The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-17

IDeSo ocll-opPoAot'o SoSAe '"N
have been repudiateG by the people ar
pear so solicitous for the Degros righ
TO yote2 Plainly because they wan
to be benefciaries of that vote tw
wears from now. Why do they wan
to preserve to the ignor ant and de
based negro bis ballot2 Simply be
cause their fell purpose Is to cover th
ballot of every poor white man Wit
the ballots of two ignorant negroe
and thereby restore themselves t.
Office and power. While charging tina
it Is the purpose of the predominant
faction of the Democratic party to dis
franchise the poor iiliterate white mel
along with the negro, does not any rea
asonable man know that that factfoI
being largely made up OF this elias
would not disfranchise its own follow
ers? What political party ever com
mitted suicide or relipquished volunt
arily the control of public affairs? The
Door white men of the State have neve
received recognition until within tn
last four years. They are now the ar
biters of their own fortunes. and, I
they miss the opportunity of taking
guarantees in the new constitution fo
the continued supremacy of the Anglo
Saxon In South Carolina, we predic
confidently that, com mmenctnR with 96
onr political campaigns In this Stat
will wicuess q return Of more terrible
and emoralizipg conditions than evel
confronted this people, even during
the days of Scott. Moses and Chamber
LATIN. The reckless, desperate men
whose Machavalian cunning Is now
playing the double game Of bidding fol
the negro vote, and claiming to be tht
guardians of the poor whites, are bent
on regainiDg control of our affairs al
any cost. They are Obllvious Of the
fact that the vast horde Of Ignorant
negroes, once organized and disciplined
to Overpower the white majority, the
morals and f aith of white men IN each
other being once destroyed, the negroes
inevitably will se!ze power for theil
own benefit.
We say to the white men. who are
threatened by the Independent news
papers with disfrauchisement, that
Mississippi with colored voting popu
lstion larger than ours has adopted q
constitution, which without disfrauch-
ising single white man, has reduced
the registered negro vote Of that State
to 5000. What Mississippi has done
South Carolina can do. South Carolina
alone of all the reconstructed States
still keeps the constitution reed upon
her at the point of the bayonet by seal
awags and aliens.
The cost of a constitutional conven-
tiop, while of no Importance In COM
parison with the benell 8 to be derive1,
need not under any circumstances ex
ceed $4,000. There are many benefits
OF her thsn the regulation Of the suffc-
age to be secured by changes In the or.
ganic law. While these might be OBJ
tained by the slow and unsatisfactory
procpss of amendment, we candidly
ask any sensible man what hope there
would be for securing the adoption of
a new constitution Involving the regu-
lation of sufferege, if it had to be sub.
mitted back to the people. 1t has been
the settled purposee of the trusted
leaders of the Democratic party for
years to call constitutional cOnven-
tiop, and obviate the dangers which
have lurked In our midst 80 long, only
waiting for division among the whites
to rear their horrid heads. That divis-
ion is now more than apparent. The
reality Is upon us. The people through
their representatives In the Legislature
and in Democratic conventions have
time and again demanded that such 8
convention be called. Those newspap.
ers which claim to be Democratic and
which antagoniZs this great reform are
either blind leaders of che blind or the
servile tools of the conspirators. We
warn the white men who love South
Carolina and would see a continuation
of good government, and the rule of an
white majority, to thrust
aside and pay no heed to the arguments
of those who seek to blind them to their
true interests. After long years of
the opportunity is presented
to them Of fixing this thing forever. All
questions be passed on by the conven-
ton can be discussedwhen the election
delegatesls to take place. 1t is sIand.
or and an insult to say that the people
havs not the patriotism and inteIli-
gence to elect men from among them.
selves, to frame an organic law better
suited to our wants than that imposed
on us by the carpet-bagger and alien.
The wisest and best of our citizenship
can b chosen to perform this delicate
and patriotic duty without regard to
faction, once the convention ID ordered.
The point which we would urge with
all the vigor at our command is that
the opportunity Is now here. 1t certain.
" Ia not likely to soon recur. If the
people fail to seize it and the evils of
mongrelism, governmental debauchery
and political decentralization shall de-
cend upon the State after the next elec.
tion, they will have none to blame
but themselves.
Let all true Democrats and patriotic
white men 90 to the polls on the 9Th
of November and vote for the consti-
tutional convention.
j. M. IRBY, Chairman,
WILLIE JONES,
G. M. EFIRD,
D. E. KEELS,
o. R.LOWMAN,
J. A. SLIGII,
Campaign Committee of the State
Democratic Executive Committee.
A Runaway Train.
AsHvILLE, N. c., Oct. 9.-The South
bound freight on the Ashville and
Spartanburg road ran away down a
heavy grade on Saluda mountain at
o'clock this morning. The crew rem ain
ed on the flying tralE which ran to the
bottom OF the grade, four miles, and
then left the track, the engine and
twelve cars piling up 10 a deep cut.
Latest reports to the Citizen say that
Engineer Broom and colored train
hand had pOt hpan found Firaman