The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-06-13

S"foy -"
to the committee, but to suggest to
you, gentlemen, that we march right
up to the front and take our position
upon this question So far as am
concerned, as the member of this com
mittee from Laurens and the chairman
of the Executive Committee of the
party of this State, | shall not hesitate
(even should it be necessary
by tie vote to give my opinion by
my vote) to express my own convic.
tions on this question.
"The question refer to is this,
and | am unwilling to evade it, for |
see a disposition to dodge it, though
I do not use the word dodge in it's
offensive sense-whether men who
participated in the primaries Of 1892,
in the nomination of State officers and
other candidates, who voted in the
club and sent delegates to the State
convention which elected delegates
to the national convention at Chicago
to nominate a President-whether
these men, who are known as Third
partyites, shall be permitted to patti
cipate in the general primary to be
held in August next. As your
chairman | feel it to be my duty to
say that we should take some posi-
tive, decided, outspoken action on this
question. say, repeat. that we,
as representatives Of the Democratic
party Of South Carolina-and l am
glad to see that every county is
represented here-ought not TO dodge
that important question. If we be-
lieve that the men who participated
in the primaries of '92 and who voted
for Weaver should. not be permitted
to vote at the approaching primaries
we ought to say so. If we believe
that they are Democrats within the
meaning of the Constitution and rules
of the Democratic party, then we
ought to say so and permit them to
participate. What / wish to empha-
size is that we should not evade or
dodge this question. We ought to
discuss it fully whether it be in public
or in private, but we should declare
whether or not they can participate
under our rules. If we do not
take such action we lay ourselves
open to the charge that we have
lodged the question and that. this
committee was unable to solve it one
way or the other. | thought, gentle
men, that it was my duty to say this
much to you ON this subject which is
now open to you for discussion
Chairman lrby's remarks brought
on the hottest discussion of the even
ing and made things lively for a good
while. Immediately after the Senator
had concluded Mr.. Mellette, of Sum
ter offered a verbal resolution that the
men who voted for Weaver in 1892
be excluding from voting.
The motion had no sooner been
made than a half dozen members we're
on their feet ready to offer some kind
Of a resolution or to make a speech.
Mr.. Derham, Of Horny, was recog-
nized by the chair and offered the
following resolution as a substitute to
Mr.. Mellette's resolution
"Besolved, That those white men
who voted the Weaver ticket in 1892
shall be allowed to vote in the com.
ing primaries"
DR.. Sampson Pope made a strong
speech in favor of the substitute. He
said that this committee had allowed
the Haskellites to vote in 1892 and
the men who voted for Weaver had a
right to be treated in the same man.
ner. The Democratic party needed
white voters and did not want to
throw any of them out of the party.
applause. The men who voted for
Weaver were no worse than those
who voted for Haskell. applause. }
Mr.. Kirkland, of Kershaw, offered
as an amendment to the substitute the
words: Upon taking the oath
prescribed by the party" He said
that he had no speech to make but
throught that this provision was wise
and proper.
Editor T G. Robertson, of Pickens,
thought that the proposed amend
ment was an insult to the men who
had voted for Weaver. There were
good and true white men in his county
who voted for Weaver.
Mr.. TONNES. of Edge6eld, asked
the question whether the men who
violated their oaths aud pledges by
voting for Weaver in 1892 would
keep their oaths if allowed to vote
this year.
Colonel Neal, Of Anderson, did not
think any more should be required Of
the men who violated their pledges in
1892 than Of the men who did the
same thing in 1890.
IN .- xIo