The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-17
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.
GETTING UNEASY ABOUT The CON
sTiTuTloNAL CONVENTION.

SIi - iSNHG SOlNS CIV ! IS''s
What the Can pS1gu Committee Has to
Saw Anont the M4tter-The People
Urged to Vote for the Call OF the Con-
vention.
COLUMBIA, SC, Oct. 1O.-Chairman
Irby of the State Democratic Executive
Conmittee arrived in the city yester-
dsy. and last night promulgated IN De-
half of the Democratic campaign con-
nittee the following important ADDRESS
to the Democratic voters OF the S1ate
To the Democratic voters OF oouth
Carolina:
The executive committee being
CHARGED with the welfare OF the party
and the success Of its policy as outlined
in its platform, which policy carries
with if the welfare of a majority OF the
neople. we feel constrained 10 direct the
special attention of the Democrats OF
the State to the necessity and import
ance of the plank in the platform
adopted by the recent Democratic State
convention urging every DemocraCic
voter to sustain the call for a consul
6utionaI convention.
It's well known that there are great
differences existing between the white
factions in the State, one c. Wnlcn mas
yielded reluctant obedience 10 tne Wil4
of the majority. The strained reistlons
which have existed since lS9O, Win tne
factional bitterness displayed by that
portion of the State press which mas
opposed the governing majority With a
maleyolence and factional spirit almost
unprecedented, point inevitably to
permanent division in the ranks OF the
white people, for which thlss minority
alone must be held responsible. Con
fronted as we have been by colored
voting population 10000 IN excess OF
the whites since the revolution OF 1916
white supremacy has been almost toe
onlv test of Democracy, and It's main
tenance the compelling motive Tor suo-
mission after the party had spoken at
the conventions and primaries: DuC
there are many evidences toaC tae Ties
which have bound our people 1ogeCner
are being Systematically rlVep asuooer
and the oublc mind being educated TO
appeal to this ignorant, ,debased vote TO
restore to power those VINO nave Deen
unable TO command majority OF the
white vote. The State newspaper, tGe
organ which was started by the lnde-
pendentsiu 1891 and which has recent
~ exhausted all It's expediehts to oriog
about another bolt and defesT OF tue
psrsy nominees, has time aud again
ridiculed and sreered at the possloie
danger of an appeal TO the colored vote
This newspaper, backed by a large
number of otner papers, is now urging
the organization of the so.called "Gruo
Democracy" and boldly announces the
purpose to ignore the present. phtIy
machinery and the executive com nit
tee as as present composed as Oelog
representative Of the Democratic party.
These facts are known OF all men anu
they can have but one meanlng-Lne
purpose on the part Of tRs minority 10
sppeal to the negro as the srolter OF
our politics in the campaign OF 1880.
During TIE past sprlng and summer
strenuous efforts nave been mace os-
rensibly at the iostigati0n OF tne Hs-
publicans to overthrow tue re2lstFa-
lion law. We have reason 10 Know
that the Independents, as shown ey the
columns of certain newspapers, nave
ipsrigated and sympataiZeo Win eaese
attempts. So tSaC it cannot be reaSon'
ably oisputed that there IS a desperate
faction in the State pent Cn regalplng
mower at any cost. We deem 1t unnec'
essarv 10 direct attention TO he lneVl-
table consequences Whlcn VIII Ioho"
division OF the whites INTO any1olng
like equal factions, and tne oflhslhS III
of the negro as the balance OF po n ef'
The only reason why we are noI no"
in the lhroe5 Of a pollElcal aelUaIlou'
with contending factlonS mooiIlztuS
the black army of voters, Is tna' V1e
movement was considered hopeless. IL
was question of expediency and not
one of principle or patrloLism Win
many, We are glad 10 kno" tnaC tne
failure of the plot which came 10 the
surface on the 9th OF August Is Cue To
the patriotism AMI self-1ontrol OF Gae
large BODY of the conservative men
who. while voting with the minority Id
the campaign Of 1892, submitted gt@ce-
fnlly TO It's results and were ua"lE!ins
TO isopa1GIze the publlc welfare OY sucn
a desperate venture. Fortunately me
opportunity is offered the WniGs people
of the State in the coming e4ectlon W
obYiate all future danger, ana 1orCiIy
Anglo-SaXoQ CIVILIZATION against eEety
assault from within and WI nonC, "uG
that is the calling OF a conslltoIioual
convention to deal with the alI-lmporG-
ant question of suffrage. By strange
and unaccountable change OF Oase eha9
class in the State which has always
stood for qualified suffrage, ana oenleo
the capaclCy or the right or Gne masses
TO particlpation IN the goVeTnms Ut, are
TODAY loud-mouthed ID their decIafa-
tIon that they. are champions OF Ine
poor white man whose vote is unreal
sned. as they say. Every newspaper
controlled by this class Is teemlng VIII
all manner of specious and false aTgu-
ments against voting for conYeDGloh.
They say that the white voters "no ato
ignorant and poor VIII nave Cast tneL
last ballot ifthey vote Tor convention.
They harp on the enormous COST 20 Ioe
taxpayers. They dwell with pathetlc
concern on the Injury TO the Tree
schools and by every device knoWn 70
sophistry are trying TO throw oosI III
the eyes of the masses. ram speaking
Ia cest and We shall not mlnee WORDS.
We propose to show that there is deep
DYED treachery to white supremacy IN
this antagontsm to a new convention.
In the so-called convention composed
of self appointed delegates which as
sembled or the 25th Of September for
the ayoRed purpose OF nominating an
independent ticket and appealing to
the negro, the following resolution,
which beLrays the whole damnable
scheme, was passed and the opening
gun for '96 fired:
Resolved, That while this conven-
ton desires to avoid doing anything
likely to cause increased strife among
our people, we believe that the princi-
Piles of Democracy, the safety OF every
interest in the State and the instinct of
self-preserYaCion demand that a hard
and earnest fight be made against the
proposition to call a constitutional con-
yention tc create new fundamental
law involving the rights or every man
in the State without providing Tor the