The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-02-13
THE PLATFORM
ADOPTED BY THE LATE REPUBLICAN
STATE CONVENTION.

1t Accuses tn. White People of tho State
Of Having Broken Every Promise Made
to tho Colored People by Hampton.
COLUMBIA s. c., Feb. 9.-The fol
lowing is the platform adopted by the
late Republican Convention:
I'VE, the Republicans of South Car
olina, in convention assembled for the
purpose of organizing the Republican
party of the State on broader, more
Liberal and more progressive basis, dc
declare our principles as follows:
ION national questions we declare
adherence to the essential principles
of the National Republican party as
set forth in its platform of principles
at Minneapolis in June, 1892, that is
to say:
1--WE are in favor of moderate and
reasonable protection for American Ia
Dor and American capital against the
cheaper labor and cheaper capital OF
other countries.
I'VE are in favor of sound full value
money. whether of gold, silver or pa
per currency, for all classes of the peo'
pie, for the 'breadwinner" as well as
for the capitalist, for the poor laborer
in his hut, as we'll as for the million
aire in his palace.
1--WE are in favor of government
service based on merit and capacity,
instead of on the corrupt and debasing
Jacksonian system OF ITO the victors
belongthe spoils."
1--WE are in favor of free and fair
ballot in all public elections, and an
honest count of the votes, for all clas,
ses of citizens, whether native or for
eign born, whether white or colored.
"These we regard as the fundamen-
tai principles Of the National Republi-
can party; and we believe they are In
no sense sectional, and in no way hos.
tile or inimical to the best interests OF
the South or of our own State. But
in local State affairs our position is
peculiar, and we are under the necessi'
ty of accommodating ourselves to the
situation. We have for years been
deprived of any voice in our State
government by unjust election laws
and by fraud and trickery openly
practiced at elections. We have quiet,
| " submitted to this wrong, hoping for
the return of a more liberal and just
sentiment among our Democratic fel'
low citizens. We are glad to observe
that this long hoped for change of SEN
timent seems to be taking place among
many of our very best and most trust
worthy people, and we would by no
act of ours mar or check its progress.
On the contrary we would promote
and encourageits developmentin every
way possible.
(But while this more just sentiment
is openly proclaimed on the
one hand, on the other an extreme
faction has suddenly sprung into exist
ence; and by worse than dubious meth:
ods, has gained full possession of all
branches of our State government, the
| executive, the legislative, and, worst
of all, the judiciary. This now do
minant, exultant and utterly unscru
pulous faction, proposes, for the pur'
pose of perpetuating its own power,
to permanently disfranchise the mass
of Republican voters, by a change in
the fundamental law of the State. MOI
content with temporary disfranchise
ment, by means of unjust election
laws, partisan management of cleo
ton, and fraudulent count of votes, ii
proposes to make this disfranchise
| ment permanent by change in oul
State Constitution. Its purpose in this
| respect is not left in doubt, but is open
| and avowed during the late campaign.
From every political stump in the
State by the "bosses" of the faction.
With this in view a factional Legisla'
ture provided for q constitutional con.
vention and factional managers OF
elections counted it in" by the gossest
kind of frauds at the November cleo
tions. in spite Of an unquestionable
popular majority against it,
This item is the situation with
which we find ourselves as Republi,
cans confronted, and from no fault OF
| ours, for we have done nothing what,
ever to provoke it. The question we
are now called upon to decide is; shall
we fold our hands and quietly submit
to seeing ourselves disfranchised, our
most sacred rights as citizens taken
away from US, and even the means of
educating our children cut off by the
repeal Of the public school tax3 II
we do this we furnish to the world
the strongest possible evidence of our
utter incapacity and unfitness for citi-
zenship. If on the contrary we pro-
ceed to carefully organize our forces
all over the State, in every town and
county and manifest our readiness to
cooperate heartily with liberal-minded
and justice-loving white citizens, and
under their leadership, we will show
the world that we are not unworthy
of citizenship; we will encourage lib,
eral and fair minded Democrats to
organize and take bold stand against
the injustice and tyranny of the do
minant faction, and we will show to
that faction itself that we constitute a
faction to be respected. But we should
make it clearly and distinctly under
stood that we do not propose to act on
the aggressive, but purely on the de-
fensiye that we do not propose to make
any effort to control the constitutional
convention, but only to assist, as far
as we can, in electing to it fair-minded
men and justice-loving citizens of
such standing and character that they
may with safety be trusted to frame q
fair and impartial and conservative
Constitution Just alike to all classes
and citizens.