The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-07-03
What the Conservatives Have Done
and Should do.
Grccnrillc NcMS.

In 1890 the mass of them accepted
the result of the State Democratic
Convention and although Tillman had
abused and slandercd them shamefully
helped to elect him Governor. They
we're paid for that with continued
abuse and slandcr, with every cpithct
Of contempt that malice could invent,
with the defeat of Wade Hampton,
who had stood to the nominee and
done all he could to prevent bolt,
with wholesale political boycott and
the kicking out of Office of every one
of them who could be reached.
Could they have been treated worse
than they were if they had been radi-
Gals
In 1892 they made their fight within
the party lines. They made it on the
peace and unity basis. They declared
war against nobody. All they asked
was the privilege Of putting up and
voting for their candidates in Demo
cratic primaries. Again they were
abused, threatened, boycottcd, howlcd
down on the hustings, assaulted,
denied the right of free speech.
Every possible insult and aggression
was put upon them. They accepted
the result of the primary manfully
and made no more fight.
IF they had been radicals they could
not have been treated worse.
In 1891 they went back another
step. They put up no candidates.
They stood back mcekly and asked
only the privilege, as loyal, consistent
Democrats, of being allowed to choose
among candidates of "the dominant
clement" in the general primary.
They were shut out. \ new thing
was done. A primary was held out
side the Democratic primary and from
which the Conservatives and many
Rcformers were excluded. About
$4,000 votes, many of them manufac
turcd, Suggested aGovernor. Again
the Conservatives submitted to the
demands of an organiz' on which had
by that time become Democratic in
name only because the leaders and
representatives of it had rcnounced
their allegiance to the Democratic
party and declared themselves men,
bers of other parties and had officially
declared the Democratic party dead
and corrupt. The Conservatives were
again abused, villifed, denounced:
The work of putting the last one of
them out of the last poor places was
vigorously continued. The lines were
drawn against them closer than ever.
They were denied not only their right
as Democrats but their rights as citi-
zcns.
Now we come to the election of
members for Constitutional Conven-
ton. The leaders of the dominant
element, desiring, probably. to control
that Convention without the trouble
of contest, proposed to use their
influence to give the Conservatives
half the delegates on condition that
those delegates should pledge them
selves to do certain things the leaders
desired to have done. The mass Of
the Conservatives rejected this propo-
sition because they preferred being
without representation to having rep
resentativcs who would be pledged in
advance and tied hand, foot and
tongue.
Others of the dominant element
made a more generous proposition.
They proposed to secure non-parti-
san, free and fair Convention by di-
viding delegates equally. This was
eagerly accepted. The Conservatives
did not wish to rule. All they asked
then and all they ask now is to have a
Convention not under the control Of
politicians who have proved them
selves to be tyrannical in purpose,
reckless of the wishes and welfare of
the people and intent only on sccur-
ing their own continuance in power,
Then these same politicians, seeing
the drift of the people toward peace
and good will, put the machinery of
the party they had deserted, discredi-
ted and denounced into operation.
Without authority Of party law they
ordered primary on what is not a
party question, on an election with
which the party has nothing to do.
They proposed to take the choice Of
delegates from an election which can
be, in a measure at least, regulated by
the law into an election regulated only
by themselves and controlled BY their
friends.
The mass of the Conservatives say
they will have nothing to do with this
primary, that they do not propose to
tie themselves up under the control of
men who have been and are yet their
bitter enemies, who have discrimina-
ted against them in every possible
manner.
If the primaries nominate good men
whether Conservatives or Reformers
men who will not be under the con-
troll Of the present political ring, who
will not 60 to Columbia to do the bid
ding of the ring, the Conservatives
will be glad to help elect them.
If the Reformcrs who go into the
primaries arc in earnest in wanting a
non-partisan Convention composed Of
good men regardless Of factional ALI
anccs they can put up such tickets as
well without Conservative assistance
as with it.
The Conservatives have one thing
they can be sure of. They can not be
treated any worse outside the prima-
rics than they have been inside them.
They have the right to feel that they
have nothing to gain by going in and
everything to gain by staying out. If
the dominant element is honestly