The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-04-02

We were only there to offer advice
We stand here representing no faction
but the white people of South Caro-
. lima"
i Mr.. Applet said that he simply ap
peared as messenger OF the people O
Clarendon. The people did not expec
an equal division and he feared tn,
contemplated action was wrong. III,
took the position that liz the primarie.
resulted In not giving an equal division
of delegates those disappointed In theil
expectations would give trouble. Sup
pose in this county. for instance, i
should not be agreed by the committed
that an equal division should be carried
out as contemplated, would he not a.
member of this convention be charged
with bad faith? What would the
other members oi the convention ex
i pect?
j Mr.. Murphy said that the Conser
vative faction would only expect gooG
iaith.. Mr.. Murphy insisted in an
earnest and eloquent speech that Mr.
Applet should withdraw his motion
What we want is a non-factional con.
vention. Let us depend upon each
others honesty.
Hon. j. A. Sigh arose to move that
the words when equal division is Inn.
possible" and substituting the agree
ment made by the TiHman-Evans-
Hemphill conference. The confer
ence, he said, was made up of Reform.
ers and Conservatives, and that meet
Ing made this conference a possibility;
He didn't believe thisconference could
have met had 1t not been for that
meeting. Let us follow them. That
Is the best thing that could be done.
Mr.. Thomas moved that Mr.. Sligh's
motion no laid on the table and this
was carrid on viva voce vote by a
large majority.
The second and third resolutions
went through without discussion.
When the fourth was read Hon. j.
A. Sigh made II strong speech against
its adoption. He said that he occupied
a peculiar position. He was u mem
Der of the Democratic executive com
mittee and also member of the sub
committee which drafted rules for the
| primary. He was from Newberry but
he didn't oppose the meeting which
| was held there. He was not q can
| didate for election to this convention.
but being asked he came as delegate.
The call for the meeting of the
Forty" said that nothing should be
done except what was subject to the
regularly organized Democratic COM
mittee. The Democracy of the State
| hdo ICS uluIly oERdulLCu
Every county in the State was re-
gularly organized under this COM
mittee. Now, what do we propose to
do tonight Organize another party !?
| Another faction Another executive
committee to oppose the regular Demo-
cracy of South Carolina Let me say
that 1 am here tonight in favor Of
white supremacy in favor of the unity
Of the white people, but do not let us
tear to pieces what has already been
done by organizing separate body.
For one will not submit to it, not
because l am not in favor Of peace and
harmony, but because If you do this
you might as we'll go home and let
the lines be drawn as heretofore. /
will protest against it's adoption. II
you do so you will do it without my
consent: X you do X H.. you you do an in
| Justice to the Reform aud Conserva-
tive factions as well as the regularly
| organized Democratic executive COM
mittee. Let us DO what is right and
everything will go along smoothly.
Senator Finley in replying to Mr..
Sligh, and his questions and insinua-
tions, said that as one who knows
something of the Forty" he wished
to say something. The gentleman in
| sinuates that it is proposed to form q
~" POI iio utuh v oSO ho" u StH-
tleman ofintelligence should insinuate
such question unless he had forgotten
history. In the first address and in
other addresses the Forty" had dis
tinctly stated that they we're acting
within the Democratic party. Never
since that day has any sentiment
otherwise been expressed. The con-
vention was assembled here to counsel
and take advice inside the Democratic
party. The address was a short and
plain statement. 1t announced that
the movement was an auxiliary to tho
regular Democratic organization.
Mr.. Sigh In 1894 was chairman of an
auxiliary and factional committee.
He can't deny that, and If he and his
committee could act so was it not en-
tirely consistent for this convention
to appoint an auxiliary committee to
the Democratic executive committee ?
The aim and object of this convention
was to secure all white men their
rights and avoid an appeal to the
negro.
Mr.. George Johnstone moved to
amend the section by adding that tho
committee would act in conjunction
same objects in view and would be sub
ordinate to the regular Democratic
| committee.
Mr.. Thomas OF Charleston made one
of the most conservative and eloquent
speeches of the evening He an
nounced himself as as a Reformer and
said that five years ago Mr.. Sigh was
| a member of an admitted factional
committee and nothing was thought
OF it. We want to adopt means to
carry out q reunion Of the people and
help out ll-Tillman- Evans in
their plan or any other that will bring
! the people together. How much more
proper, then, is it in the convention to
appoint committee to bring the peo-
pie together than for another set to
appoint one purely factional What
we want to do Is to administer a
medicine in the nature of salve that
will heal the breach. Mr.. Thomas's re-
marks were received with much ap.
| plause.
Mr.. Robertson of Abbeville, chair
man of the committee, said that the
committee had DO objection to the
word executive" being stricken of
and working" or any other word
substituted.
Mr.. Scarborough moved that the
committee be composed OF one Re.
former and one Conservative from
each county. This was adopted as well
as Mr.. Johnstone's motion. The re.
port OF the committee on resolutions
was then adopted as u whole with the
| amendment to the four that makes Ii