The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-26
the minority report was read, went to
the front and said:

the minority report was read, went u
| the front and said:
Ispeak as a Democrat to Democrat!
and expect to be heard respectfully ant
judged fairly. I do not expect, by any
thing I may say, or by any logic which
I may hiring to bear upGn the su6Jec
under discussion, to convince the ma
jority of this body that I am right ant
that they are wrong, but representing
! as I do constituency which professe
to be Democratic, constituency which
has for years, for generations, fosteret
and cherished the principles of true ant
simple Democracy which have beer
handed down to us by tradition ant
example, principles which have beer
taught and illustrated by such patriots
as Hayne and Miles and Connor. I d.
not feel that would do justice to them
to the cause or to ourselves if did no
say word in defence of these principles
and raise my voice in protest agains
what believe and know to be perver
sion of these principles and departure
from the true and simple faith of oul
Democratic fathers. will not announces
myselfa Jefersonian Democrat, not be
cause profess a political faith different
from that Of that great statesman, bu
| because the term "Jefersonian" il
hackneyed and has been used by every
ignoramus who, mot understanding the
meaning of the term, uses it to cover
his ignorance and to add to his profes
sion higher sounding phrases, and tc
his insane vaporings the appearance oi
wisdom and learning. For practical
purposes q Democrat may be said to be
one who is in accord and sympathy
with the great political party which
under that name has controlled the
Government of this great country fol
the greater part of this century, which
has developed from the germs sown in
the Constitution of the Confederacy,
the grandest and most progressive Gov
ernment in the world. Whatever may
be the political doctrines adopted OF
cultivated by any man, or set of men,
if they are contrary to or in conflict
with the principles Of that great party
they are not Democratic principles. The
test of Demccra ~; the badge of mem
bership with the National Democratic
party, must be conformity to the prin.
ciples enumerated by the party itself.
It needs no argument, then to show
the propriety, nay, the absolute neces-
sity, of declaring our allegiance to the
great Democratic party and to the
doctrines as set forth in its official plak-
form. This being granted the other
resolutions must be adopted as matter
of course, as matter of consistency. If
we yield allegiance to the National
Democratic party, if we recognize its
political authority, it must be political
heresey 10 bend to any other authority
or power as paramount to that Of De-
mocracy.
But may be told tiat I am dealing
in truism, that no one disputes so plain
a proposition. Let him ask has the
Democratic party of South Carolina
been so free from this heresy that it
needs no profession Of faith to relieve. it
from the suspicion, at least, OF being
fallen from grace? Examine its history
for the past fewyears. A political party
must be judged by the utterances of its
leaders, of those whom it elects to Office
and power, by its platforms and public
declarations. Have we. not seen plat
form solemnly adopted by this Demo
cratic party in 1892 which was at vari-
ance with the principles of true Demo
cracy, and the same thing repeated on
smaller scale by smaller conven:
ton which convened for q smaller pur-
pose in August, 1894, and have we not
been told by those in authority, by
those who set themselves up as the
arbiters of the Democracy of the State,
that no man should be admitted Into
the full fellowship of Democrats unless
he is willing to subordinate bis Demo.
cratic principles to the demands Of
some other order or faction? We there.
fore need absolution. It is meet that
we should confess our sins and make
professions of our faith. Unless we do
when the test is made in 1895 as to who
is the Democratic party in South Caro-,
lima, and who is entitled to at1llatlor
with the Democrats of the nation, we
may find ourselves unrecognized ano
turned away to cousort witt the Popu-
list of the West. He said that be has
ALWAYS been Reformer. The greatest
reform ever accomplished was waer
white supremacy was secured Ap'
plause.1 He was in that fight, he said
and has always been fighting for white
mans supremacy. He said that it was
abuse of rings that was Objectionable
The rings became Objectionable wher
the cohesion between the leaders ano
followers become 80 great that othel
good Democrats were excluded. Every
political party has its leaders, every
leader has bis satellites, sycophants
coat-tail swipgers, if you will, who
"bend the pregnant hinges of the knee
that thrift may follow fawning." An6
it is when the collusion between the
leaders and the coat-tail swingers be-
comes so clear that other honest Demo
Gratis are kept out and defrauded o.
their rights that there is timewb
the ring must be broken. It is notori
GUS fact that by the methods employed
two-thirds of the Democrats have hao
no voice in the selection of the candi
dates before you.
Delegate Scruggs, of Bishopville
"Why did they not vote?"
Mr.. Jervey: "There was no Demo
cratic primary. I usethe word Demo
cratic in it's broad sense"
Mr.. Scruggs: "They could have voted
had they wanted to-" CApplause:
Mr.. Jervey: "You know I would moi
have been allowed to vote, although
Democrat"
Mr.. Jervey, in closing, begged thai
the Convention do nothing undemo
cratic, and that it should not adopt
and endorse undemocratic principles
During his talk he appealed to the
Convention as gentlemen of the jury
which excited much merriment.
Mr.. Belton Watson said he was glad
to see Mr.. Jervey here as ''Reformer.' .
He wanted to extend the right hand o.
fellowship to Charleston. They had
adopted the platform of 1890 and 1892
and been endorsed by the people. The
only objection now is to the Ocalaism
that has been endorsed. The question
is whether the tail shall wag the dog
or not, he remarked. We have the
majority, and why do what we are
told. There is ring, but it is of the
whole people. The farmers must have
their rights respected. The platform
is in good keeping with our principles,
and we have held out the olive branch
frinn1c H0 70 ~.