The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-08-13
LAURENs. S. G. Aug. 10, 1895.
Diagnosis.


tty, constitute the body. 1t therefore
is not altogether impracticable to
make, as the intelligent body of medi-
cine men express it, a diagnosis of the
outlook. First, it transpires just now
from Tillman's forecast, that the Mis-
sissippi plan of regulating the suffrage
has already been adopted to hand, and
except in matters of detail and adap-
tation to local conditions, the ground
work is laid But let us look back q
little. The last Constitutional Conven-
lion sitting in South Carolina, COM
posed of the educated white people, sat
in he Baptist Church in Columbia in
1865, called by Provisional Governor
Perry, during the administration of
Andrew Johnson, and intended to meet
the extraordinary conditions resulting
upon the conclusion of the war. 1t was
q very able body OF representative
Carolinians. The trouble now lies in
the fact that it would appear hat we
are not to see their like again. Judge
Wardlaw. of Abbeville, presided over
the body. The suggestion of q few
names recalled from memory and with
outther record will give some idea of the
giants in those days :" James l.. Orr,
David Lewis Wardlaw, Ex-Governor
Francis Pickens, 1.-THE war governor,)
Dawkins, of Union, Burt, of Abbeville,
rise up to confront the memory, shad-
ows now, but mighty spirits. 1t is true
that Orr, like Saul, lowered head and
shoulders above all the rest, but there
were mighty men at his elbow, com
posing the body of the Convention
However, it was Orr's Constitution
when made. on all except the minor
details. Rion, Of Fairfield, then coming
up to Naspaahood. was his first lieu
tenant. have said, the great
body of the C. ion contained Alch
ability and great experience, while as
a band of State patriots unexampled,
as proven on the tented field.
While comparisons are odious, odo-
rous or inodorous, it is lamentable
that the composition of the coming
Convention as now developed in quality
OF ability, experience or patriotism, is
infinitely below that of the men we
have named and described. A recur-
renee to the personel of preceding
conventions in the State would more
glaringly minimise the figures that
are to represent the sovereignty of
South Carolina in the convention to
assemble at Columbia, in the Hall of
the House OF Representatives, in the
pending September. "Tis true, and
pity it's tits true" Take, for instance,
thet time Of '32 and exercise the great
forms of Cheves, Calhoun, McDuffic,
Harper and Preston, and then look on
= this picture Tillman. Talbert, Evans,
Latimer, Wilson. You must conclude
q miserable failure was Swift in
his delineation of the giants Of his
great island as Lileputians, notwith-
standing every incentive of disap-
pointed ambition, stimulating the
princeliest ability to paint the picture
approximately to the life. When the
body assemblies in Columbia it will
stand unexampled as q parliament Of
trained mediOcrlty in the annals O
legislation. AS we have limited, it goes
into existence with the right kind of 6
rabbit foot, the leading spirit having
adopted the Mississippi solution OF the
most vexed problem, leaving but minor
questions for the Independent settle
ment of these weighty solons. Alargt
number of these men have beer to the
forefront" of the battle in politica
life in South Carolina, and the meas
ure of the length of their in~tellectua
. Iaetc haa hoon tnlxop With oon,,,ony I,
the State. Third-rate ability and first
rate sharpness may be acr opted as al
accurate description of those who ma,
be anticipated as the leading and prom
inent actors as formulators OF provis
ions and debaters on the floor. Strange
ly, first and in a group, the two Till
mans, Sheppard and Talbert, Edgeneld
Barker, Mitchell, Nathan, Bryan ant
Farrow, Charleston; Sloan, of Rich
land Henderson, of Aiken The Will
sons, OF S~partanburg and York. These
men are very sure to be to the front
with the skirmish line, and at the
shock when the heavy columns are
thrown forward. The hosts will be be.
hind them. There are some clever
mon VI youhScr ScHefdJlOn, VINO are
likely to be heard from, and from out
of the abundance of our unfamiliarity
among political aspirants in the State
we name the following: MCGOWAN, oil
Abbeville Gilland, OF williamsburg
Patton, Of Columbia H~aynesworth, OF
Greenville, Prince, of Anderson. OF
w. @. MCGOWAN, Farrow, Gilland, Pat
ton and H~aynesworth, there ought to
come a report of a high and proud rec
ord.
The word "patriotism" is used in this
article. AS these lines may come to
the eye of one or more of the person
ages named, we emphaslze that wo i'm
pugn no mans love of State and chart
tably>say that we believe each man
in the catalogue has faith in his Celti-
cism. But we take tho liberty of gin
gerlymentioning this hint. Many of the
Conservatives have long dwelt in the
suburbs of the popular good pleasure
I they have been long in the cold, cold
outside !; they have not even had the
crumbs from the great mans table f,