The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-04-25
Vice President, National Association
of Democratic Clubs.
GOV. BLACK s LETTER.
lE-~k

My DS2r Sir: AT Cno TecouL moetlnS
of the executive committee of the Ma
tional Association Of Democratic Clubs
at which you were good enough to ap'
pear as vice president for South Caro-
lima, it was resolved to push the organ
izatlon of Democratic societies through
out the Union with all the energy at
our commond.
We believe that this is especially nee
essary in the South, not only for the
reasons heretofore given publicly Dy
you, and personally to the committee
bus for similar reasons advanced by
mauy distinguished leaders of the De
mocrscy In that section. The really
great interests of the South, that Is to
say, unhindered by any intermeddling
central power at Washington. freedom
of elections and the development OF heI
vast agricultural possibilities, unVexed
by adverse and oppressive Federal tax
alton, depend entirely, it appears to
me, upon the continuance Of the Dem.
ocratic party in national power, and
that, again, upon the intimate and cor
dial association of the Democracy IN
Southern States with the Democracy
Meth and West. We should know
but single platform of principles and
we should be animated by but a single
purpose. Our interests are not diver.
gent but complementary. Whatever
Injuries you, ipjure US, whether the ID.
juries be to your liberties, as citizens
of our common country, or to your
commerce, or to your agriculture, or to
any other industry. But unfortunate
ly Southern Democrats, since recon
struction, forgetting to some extent
the hideous perils they had passed, and
relying upon their great natural ma.
jorities, have, ID some places, neglected
their organization, allowing strange
heresies to arise and fatal divisions 70
threaten the party. I am not Intend
ing to say that this is peculiar to the
South. It Is too frequent elsewhere.
Is there remedy? 1t seems to me
plain. With the saTacity of an expe-
rienced and enlightened statesman, you
have very clearly pointed 1t out, and sc
have many other devoted Southern
men. You need to MAINTAIN the clos
est political relations With your Damo-
cratic brethren in the Unicn. You
want to embody yonr people upon dis
tinct Democratic principles, in dis
tinct Democratic organization, which
embraces the entire-cnuntrY, and moves
with common impulse. Heretofore
we have met only in the Iational cam
paigns, but there our relations cease.
There is no further intercommunlcation
But a system of Democratic societies
embracing the whole Union, active
every year, and all the year, uniting the
great multitude of primary societies in
State and national associations, in CON
slant fraternal correspondence and II
warmest sympathetic touch one With
another, Is, it seems to me, The idea
practical relationship which should pre-
vail between US. Such an organization
is presented by the National Associa
ton of the Democratic Clubs. Its
PRINCIPLES are thus formulated IN the
second article of the Constitution:
The objects of this association are as
follows:
To foster the formation of perman
ent Democratic clubs and societies
throughout the United States, and in
sure their active cooperation IN dis.
seminating Jeffersonian principles oi
government.
To preserve the Constitution Of tht
United States, the autonomy OF the
States, local self-goVernment, and free
dom of elections.
To resist revolutionary charges and
the centra:ization of power.
To oppose the imposition OF taxes %
yond the neceS sites OF government
economically administered.
To promote economy in all branches
TO the public service.
To oppose unnecessary commercial
restrictions for the benefit OF the.feW al
the expense of the many.
To oppose class legislation, which
depoils labor and builds up monopoly
10 maintain inYiolate the fundamen
tai principles of Democracy-"Equal
ity before the law
70 cooperate with the regular or
ganlz4tion Of the Democratic party IN
support of Democratic men and Demo
cratic measures.
These propositions embody only in
disputable Democratic doctrines. They
are 10 general terms, the faith of the
founders of the party, and of all true
Democrats of this, as Of preceding gen
erations. That statement of them
was not only adopted by the first nat
ional convention OF Democratic clucs
at Baltimore in 1888, and readopted by
the secopd national convention al
New York in 1892, but it has been for,
Hnfa