The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-02-06
How Reform
Leaders Will Anticipate the
''Forty.''
Gen. Farley Gives His Views on
the s.Peace and Unity" Fea-
ture OF the Coming Con-
stitutional Conven-
ticn Fight.

This week the campaign for the
election Of delegates to the State
constitutional Convention will open
in dead earnest. At least there is
going to be great deal of talk and
not a few suggestions as to the mat
ter. 1t will probably be the li7eliest
week since last November, poIiti-
cally
The State some days ago gave the
information. on what was considered
good authority, that the special meet
Ing of the 1rby State committee had
been called for the purpose of dis
cussing and agreeing upon a plan to
bring the white people of the State
together on the matter of the Con-
stitutional Convention, which plan
was to be offered to the people and
the option given them of either
accepting or rejecting it. There
now seems to be no further doubt as
to this being the object of the meet
ing. The meeting will be held to.
morrow So far as can be ascertalhed
there is every reason to believe that
the idea of having the committee
consider the matter has originated
with the big leaders of the party in
power. 1t is denied that there is
any desire on the part of the COM
mittee TO forestaIl the efforts of the
.sForty" in the same direction 1t is
said that the committee desires to
formulate and present such a plan
that the Forty, when they hol q their
conference in March, caf 60 ahead
and adopt it. 1t is understood that the
committee is arranging to have GER
tain mild Conservatives from various
sections meet with them and consider
the matter.
Gen. Hugh L. Farley yesterday re-
turned to the city from a. trip to
Charleston, Beaufort and other points,
covering the largest portion of the
State. He has all along been con-
sidered a more conservative Re.
former than many others The
General was quite talkative yes
terday, when the Constitutional
Convention subject was broach-
ed to him. He said he had
had good opportunities for observing
the sentiment of the people on the
matter When asked for his dag
nosis of the political situation and
his opinion as to the outlook for the
Constitutional Convention, he had a
good deal to say, which will be found
of interest.
General Farley said: "Well you
are aware Of the fact that | am IN
hearty sympathy with the movement
ofthe Forty" in their effort to Sc
cure nou- partisan constitutional con
vention, for believe 1t is BOW a sort
OF open secret'-as they say-that |
had something to do with it, as 8eu
Tillman said Of the She'll manifesto.
am very glad TO say that | find
very strong feeling all over the State
in favor of a harmonious and nonpar
tisan convention, and in fact have
met no one who was in favor Of any
thing else. Certainly no one Of any
prominence has dared to take a stand
against it, and our people generally
SEEM to realize the fact that it is an
important crisis i'll the history Of the
State and that we have all to lose and
nothing to gain in a bitter factional
fight over the sending Of delegates to
the Convention. The simple truth is
that we cannot afford to have bitter
factional fight over this matter, be-
cause it will not only be uawise, but
it will be foolish aud suicidal to do so.
The sacred principle Of white supre-
macy and white civilization and good
government, upon which all white
people are, or ought to be, united,
is uravoidably involved, and we
must stand together. If we divide
and appeal to the negro, as we are
sure to do, if we do not harmonize
our differences, it will mean anarchy,
chaos and ruin, for it must be clear TO
every thinking mind that this CON
vention will reunite and harmonic
our people-who have already ac-
cepted all of the main results OF the
Reform movement-or it will mark
permanent and irreconcilable divis-
ion. The campaign must be quiet,
harmonious one, or 'he!! broke lose
in Georgia if you will excuse the ex-
preston, leading to-no one knows
where. Thank God, | see abundant
signs Of that reconciliation which
ought to follow the success of the
Reform movement and which, with
good Constitution. should put the
State on the high road to peace, pro-
gress and prosperity, with grand
future of education, wealth and a
high Christian civilization-which