The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-07-31

permit Nr. Parrot, to qualify the answer by
stating the circumstances under which the
vote Of rejection was made.
The committee then left Capt. Keels, - be
refused to answer tbs question asked him and
returned to the joint conference committee.
This committee, said Nr. Manning, is still in
session, to arrange terms Of compromiss, and
in concluding bis repor. reqassted that the
coevsnsios delay action until o'clock, %
that the cormittss mi0st ba time to COM
pIe's i,s work. Tber>l ar. Manning
was accepted IS Information.
At this jancture Capt. KeeIs transmitted to
Nr. Manning The following answer to the
question ssked him
To the Conservative Conuent;on and the Adss
&eaing:
WHrasAs, Msssrs. Richard I. Manning and
J. L. Parro,t, COMMITTEES Of the convention
Of Conservatives and msss meeting Of Re-
formsrs, nov assembled in the city OF Sumter,
has called on me as county chairman to knov
it I win allow pledges fled to-day and be
construed as q compliance with tho rules Of
the Democratic party Of s. c.; ruled and
stated last Saturday, .h. Goth inst, in public,
in tie court house, in the city Of Sumter.
that ali pledges had to be filed on that day,
or they would not be recognized as candi-
dates: adhere now to this ruling, and de-
cline to receive any new pledges, aad here.
by submit the rules adopted by the State E1-
ecut;ve Committee. The rules is mandatory
aud is subject TO but one construction.
Respectfully submitted,
D. E. KEeLs,
Couoty Chairman Sumter County.
The rule cited is as follows:
''Each candidate for the Constitutional
Convention shall at least ten days before the
said primary election 6le his pledge with the
Chairman or Secretary of the County DEM
ocratic Executive Committee that be will
abide Ly the result of the election aud sup
port the nominees Of the party, aud no vote
for any candidate who has failed to sign such
pledge shall be counted
The ruling of Capt Keels was received as
information, and business was suspended 10
wait on the conference committee.
After time some of the delegates became
impatient and motion was made by ar. ].
E. Gaillard tha: the convention proceed 10
nominate six delegates. The motioa re-
ceived second, but before it could be put to
a vote, Manning returned from the conference
committee accompanied by Mr.. ". K. Cross
we'll Of The Reform meeting. A delay of
half hour was asked for and obtained. 1t
bad been decided BY the committee to cal! the
County Executive Committee together, there
being majority of the committee in town,
and if within the power Of The committee, to
overrule the action OF Chairman Ksels.
Mr. A. Moses and Col. R. D. Lee both
opposed going iaso the primary, 6rst because
the Conservative faction was by great
majority opposed TO it and secondly because
it WAS too late TO put out candidates and
because the county executive committee had
no right or power to order primary.
Mr.. Crosswell said that it was not the
desire of the Reform mass meeting TO 60 into
the primary but they hoped that by calling
the Executive Committee together that means
could be devised to keep out Of ii.
Mr. George P. McKagen u committee from
the Reform mass meeting came into the con-
ven.ion and being given the aoor asid that
be was instructed to present the following as
the sense of the Reform meeting:
Whereas, D. E. Keels, County Chairman,
has ruled out any pledges that we might now
Gle.
That, the Conservative Convention and
the mass meeting of Refosmers should take
recess of 80 minutes to allow the Executive
Committee to meet and to request them to
postpone the primary for the purpose OF fling
pledges That should the committee refuse
so TO do, they, the Reformers, io mass meeting
assembled, will then nominate three men and
we. the Conservatives, nominate three men
and the six 80 dominated shall be voted for
and elected at the general election.
This was agreed to and 'he recess was
taken.
The committee was called together but it
was decided that the committee bad no power
to set aside the ru' of the State committee
and postpone the primary nor to order
another primary. The primary had to be
disregarded altogether or :he people would
have to submit to Capt. Keels' dictation and
vote the ticket put out by him. The COM
mittee then adopted resolution offered by
Maj. Noise that the primary be disregarded
and each side nominate three men to be
voted for at the general election as the Demo-
cratic candidates Of Sumter County.
When this resolution WAS adopted Mr. r..
R. Thomss withdrew from the committee,