The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-04-10
TlllMAN INTERVIEWED.
What He Says About the Convention OF
the Forty

called on Senator Tillman at his new
home near Trenton and obtained from
him his views on the action of the re-
cent peace and unity Convention Of
the forty and on the Constitutional
Convention questions of note. He re:
quested me to furnish copies of his
statement to the various leading dali
les. Ex-Governor Tillman, the recog
nized leader of the Reform party,
spoke as follows:
1T appears to me that the action of
the Convention ends rather to aggra-
vate than sooths the situation. The
failure to adopt as part of the scheme
of pacification the conditions agreed
upon by the conference held on Feb
ruary 20, while accepting the idea of
giving half to each faction, opens the
whole question, and will fear, destroy
in large measure the chances of hav-
ing the Convention elected without a
struggle between the factions.
These conditions are vital, and |,
for one, would never consent to any
such agreement, and in speaking thus
| desire to recall the fact, which some
people seem to have forgotten or pur-
posely misconstrued, that have never
in this business assumed to dictate to
the people or attempted to bind them
in any way. Many of my friends
have misunderstood my actions, others
have been quick to suggest treachery
to the people and a willingness to
make terms with the enemies of the
Reform Movement, which were unfair
and undemocratic, inasmuch as l
agreed to advocate an equal division as
far as possible, thereby surrendering
the right of the majority to govern.
Il have never, and do not now, as
sumo to do more than advise, and that
advice will be taken or not, as the peo-
pie see fit. I note that great stress was
laid on the fact OF the Governor and
myself agreeing to an equal division,
and the proposal to substitute fair or
equitable for equal was rejected
mainly on that ground, and herein
lies the very danger Of which | spoke
in previous interview of betrayal of
the Reform Movement under the guise
of pacifcation.
1T is well known that there are
men holding positions IN the Reform
Movement who have been opposed to
almost everything we have accom-
plished or undertaken. In fact, they
are Reformers only in name, and for
us to agree to an equal division with
out conditions and then have some of
these men elected as Reformers with
the almost absolute certainty that they
would align tnemselvesint the Conven-
ton with the Ants, would be to sur
render the control of that Convention
before it is elected.
"Asa trusted leader of the Reform
Movement I could never consent to
advocate any scheme that would jeop-
ardize the right to vote of the poor and
iliterate white men who have so trust
ed me. These men were warned by
the Conservatives who opposed the
calling of the Convention last Novem-
Der that if the Convention was called
they would have voted their last time,
and now it is proposed to have a Con.
vention elected, giving the Con-
servatives half of the representation
without conditions, thus making it
possible to have the predictions fulfill
ed. The excuse is that we must have
Constitution which will insure white
supremacy without resort to fraud. l
dc not know that anyone proposes to
incorporate a provision in the new
Constitution which will give us frau
dulent white supremacy, but we can
not lift ourselves over the fence by
our boot straps, and we must have re
relief from the incubus of universal
negro suffrage.
1T is very well for the Forty Con-
vention and the Conservatives to sub
scribe unanimously to the doctrine OF
white supremacy. a simple education
al and property qualification would
solve the whole vexed question. We
would have white supremacy and we
would also have the supremacy of the
whole crowd, who have been out in
the cold for four years, along with 1t.
These men have been chastened by
defeat, and their restoration to power
might not produce any unpleasant rev
olutions in existing conditions, but l
will never consent to put it IN their
power to disfranchise any white man
except for crime.
II am ready to stand by the agree
ment we have already made and eN-
ert whatever influence may possess
in electinga non-partisan Convention
Oh that basis. Thousands of Reform
ers are dissatisfied with the idea Of
equal representation, although they
are perfectly willing to give proper
tionate representation upon the basis
of the primary of 1892.
This is perhaps as good a time as
any to state that as practical men all
the Reformers who attended the con-
ference of the 90 of February foresaw
that this would be the case, and we
expressed the belief that the Reform
ers would not consent do more than
this.
There was no deception on either
side in the meeting and we agreed to
advocate equal DIVISION as lnuiNloua1s
only after the vital conditions of
which have spoken We're incorporat-
ed in the agreement. believe 80 per
centof both factions would be glad to
have better state of feeling and less
strife and bitterness, and when the
time comes I believe that the people
will settle this whole business in way
that wilbe satisfactory without giving
any more weight than they deserve to
the action of the Forty Convention or
of the previous conference.
when the time comes, if it be ne
cessary, will stump the State in the
advocacy Of the scheme proposed by
the conference, but I will fight the
world, the flesh and the devil rather
than see Convention elected that will
fail to secure white supremacy without
detriment to the poor men who have
4x,,.+oJ ,,,/1 fo11oraJ I on, not