The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-01-31
THE TWO REFORM FACTIONS.
How They are Affected by the Washing
ton Conference,

THE TWO REFORM FACTIONS.
How They are Affected by the Washing
ton Conference.
COLUMBIA, s. c., January 25.-The
political leaders In this State who have
been making things so lively in Wash
ington for the past week are now all re-
the plans for the coming campaign which
have been agreed upon at the National
Capital. At least those who have in con-
ference "settled everything and brought
abou: reconciliation OF the leaders"
fondly believe that they have removed
everything from their path, but very
shortly the other side Of the picture will
he turned to the pubic, and there will
very likely be big surprise in store for
great many Of these mon who attempt
to shape everything at small conference
held hundreds Of miles away from the
coming scene of action. The surprise is
going to come from the Alliance side of
the house.
There have been a good many men
from this side of tho house in Washington
also who did not attend those con!eren-
ces, and they have returned to begin the
"war to the knife and the knife 10 Tho
hilr." Mr.. j. w. Bowden, the editor of
the Cotton Plant, who has been among
the people of the State a great deal in tue
last few months, returned from wash
iugton to-day. He the man who caused
the rupture between Congressman Nc
Laurin and the members Of the confer
ence, making him withdraw from the
conference. The conference he's decided
tina, there shall be nc March or July
Convention. Now it will be we'll to read
the following statement made by Mr..
Bowden when I called upon him this
morning:
results of my trip to Washington, but l
was in no conference. My trip was prin-
cipally on business. did not attend
single conference of any kind in refer
enco to State politics. interviewed the
delegation from this State-all of them
and I am we'll satisfied that March
Con vention will be held, as suggested,
called by the Executive Committee of the
Farmers Association, and the people Will
rule it. don't belieYe that the confer
ence of the bosses in Washington will
have very much effect on the action Of
the people in South Carolina. 1 will
simply add that I think that it will pay
better for Gubernatorial candidates here
after to do their work at home J stead OF
spending their time in electloneering
with the ring at the National Capital"
Other Reform leaders tell me to-day
that this Convention is going to be called.
There is everv reason to believe that 1t
will soon, for Congressman Shell kept
aloof from all conferences in Washington
and none Of the other leaders on that
side of the house attended any of the
conferences. They say 10, that the time
has come for Governor Tillman to get
down off the fence and declare himself
outright in favor of one side or the other.
They consider that his attending the Irby
conference is a virtual pledge on his part
to SUPPORT Irby's candidate, John Gary
Evans. They say that Irby and Tillman
and all the others are afraid of any kind
of an early Convention and won't dare to
touch it. They tell me that they want
the early Convention: that the Alliance
faction Of the Reformers want it and are
fighting for it. What is more, they say
they are going to haveit. Lam told, too,
that it will not be long before rupture
that is brewing between certain men will
naaterialize, and when it does my inform
ant saws that "the air is going to be
lurid." AS will be seen from Mr.. Bow
den's talk above there is hardly doubt
now that March Convention, which
was once so popular and effective, will be
held this year.
A good many Of the secrets of the
recent conferences in Washington are
now known here and perhaps the most
amusing one bears upon Senator Irby's
open letters and communications. l am
told that the first thing the conference did
was to pass resolution that Senator Irby
should write no more such communica-
tions. It is pretty safe to say that had
the Senator not written those communi-
cations great deal that is now known
would not have come out for quite time
yet.
here to-day that the trouble between
Senator Irby and Congressman McLaurin
had resulted in the latter sending chal-
lenge to Senator Irby to fight duel.
AS far as can be ascertained there is
absolutely no truth in the story. made
careful inquiries among those who have
Just returned from Washington, and
they say the story probably originated
from statement made in Washington
Yesterday by friend of Mr.. Laurin's
that he would not be surprised if the
Congressman should make it warm for
the Senator.
Governor Tillman, afler his weeks
stay at the National Capital, returned to
the city to-day, reaching here at o'clock,
and went to the Executive Mansion.
Knowing that Governor Tillman had
been at the conferences and that deep in
terest is taken in the object and results
of his visit, called on him this afternoon
and he submitted to an interview in
which he gives the public the first ex-
preston of his opinions and ideas on the
coming political campaign. The inter-
view is no doubt result of the confer
ences:
"In the first place." said the Governor.
"I desire to state that nay visit TO WASH
ington had nothing to do with the pre-
valent discussion on the onbject of a
Convention. had intended to go to
that city before the Legislature met and
have been arranging my business with
view to that visit. I desired and took
occasion while there to investigate the
delay in refunding the interest and PEN
aIties on the direct tax because felt that
now, if ever, when our people along the
coast are 80 destitute, they should have
the benefit of this pttsnce in their dis
tress. Another purpose of my visit was
to appear before the judiciary com mittee
of the House in support OF legislation
looking to relief from the usurpation of
the United States Judges in the matter of
receiversbips, taxes on railroads, etc.
'sI also had pleasant conference with
the commissioner Of internal revenue,
MIR. Miller, with view to explaining the
situation in the State among the small
distillers, and I made al effort to enlist
the support Of the commissioner in a
project I have for establishing a bonded
ware house at Columbia, where all Of the
small distillers could store their liquor
after purchase by the State, SO that we
could age it before entering into con-
sumption and before paying the tax Oh
it. 7 directed the attention of the COM
missioner to this matter with tho hope Of
having him given authority by Congress
to do this, (f0r lie does not possess it now
am informed y and he took very kindly
to the idea, especially when I assured
him that if we could find steady and
quick sale for all the liquor that is made
in the State it would largely increase the
revenue of the National Government"
"But, Governor, what about South
Carolina politics ?"
"Well, as the impression has gone
abroad from our enemies that I went
there solely with view to have con-
ference with Senator Irby and our mem
bers on this all-absorbing topic, will be
very frank with you. In the first place,
speaking for myself and for all of those
who represent us in Washington and
who participated in the conference, we
fo ho 2ictiot1u understood that