The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-07-02
CHAIRMAN IRBY SPEAKS.
THE ORGANIZED DEMOCRACY
MUST NOT DIVIDE.
He Says the Twenty.One Hone TO
Control the Constitutional Conven.
tiOn.

Control the Constitutional Convcr
tfon.
The following interview with Soma
tor lrby, chairman Of the State Demo
cratic executive committee, mas baeI
published in the Piedmont Headlight
The mask is oil and thank Coo
Tor It, Reformers have been wustins
time with such men as Williams, Gou
zales, Hemphill and othcr anti leaders
thinking these Conservatives were
honest in their efforts To bring about
peace and unity. Their object was tc
get control OF the convention in the in
terest of corporations by deception and
treachery. Tillman said this and left
them. This tore the mask from thci,
races. ThercupOn they meet in Co.
!umhla and voluntarily desert the
| Democratic party and resolve to orga-
| nize one ct their own, and Mr.. Carson,
their chairmf of what was hoped "a
detunct organization, proceeds formal
~ to carry out their instructions.
This is harefaced Independeutism with
all that word means. | can't see in
lace OF this how honest, loyal, Reform
Democrats can affiliate with them. In
truth, the action Of This committee
releases every Rsformer in counties
where an agreement had been made.
III these agreements are carried
uut and this Independent Executive
Committee succeeds in many countie,
as thoy purpose, then with the help
they expect to get on the plea OF peace
ana unity from counties in which they
nave agreed, they will certainly con
troll that convention. For instance,
they are going to make clean cut
open hight in maLy counties. They
may pretend to agree in Richlund and
4 n N ~ oct u klx.~
these agreements will be repudiated
on election day as sure as the sun
shines and anti Democrats elected. |
can name, but perhaps it woLld be
better not to do 1t at this timo, enough
counties that they think they will
surely carry 10 aggregate sevrnty-two
votes by the use OF the negro. Then
II they can pick up nine from Edge |
field, Aiken, Marion, Lexinp ton and
Abbeville, they will have IL mai ,rity
OF the convention. This mas been !
their game all along, and corporations |
have been at the bottom of the whole |
business.
AS long AS they pretended (and /
party lines | could not attack tucm
Now led by Gonzales, with such lieu
tenants rs Williams and Darlington,
in open battle with the organized
Democracy, 1T Is my duty to fight them
as such. Ii our people divide with
them they can make up their minds
Tor these political beneticiaries 10 vote
with the Independents and the Mig
gers as soon us the convention is Orga-
nized. They cannot be trusted Office
and control Of the State is what they
vant and nothing less will ever sat sfy
hem. They want control of the con-
Iention to undo and destroy every
hing that has been done since 1890
and disfranchise enough poor and
literate Democrats TO give the
'lch man control Of South Caro-
ina for all time to come. This is
)lain talk, but | mean every word
say.
" The worry idea Of the poor men of
Laurens voting for some peaco-crying
-ndept ndents to keep them from de-
erting their people. who will 20 to
Columbia and join in with the other
Independent Democrats to take ay
heir political rights forever and place
'hom upon an equality with the mig
ger, is farcical. Oar people are not
ools and they will prove this when
,hc proper time comes. We are for
principle. If they can beat us we will
'ield. If we beat them somebody else
will have to yield. 1t is no use to dis
suise 1T any longer. The issue is sim
pie. The organized Democracy and
,he white man VS.. lndependcntism
II the nigger. We are ready for the
light, and | have no fears of the re-
suit"
Senator, from what you say, the
Democrats will assume that you think
the Gonzales crowd have deserted the
Democratic party"
That is just what | mean. If you
will read this address, which was evil
IDENTIFY written by Editor Williams,
you will be convinced THAI they lave
deliberately surrendered all claims To
Democracy. IT is addressed to the |
- People Of South Carolina and not |
to the Demcratic party Of the State
The people" include not only ne
groes, but Republicans, with wnom | |
have believed that there has been an !
understanding for more than II year.
The address does not contain the word |
Democrat, and it purp0scly ignores
the general primary ordered by the
Democratic Committee, while Mr.
Gonzales in their organ (Thc Statel
urges its followers in Reform counties
to make terms with the Rcfurmers
That is the reason why the resolution
TO stay out OF the Democratic primary
w iioD CaIIiCtl HIS. WAS uOnc 10
fool Reformers in such counties as Ab-
beville and Edgcticld. They are at
tempting to use Il double ban relied gun
on us--make an Independent straight
fight in close counties and expect
Democrats To compromise with them
in strong Reform counties. II this is
not SO, why did the members of the
conference or anti committee applaud
so vigorously the speech of MIR. Gar.
ling ton, editor of the Spurtunburg
Herald, who long ago Withdrew pub-
liciy from the Democratic party?
They are Democrats in Reform coun.
ties where they can't elect delegate.
anu anti Democrats in niggcr or anti
counties.
We are not children and cannot be
fooled in any such way. However, we
must be up and doing. The convon-
tion must bc carried by IL decisive ma
jority. We would be in danger wltn
II margin Of twenty-five, for thcro~arc
always mcu who sec new light after
they arc sworn in Office"
- E.