The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-02-15
THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM
The Radical Cohorts Getting Ready
for Fight-An Assault Upon the
Democracy of South Carolina.

The Radical Cohorts Getting Ready
for n Fight-An Assault Upon the
Democracy of South Carolina.
Tho Republican State Convention
which met in Columbia on the 10th in
slant, adopted the following platform
We, the Republicans Of South Caro-
lima, in convention assembled for the
party OF the State on q broader, more
liberal and more progressive basis, do
declare our principles as follows:
| On national questions, we declare
adherence to tho essential principles
of the national Republican party as
set forth in its platform of principle $
at Minneapolis in June, 1892, that is to
say
We arc in favor of moderate and
reasonable protection for American la
bur and American capital against tie
cheaper labor and cheaper capital of
other countries.
We are i'm favor of sound, full value
money, whether OF gold. silver or pa
per currency, for all classes Of the
| people, for the bread winner" us
well as for the capitalist, for the poor
laborer in his hut, as we'll us for the
millionaire in his palace.
We are in favor of y government SER
vice based on merit and capacity, in
stead Of on the corrupt ami dcbasing
JacksOniau syGtem OF ito the vic,urs
! belong the spnils.'
We are in favor of free and fair
ballot in all public elections. and an
honest count Of the votes cast. for all
classes of citizens, whether native ur
foreign born, whether white or colored.
| These we regard as the fundamental!
| principles OF the national Republican
| party, and we believe they are in no
sense sectional, and in no way hostile
or inimical to the best interests of the
| south or OF our own State. But in io=
cal State affairs our position is pccu-
| liar and we are under the necessity OF
accommodating ourselves to the situa-
tion. We have for years been de-
prived Of any voice in our State gov
ernmcnt by unjust election laws and
by fraud and trickcry openly practiced.
| at elections, we have gently sub
mittcd to this wrong, hoping for the
return OF Il more liberal and Just senti-
ment among our Democratic fellow
citizens. We are glad to observe that
this long hoped for change OF senJi-
mcnt seems to be taking place among
many of our very best and most trust
worthy people. and we would by no
act Oi ours. mar or check its progress
on the contrary we would promote and
encourage its development in every
way possible.
Eut while this more just sentiment
has been slowly gaining ground on the
one hand, on the other an extreme fac
tion has suddenly sprung into cxis-
tence, and by worse than dubious
methods. has gained full possession OF
all branches of Our State government.
the executive, the legislative, and
worst of all, the judiciary. This now
dominant, eXultant and utterly un-
scrupulous faction, proposes for the
! purpose OF pcrpetuating its own
power, to permanently disfranchis the
mass of Republican voters, by a change
! IN the fundamental law OF the State
Not content with temporary disfran-
chisement, by means OF unjust election
laws, parts In management OF cleo
tions, and fraudulent count of votes, it
proposes to make this disfranchiSe-
ment permanent by Il change in our
State Constitution. It's purpose in
this respect is not left in doubt, but is
open and avowed during the late cam
paign, from every political stump in
the State by the bosses" of the fac
ton. With this in Wow q factional
Legislature provided for cOnsttu-
tiOnal convention and factional mana
gers Of elections counted it in by
the grosscst kind Of frauds at the No
vcmbcr elections in spite Of an un-
qucstional popular majority against it;
and this, then, is the situation with
which we find ourselves as Rcpubli-
cans confronted, and from no fault OF
ours, for we have done nothing what
'vCr to provoke it.
The question we are now called upon
to decide is: Shall we fold our hands
aud quietly submit to seeing ourselves
| A iSG a. In iSnl ,.in -
as citizens taken away from us, and
even the means OF educating our chill
dren cut OIL by the repeal OF the public
school tax? If we do this we furnish
to the world the strongest possible
evidence OF our utter incapacity and
unitncss for citizenship. IF, on the
contrary, we proceed to carefully or
ganiHc our forces all over the State, in
every town and county, and manifest
our readiness to cooperate heartily
with liberal minded and Justice loving
white citizens, and under their leader
Sbid, We will show the world that we
are not unworthy OF citizenship: we
will encourage liberal and fair m ndcd
Democrats to organize and take a bold
stand against the injustice and tyranny
of the dominant faction, and we will
show that faction itself that We consti-
tutc faction to be respected. But we
should make it clearly and distinctly
understood that we do not propose to
act on the aggressive, bnt purely on
) the defensive, that we do not propose
to make any effort to control the con
, stitutiOnal convention, but only to
assist, as FAR as wc can, in electing to
it fair minded men and Justice loving
citizens OF such standing and character
that they may with safety bo trusted
TO frame fair and impartial and con
servativc constitution just alike to all
classes and citizens.
TO make it clearly understood what
in our opinion ought to be the course
Of the coming convention, we may an
nOunco tmc foiiOwin" Fundamental
principle, which will he satisfactory
to us Republicans, amt which we think
ought ID b. &ccCptab e to all fair
mipdcd conservative citizens
- No constitution should be put il