of the State will not
submit to it, and the sooner he, and
others who expect to reap Office
under him, find this out, the better
for him and the movement.
In answer you frankly as to what l
think ought to be done, so far as l
can see. There are six or seven
ether candidates for gubernatorial
honors. These men have been true
and loyal, and are al able men.
They are entitled, at least, to fair
contest and the protection of the
principles of the first March conven-
ton, the most prominent of which
was the right of the people to name
their candidates, Instead Of ring in
the State House. 1t will be neces-
sary, before thecampaign that ssto lie
led by meas Democratic chairman,
that these contests shall be settled
within the lines Of our faction, aud
that after the people have had timesto
weigh and measure them and coD.
.clude as to their choice, the success
full one shall be given the colors of
our faction 20 meet the Conservative
faction j.: debate on the stump before
the general primary election. This
cannot be done with an early conven-
.tion had and snap Judgment taken,
before the people have seen or heard
the various candidates who seek the
endorsement of the Reform party.
It savors too much of old ring rule
and Haskellite methods. and the peo-
pie will not couatenance it.
This is perfectly fair and all parties
will be satisfied; but the people. who
believe in the theory and system of
primary election, will not stand for
TWO or three men-one leader of the
Third party and the selfconstituted
spokesman of the Third party, the
other traitor to the Reform party,
who seeks, as an emissary from the
enemy, to ruin the Reform party, and
other men who desire ofice-to fix
up slate now, have it endorsed by a
convention as eally as March, and
rammed down their throats. say
this, because if their scheme is allow.
ed to 60 through under the whip and
spur of the Register, the movement
cannot stand. Selfrespecting men
in it would rather go to the wall than
to serve under a traitor to his move
ment and to see themselves assassi.
mated in the dark by men who have
claimed to be their friends, and the
people robbed of the benefits of the
vital principles of the first March
platform.
This has been written to voujust as
L ]