The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-10-17
ADDRESS to the Peopae.
How the Irby Committee Would
Conciliate.

How the Troy CommlCCee Wou6u
Conciliate.
Stats Chaiunan Irby of ahe State
Democratic Executive Committee ar
rived in the city yesterday, accom-
panied by his secretary. Mr.. N. +.
Fighe. He is the guest Of Governor
Tillman. Last aight he made public
the following very intepestiag-tos say
the least-address to the people OF
the State oa the matter of the fight
for the calling of . constitutional
convention. 1t speaks for Itself:
To the Democratic Voters of South
Carolina:
The executive eomaittee beiag
charged with the welfare of the
party, and the success Of its policy as
outlined in it's platform. which policy
carries with it the welfare of major
ity Of the people, we feel constrained
to direct the special attention Of the
Democrats of the State @ the aecess
sity and Importance d the plank ia
the platform adopted By. the recent
Democratic State convention urging
every Democratic voter to sustain
the call for q constitutional con-
7ention.
Il is well known that there are
great differences existing between
tue white faction in the State, one of
which has yielded reluctant ebe-
dience to the will Of the majority.
The strained relations which have
existed since l89), with factional
bitterness displayed by that portion
of the State press which has opposed
the governing majority With q male.
yolence and factional spirit almost
unprecedented. point inevitably to .
permanent division in the ranks of
the white people, for which this
minority alone must be held respon-
sible. Confronted al we have been
by colored voting population A..
900 in excess of the whites, since
the revolution of 1876 white supre-
macy has been almost the only test
of Democracy, aud its maintenance,
the compelling motive for submission
after the pEtghsd spoken atthe con-
yentions nd prlnSIies. Bm there
are many essdences that the ties
which have bound our people
together are being Systematically
riven asunder, and the public mind
being educated to appeal to this
ignorant debased vote to restore to
power those who have been unable to
command majority of the white
vote. The State newspaPer, the
organ which was started by the 1ns
dependents m1s9I md which has,
recently yexbausted al i,s expedients
to bring about mot her bpltand defeat.
Of the party nominees. has time and
again ridiculed aud sneered at the
possible danger of an appeal to the
colored vote. This newspaper back
ed by large, number of other
papers, is now urging the organiza.
tioa Of the eo-called "true Demo
cracy." and boldly announces tie
purpose to ignore the present party
machinery and executive committee
as at present composed as being
representatives of the Democratic
party. These facts are known Ssof
all men, aud they can have bnt one
meaning-the purpose on the part of
the minority to appeal to the negro
az the arbiter of our politics in the
campaign OF 1896.
During the past spring, and ss,a,-
mer strenuous efforts have been
made, ostensibly at the instigation of
the Republicans, to overthrow the
registration law. We have reason to
know that the Independents as shown
by the columns: Of certain news
papers have instigated and sympa.
thized with these attempts So that
it cannot bereasonably disputed that
there is a desperate faction in the
State bent on regaining power at any
cost. We deem it unnecessary to
direct attention to the inevitable con-
sequences which will follow diyis-
ion of the whites into anything like
equal factions and the bringing in of
the negro as the balance of power.
The only reason why we are not now
in the tbroes of political agitation,
with contending factions mobilizlng
the black army of voters, is that the
movement was considered hopeless.
It was question of expedieucy and
not one Of principle or patriotism
with mahy. We are glad to know
that. the failure of the plot which
came to the surface on the 9th of
August is due to the patriotism and
selfcontrol of the large body of con-
MON uho wh11c uotino