The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-04-03
Nv Terms Or no Peace.
That in Effect is What Till
man Tells the People.
Snecial To The State.

Specldl 10 4ue OCdN.
AUGUSTA, Ga, March 29.-What a
strange contrast When l strolled
up to Senator Tillman's new place at
Trenton to-day, from afar across the
peaceful fields, fresh with the mellow,
ness of the s~pringtide, saw the new
Senator standing out in the field un-
der the shade of a linen helmet,
watching the horses that not so long
ago drew the executive carriage,
pulling a big plow. He looked as if
the peace and unity and harmony
sentiment had touched his soul
After awhile / went up to his new
home with him aud asked him for his
opinions, as the leader of the Reform
movement, on the action of the con.
yention of the Forty, and his views
as to the Constitutional convention
outlook.
The new Senator gave me the fol
lowing, speaking with much delibera-
ton. What he had to say will no
doubt surprise some.
cit appears to me that the action
of the convention tends rather to ag-
gravate than sooth the situation. The
failure to adopt as a part OF the
scheme of pacifcation the conditions
agreed upon by the conference held
on February 20, while accepting the
idea of giving half to each faction,
opens the whole question anew, and
will, ( fear. destroy, in a large meas
nre, the chances of having the con-
vention elected without a struggle
between the factions. These condi-
tons are vital and l, for one, would
never consent to any such agreement,
and in speaking thus, | desire to re-
call the fact which some people seem
to have forgotten or purposely mis-
construed, that | have never in this
business assumed to dictate to the
people or attempted to bind them in
any way. Many of my friends have
misunderstood my action, and others
have been quick to suggest treachery
to the people, in a willingness to
make terms with the enemies Of the
Reform movement which were unfair
and undemocratic, inasmuch as 1
agreed to advocate an equal division
as far as possible, thereby surrender
ing the right OF the majority to
govern. l have never and Go not now
assume to do more than advise. and
that advice will be taken or rot as
the people see fit.
81 note that great stress was lad
on the fact of the Governor and my
self agreeing to an equal division ;
and the proposal to substitute fair
or equitable for equal was reject
ed. msinly on that ground, and here,
in lies the very danger of which |
spoke in a previous interview of
betrayal of thee Reform movement
under the guise of paci6cation.' 1t is
well known that there are men hold
ing positions in the Reform movement
who have been opposed to almost
everything we have accomplished or
undertaken. In fact they are Refol-
mers only in name, and for us to
agree to an equal division without
conditions, and then have some OF
these men elected as Reformers, with
the absolute certainty that they
would align themselves in the conven-
ton with the Ants would be to sur
render the control of the convention
before it is elected AS a trusted
leader of the Reform movement. l
could never consent to advocate any
scheme that would jeopardize the
right to vote of the poor and litter
ate white men who have SO trusted
me.
..These men were warned by the
Conservatives who opposed the call
ing of the convention last November
that if the convention was called
they would have voted their last
time, and now it is proposed to have
a convention elected giving the Con-
servatives half Of the representation
without conditions, thus making 1t
possible to have the predictions
fulfilled. The excuse is that we
must have a Constitution which will
insure white supremacy without re-
sort to fraud. | don't know that any
one proposes to incorporate a pro-
vision in the new Constitution which
will give US a fraudulent white
supremacy, but we can't lift our
selves over the fence by our bout
straps. and we must have relief from
the incumbus Of universal negro
suffrage. 1t is all very we'll for the
Forty convention aud the Conserva-
tiyes to subscribe unanimously to the
doctrine of white supremacy. \
simple educational and property
qualification would solve the whole
yexed question We would have