The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-02-27

pose to staud upon principles aud TO
elect our delegates FROM among men
who eau be trusted to take care of the
rights of the poor men aud genuine
Democrats Of the country. And agree
meut by Tillman CT Evans is g%ratuitous
and cannot bind US. An equal division
With a lot of sworn Conservatives aud
half of the Tillmanites who will prove
treacberous when toe crisis comes,
means an utter failure of the couven-
ton to take care Of the rights and the
property of the people of the State and
white supremacy. Before the election
10 November [ iutimated 10 an inter
view that a division of delegates &C.
cording to numerical strength would
possibly be fair, but knowing that We
controlled three-6fths at least, | would
not have imposed the idea Of an equal
division upon any sane man When I
was conteuding before Cleveland, after
having sustained him with a majority
of $4,000. Hemphill and Barnwell re-
fused any proposition looking to an
equitable distribution Of the patronage
and I got no support from the news
papers opposed to our faction, but on
the contrary, they said that Reformers
we're not Democrats and were not en-
titled to any showing. Yet these men,
Baruwell and Hempbill, a prominent
cuckoo for Cleveland, invites Tillmau,
the leader of the opposition to Cleve-
land. aud who has his pitchfork ready
to stab into the bowels Of the Presi-
dent, into a conference to settle the
question as to what the different COUP
ties should do. And Tillman walks
into the parlor Of the spider.
My election to the Senate has not in
any way changed my feelings to the
people Of the State. If We. the Re
formers, stand firm We can win, but
we had better be defeated by allowing
Cal. Hemphill and Gonzales to 60 with
the negro than TO humbly surrender
in a way like this. | humbly suggest
that Tillmao, the agitator, now the
paciicator, has been completely de-
throued, and Evans, if he is sincere,
has been bamboozled. AS for myself
| think any sane man will see that |
have been betrayed but honorable de-
feat is much better and preferable to
me in the selection Of delegates to this
convention than a dishonorable COM
promise. 1t is we'll enough for the
Forty, the leaders of the Conservatives
and the paci6cators, to bring up and
get ready for the fight, for | am salts
fed that the true meo who were in this
movement from its incipiency from
principle will not submit 70 any such
agreement. The combination will not
do. A combination between a 'possum
and coon can't win as every Reformer
knows they cannot sleep 10 the same
log long.
l am very busy here, bat after the
4th Of March | will return home and
take a hand in this fight, sink or swim,
live or die. politically. | am ready to
stand by the principles of the first
March convention as against all COM
ers aud all of its enemies. The main
principle of that convention was a
Constitutional Convention to be con-
trolIed by men who were rs friends
aud not its enemies.
The poor white men of the State are
rot safe with aay such possum and
coon c%onbinaticu. Their rights under
the homestead exemption and qua!i6-
cation clause are imperlled. They can
not afford to trust men like Colonel
Hemphi|l, Joe Barowell, Goozlles aad
A.. B. Williams. 1t would have been
far better had the convention failed
10 Novembe Der last than that the Reform
movement should be defeated ADD the
rights and liberties Of the poor white
men Of the State in.perilled by men
like these. | believe that Tillman and
Evans were sincere. but they were
simply gulied into a compromise that
meaos the destruction Of the Reform
movement aud protection for the poor
white men of the State, bat for waom
Ti!lman 10 the Senate and Evans as
Governor would have been impossible
ties. | 60 not mean to dcnouncc Till
nan or Evans. | weep for them IN be-
ing moukeyed with By any such cre".
Cal Hemphili and B.rnwall were orig
iual members Of the Forty. When the
primary scheme was promulgated by
the Democratic committee they were
whipped aud could not destroy the Re
form movement. Then they proposed
to muzzIe rue as chairman Of the party
and the whole Democratic organization
By going into an agreement with TIT
mau aud Evans. which respectfully
submit will Dot only ruin the Deme-
cratic party, but the Reform movement;
Of this. STATE. Respectfully,