The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-03-05
OPPOSED TO A COMPROMISE.
STANYARNE WILSON JOINS IRBY
IN THE FIGHT.

STANYARNE WILSON JOINS IRBS
IN THE FIGHT.
Thinks Peace Prevails Except I'm Poll
ttcs-He Wants n Square Fight BE
tween Parties.
The Columbia Register has inter
viewed Congressman Stanyarne viii
son with the following result:
"Mr. Wilson. what is your diagno
sis of the political situation so far as
constitutional convention is concerned
and especially how Is 1t affected by
these various conferences, the move
ment OF the Forty or moderate Till
nantes who have called State con
vention to meet in March and also by
the Tillman-Evaus-He -Hemphill coali.
tion ?" Yves asked.
"Well," replied Mr.. Wilson these
conferences labelled peace and unity
as exhibitions of eXuberant and ire
sponsible brotherly love and affection
are very touching and present mate
tablcaux. The lion and the lamb are
no longer in it. They have been
eclipsed. 1t Is all very lovely and in
teresting, kind Of aurora borealis,
and unproductive OF practical results.
The difficulty is that there is nothing
substantial in their foundation or thier
purposes. The whole idea seems
to be based upon the supposition that
the people of this State are singularly
and woefully divided and at daggers'
points, whereas, as q matter of fact, |
don't suppose there Is q State in the
Union whose people live together
more harmoniously and with less fric-
tion. Our only differences are politi-
L.. all
cal avocations they move along to-
my county, for instance, which | think
is q fair specimen, we are building
factories and iron works, etc, In which
are both Conservatives and Re
formers as stockholders and directors.
Our merchants Of both factions have
customers Of each. Reform lawyers
have Conservative clients, and vice
versa. The same condition holds as to
tho physicians and ministers. Farm
ers who arc very strongly opposed to
each other in their political opinions,
being OF different factions, live as
pleasant and genial neighbors. No
distinction is made by employers be-
cause OF the politics OF the employees.
In short, the only differences amongst
us are upon politics and are confined
State is or can be in better condition.
All through the North, Eastern, Mid
die, Northern and Western State, the
people arc divided into political
parties-Democrat, Republican and
Populist. They don't complain about
it; they know tho millennium is not
here. In tho South it Is somewhat
different because OF the negro. The
party lines are not so distinctly drawn
except in North Carolina and Tennes-
see. In the remainder of them the
white people arc so safely in posses
sion OF the government that there is
practically but one party, the Demo-
cratic, and the white people are di-
vided into factions in seeking to hold
the majority of that party. Georgia,
Alabama or Texas are fair instances
OF this general condition Our State
any OF them. We have adhered to the
traditions OF Democracy and preserved
its Integrity. We have simply divid-
ed into factions F.; o condition far pre-
ferable IN my judgment to division
into parties. 1t is u halcyon dream to
think OF non political government. 1t
Is visionary and utopian. So l think
these efforts in the name of peace and
unity are misdirected, that there Is no
occasion for all this fuss and feathers.
Our people are as united as they wish
to be and as any people can ever hope
to be who take any interest in politi-
Cal mattors.
Now as to these factions. AS you
know there are two kinds OF Reform
ers, the stalwarts' and the mug
wnmps,' as they are called (not using
the words offensively). Tho mug
wumps are very largely in sympathy
with the Conservatives In many meas
lres, the most important being in their
opposition the administration and tho
Dispensary. In the last General AS
,embly they numbered between 25 and
30. Many OF these gentlemen signed
the call OF the Forty but have since
dropped out. Certain leading Conser-
vatives in the State are generally sup
posed, and l think correctly, to have
boon leading elements In the cencep-
tion and organization OF the Forty
movement. gin my humble Judgment
there could be but one possible re-
suit OF the success OF that movement
and that is the disruption OF the r.
form movement, though I ascribe no
motives to any, one. The call OF d
Forty did not meet with tho approx
al Of tho people Of tho State OF
either faction, and think 1t can only
continue to lead u aliSgering and brief
existence. Their idea was and is to
bring together the people OF the two
factions to consult. That means prac-
tlcally those who are opposed to the
and to tho primary
whice has been ordered by tho State
Democratic executive committee. This
step on the part of the latter COMMIT
tee has virtually tied the hand ~ no
Forty unless they intend to acL In-
OF the Democratic party,
which they cannot afford to do. The
most that they can do is to act under
that order and in the various county
primaries secure as many delegates OF
their persuasion as possible, in the
uamo OF peace and unity
AS to the Tillman-Evans-B -Barnwell-
Sloan Hemphill conference, all that I
can see Is that the two first named
gentlemen were invited as strong and
popular leaders OF the Reformers to
conference by the others, that they
attended and all expressed willing
dess to support an equal number OF
Conservatives and Reformers IL tho
Conservatives will pledge themselves
to disfranchise no white man ex ot
for crimo, also to refuse to commit
the Constitution back to the people.
also to leave police matters to the
Legislature. This OF course was only
u suggestion. These gentlemcn could
bind no one bat themselves to any
compact and they did not attempt to
do so. No one else can do 1t as there
tn sixrs, 81 ntt