The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-31
THE CONCLAVE IN WASHINGTON.
Tho "Reformers" Disagree-McLaurin Ex-
cepts to Irby's Remarks About
Editor Bowden.
1Special to Register.

lOpGCidl W
WASHINGTON, D. c., January %
A portion of the South Carolina dele
CATION had very stormy meeting to-
day. There were present Governor
Tillman, Senator Irby, Congressn1en
McLaurin, Latimer, Strait, Talbert and
Colonel Neal. The question of holding
spring convention came up.
In the course of his remarks Senator
Irby animadverted very seriously upon
Mr.. Bowden as third partyite, and
said he would no sooner affiliate with
him than he would with J. Hendrix
McLane, or with any Black Republi-
can.
Mr.. McLaurin resented this and said
that ne was Bowden's friend and would
not submit to his being spoken of in
this way; that Bowden was as good
Democrat as Irby, and that if be had
been called to conference to hear his
friends abused he would withdraw.
Senator Irby repeated his offensive
remarks and Mr.. McLaurin withdrew.
Several conferences were held before
from which NcLaurin and Shell were
excluded, and it was reported that all
had been fixed before McLaurin was
sent for. Senator J. G. Evans, ga6er-
patorial candidate. was in Senator
Irby's room in conference, but left
when McLaurin came in.
ALMOST A FIGHT IN SENATOR IRBY's
COMMITTEE ROOM.
Especial to News and Courier..l
WASHINGTON, January 23.-Govern-
or Tiliman is not success as a re.
storer of harmony. The Governor and
bis Reform friends from South, Carolina
who are in Congress held another con-
ference to-day, which broke up in
row.
Messrs. Irby, Latimer, Strait and
Talbert and Governor Tillman held
meeting yesterday in Senator Irby's
committee room at the Capitol. Rep
resentatives Shell and McLaurin were
excluded from yesterdays conference,
the proceedings of which were sup
posed to be sacred to those who psrti-
cipated.
To-day these gentlemen met in the
committee room, but there was one
additional participant, Repre- sentative
McLaurin. Captain Shell was again
ignored on the ground that Senator
Irby looks upon the shrewd Captain as
a suspicious political character" 1t
is apparent from to-day's revelations
that the peace conference Of yesterday
must have had something back Of it,
for as soon as Messrs. Shell and
McLaurin heard that there was dis
position on the part of the Governor to
assume a neutral attitude, but at the
same time to lean towards Senator
Irby as against Capt. Shell, there
was blood on the face of the Shell moon.
The Conference yesterday had cut and
dried a plan of future action and then
invited Mr.. McLaurin to come into
their camp. The latter was not sup
posed to know anything about yester-
days conference, and the plan outlined
in the News and Courier this morn
ing was to be unfolded to him under
the head of "new business"
Mr.. McLaurin was cooked and primed
for the conference, and naturally he
was on his guard, and perhaps he was
trifie suspicious.
Soon after the conference assembled
there arose a spirited controversy be-
tween Senator Irby and Representa-
tative McLaurin, growing out of cer-
tain reflections npon Capt. Shell and
Mr.. Bowden by Senator Irby. 1t is
understood that high words passed be-
tween Senator Irby and Representa-
tive McLaurin, and there is no telling
what the result might have been had
not Mr.. McLaurin declared that he
would not remain to hear his friends
abused. He thereupon withdrew from
the conference before any progress to-
wards adjusting the differences be-
tween the two factions had been
made.
Ali of the parties to the conference
are reticent on the subject, and in the
absence of further details there are the
widest kind of rumors afloat in Con-
gressional circles to the effect that
series of duels is apt to result from to-
days attempt to harmonic the Reform
party in South Carolina.
HOW T1LLMAN TELLS THE STORY.
WASHINGTON, January 23.-Gov-
ernor Tillman, Of South Carolina, ar
rived in the city yesterday for the pur-
pose of transacting some business in
connection with the dispensary of his
State. Incidental to that business there
was held in the committee room of
Senator Irby at the Capitol this after
noon confe renee attended by Govern
or Ti,lman, Senator Irby, Representa-
tives Strait, Talbert, Latimer and Nc
Laurin and Col. Neal, superintendent
of the State Penitentiary.
This conference was for the purpose
of considering what was the best policy
for the Democrats to pursue in the
coming election in South Carolina and
resulted, Governor Tillman said, in a
pr~c,ically unanimous agreement. Sen
ator Irby is chairman of the State
Democratic Committee and Governor
Tillman is the leader Of what is known
as the Reform Democrats, and the rep