The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-02
STRAIGHT DEMOCRACY.
A Mixture of Ocalaisln and Democracy
Cannot be Supported by True
Democrats.
from The State.

From The State.
The letters of Gen. Black to Cover
nor Hampton and Governor Hampton:
letter to the people of South Carolina,
backed by President Cleveland's letter
to Gen. Black, declare the duty Of
Democrats in this State. These three
letters demonstrate that all true Dem
ocrats should declare their allegiance
to the principles of the Democracy long
ago set forth by Thomas Jeffersons
and adopted by the Democracy of the
United States at the Convention at
Chicago in 1892 The Presidents letter
relates specifically TO the tariff reform
urged by the convention, but it covers
generally the whole platform of that
convention.
That a large number of those who
were heretofore Democrats in this State
have Intentionally or unintentionally
departed from the teachings Of Jefter-
sou and Calhoun on the fundamental
doctrines of Democracy is quite clear,
as I attempted to show in my letter to
The State, published last January.
That many good men have accepted
the heresies promulgated by the State
Alliance in 1898 is beyond doubt. I am
also willing to admit that many good
Democrats unknowingly committed
themselves to the action Of the conven-
ton in March ION the Colletou plan"
| By such actions good men have es-
poused doctrines and modes Of conduct
opposed, in the first instance to the first
principles of Democracy, and in the
second instance committed themselves
to methods which constitute, practi-
cally, a severance from the regular De-
mocracy of the State, by ignoring all
other Democrats and arranging them
selves as faction of independent ac-
ton.
The two propositions of the sub
treasury plan and the government own
ership and operation of railroads and
telegraph lires are, as I have hereto
fore said, fundamentally undemocratic;
and no organization adopting them and
advocating them is a Democratic Or
ganization. The plan of holding Re-
form Convention for the nomination Of
officers for the State is not only un-
Democratic, but virtually amounts to
the establishment Of separate party
from the Democracy. The method of
caucuss' ng by the Reformers in county
affairs, to the exclusion of all CoEser-
vatiyes is factional separation Of the
Reformers from the Conservatives, and
a separation of the Reformers from the
Democratic party of the county. Pur-
suing these methods, the Reformers
separate themselves from the Demo
cratic party to which they profess to
belong, and all their action is merely |
for the purpose of binding the Conser-
vatives to the action of convention and !
primary elections which the Reformers
choose to hold. 1t is. therefore, folly |
for real Democrats to submit them
selves unreservedly to the conventions
and primary elections which the Re-
formers decide to hold.
The fact that the Reformers may or !
do outnumber the Conservatives would |
not of itself justify the latter in a re-
fusal to unite with the former. But !,
the fact that the former, whether more !
or less numerous than the latter, do |
not adopt the principles of the national !
Democracy, but profess and advocate
doctrines at irreconcilaole variance !
from the principles OF that Democracy, |
and persist in methods which ignore !
other Democrats, does not only war
rant but demand that the real, Conser-
vative Democrats should refuse to COM
bine in any organization with the Re-
formers. We might as we'll combine
with tee Republican party; that party,
as much as we ought to oppose it, agrees
better with the principles of the real
Democrats than Goes the so-calleo Re
form element which styles itself the
Democratic party of the State.
1t IS absolutely necessary that the
Conservatives, the real Democracy, as
it now appears, should refuse to unite
with the Reform element, until We
have assurances that the latter adopt
and bind themselves to carry out the
principles of the National Democracy,
and also adopt such methods as shall
enable the Conservative Democrats to
take part in everything that concerns
the approaching campaign.
If the Conservatives, either as clubs
or as individuals, go into the county
conventions or in the primaries to be
ordered, they commit themselves IN
honor to abide by the action of such
convention and by the action of State
conventions composed ofdelegates from
Tue ScFeEdl COu ouu o4SO w Pe@l u
cipate in primary elections that may
be ordered, and support the nominees
of the primary elections at the general
election in November.
lam not opposed to the complete uni
fication of all men or bodies Of men
protesting to be Democrats. Indeed,
my earnest desire is that the whole De-
mrcracy of the State shall be thorough
ly united and harmonized. But insist
that Conservatives shall not unite with
the Reformers until they hear from the
latter an allegiance to the true and we'll
settled principles of the Democratic
party of the United States, and also g
declaration Of abandonment Of the
practice of separate caucusses and sepa-
borotcforo oh O % ot orig.