The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-26
SOUTH CAROLINA POLITICS.
THE DEAL IN RESPECT TO THE
COMING CONVENTION.

Position-Is lie Not Being Consult.
eds-Evans ~ "A PacfHcator-OtheI
Points OF Interest.
Columbia. S. g., Feb. 25.-The under
standing reached by Editor HemphiH,
Senator Barnweu and others, and Gov.
Tilman with regard to the division OF
the delegates to the constitutional con-
vention does not. by any means. give
general satisfaction to the conservative
faction. In fact the objections 10 the
7 conditions which Senator Tulman imposes
upon the conservatives are so many and
strong on the part Of a large element OF
that faction that the probability Of a
straightout fight against the Tillmanites
is already looming up again. Senator
Tillman. in his interview said that con-
servative delegates must pledge them
selves to vote in the convention for a
suffrage qualification which would insure
1 the preservation of white supremacy and
further on declared that these delegates
must also agree to vote against the dis
/ franchisement of any white man except
/ for crime. The two declarations taken
meaning that q scheme must be devised
/ by which it will be practicable to dis
/ franchise negroes, and at the same time
so flexible as to admit of partial and I'M
/ fair application favorable to whites. This
/ they declare they viii not be a party to,
and say that it amounts to contriving a
/ system of deliberate and calculated fraud
/ They fear too that a law capable of such
loose administration. of warping and
| twisting to suit any occasion, will be
| used to Cypress the minority. They claim
| that this has been their experience with
/ the present registration laws, that so
! long as no divisions rose between the
white people the operation of those laws
I to eliminate the colored vote was beau
| tful. but that as soon as the fight be-
tween the Tillamanites and ants came to a
/ struggle in the general election they were
/ applied to the conservatives with the same
rigidlty as to the negroes. They are sick
and tired, they argue, with laws designed
| TO be administered frauduently, even
though the fraud be tacit and not fragrant
and insist that it is better TO permit
the negro to vote than to longer
attempt his suppression by means not
strictly fair and open. A leading conser-
vative planter of Newberry county and
one who IS not a professional politician
remarked to the Morning News repre-
sentative to-day: This is no compro-
mise at all Tillman as good as says, let
us dictate the constitution and we don't
mind you having half the delegates Be
sides, / am opposed to any further legal
lied cheating of the negro. You can't
compromise a moral question. We can
never hope to rear and educate our chill
dren with correct ideas of morals and
justice if fraud is winked at by our leg
islators, If the device limited at by TIL
man is to be adopted in the constitutional
convention l for one prefer that the con-
servatives rather than consent to it stay
Sut of the convention and leave the entire
| responsibility for it with the Tillman-
ties"
On the other hand many conservatives
contend that only with this compromise
is any hope left for the white people of
the state to get together again and they
urge that harmony and the alignment
of bitterness should be the consideration
admitted above every thing else. 1t is
stated that the entire legislative dele
cation from this county, all of whom are
anti-Tilimanites are heartily in favor of
accepting the terms of the compromise
and hail ii as the Inauguration of a new
era of peace and quiet.
one thing is certain. The talk of the
compromise policy which Senator Tillman
and Gov. Evans have taken with regard
to it have served to divide and weaken
the conservative faction more than ever.
While the negotiations are pending, prep
arations for the campaign, if one is to
be, are suspended and if the negotiations
prove futile the conservatives are likely
to be left in an unregistered and therefore
helpless minority. In less than three
weeks the new registration begins and of
course If the dickering about compromise
ma Tarfll 70 rfe,Fa or
under the hallucination that no contest
over delegates is likely to occur.
1t should be said, too, that even among
those conservatives who are ready to re-
ject the proposed compromise is an ele-
ment which does not wish to make
fight outside of the primary. They know
that a fight inside the primary offers
little hope. but they say that if it is made
in the general election the negro must
necessarily be an important factor-that
he can't be kept out. If a victory is won
even by his unsought assistance they fear
it viii carry with it recognition and CON
cessions to him fruitful of serious and
manifold evils in future.
1t is a little curious that while Senator
Tnlman and Gov. Evans have been busy
ing themselves for all these weeks with
conferences with conservatives, presum-
ably trying to patch up a compromise
Senator lrby who is supposed to rank
been in Washington apparently unknown
and unfelt and unconsulted with regard to
it. Meantime the Spartanburg Headlight,
his personal organ, has teemed with ed
itorials hooting and pooh-poohing the idea
of any compromise with the ants. Core
spondents in the Laurens Herald, the SEN
ator's home paper. have been filing col
umn after column with like belligerent
sentiments. GIVE and ask no quarter"
has been the course of the senator in all
political matters and the impression is
general that if a compromise is brought
about by Tillman ana Evans it will be
against his advice and consent. From
this it is suspected that possibly the pro-
posed compromise is a move on the part
of Evans and Nllman to win political
strength for the former at Irbys expense.
While it is not known that Gov Evans
viii seek to succeed Senator Irby dndeed
he has given not the slightest actual
ground for such a suspicion) still,
it is conceivable. If the con
stitutional convention occasions a severe
and heated struggle and it results in
victory for the Tillmanites the glory and
pristige will belong to Senator Irby who
as state chairman. Will command the
forces and direct the course of battle
1,f .rs1F srfxr /,