The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-01

Says, Favor both Uoiu a'u Sii'ef "i'N
Should Support Them 10th Clubs Meet
Next Month.
Superintendent of Education May
field, who was appointed blmetail!c
Democratic committee man for thls
State at the recent Memphis conven-
ton, yesterday issued the following
circular: o,
Columbia. March ~, 1896.
To the Bimetallic Democrats Of South
arolina:
The leaders of the Republican party
are active in their efforts to effect
complete organization o. their party
in this State. They are earnest in
their solicitations for recruits from
among the white people of the State
who ara naturally Democrats. The
Republican party is divided ON the
financial question. Some Of the lead
ers favor a gold standard and Others
of them believe in the free coinage OF
silver.
The spirit favoring the formation OF
third party is entertained by some OF
our citizens. The advocates OF the
third party believe in the free coinage
of silver, and contend that the only
way to get it is through third party.
They are advising our people to take
no part in the May convention to Sc
lect delegates to the National Demo
cratic convention which meets at Chi
cago in July.
Many of our people who have been
lifelong Democrats are as avowed free
coinage silver advocates as are these
third party advocates; but to refrain
from sending delegates to the Chicago
Democratic convention is contrary to
their political training and against the
best il terest of the Democratic party
in this State. This third party policy
is uncertain and dangerous, for there
is no reasonable prospect for it to sue
ceed, and it is fraught with great pos
sible danger TO our peace and happl-
ness at home, in as much as it IS only
a step toward the further division Of
the white vote of the State. 1t cannot
control in this State.
Independent silver leagues are being
formed now in the State, under the
call of certain advocates. The advo-
Gates of this policy also favor the free
coinage of silver. AMI they contend
that this is the only way to secure it.
They hope by this step to commit the
State to this policy and to carry the
vote of the State into silver conven.
ton outside of the Democratic party.
This policy, which means the organi-
zation of an independent silver party
within the State, is as dangerous to
the interest of the Democratic party of
the State, and the safety OF the lives
and property of our people as is the
third party policy. 1t is still further
step towards a still further division of
the white vote of the State, and is ru
inous to the Democratic party of the
State in its tendencies, and there is no
more prospect for its success in nation
al affairs nor in this State than there is
for the third party to succeed.
Now what should be done2 Let us
look at the matter for a moment in
the light of existing facts.
The first turn We make presents us
face to face with the fact that the
Democratic party is as badly divided
on the money question as is the Re
publican party. This we must and do
admit. But it is no worse divided on
this question than is the Republican
party. The next turn we make brings
us face to face with the fact that the
Republican party is holding together
and is not falling to pieces, and will
not fall to pieces. while some of our
Democratic friends are trying to effect
division upon top of division in this
State within the Democratic ranks.
Why should not the Democratic party
hold on its organization, and refuse TO
divide, just as the Republican party is
doing? If these divisions within the
Democratic party succeed, what are we
to hope for in national politics, and
at home2 Defeat stares up in the face
before we even enter the fight, if we
divide. Both the third party and sill
yer party are without sufficient finan-
cial backing to make'a successful, ma
tional campaign. They are both with
out sufficient party organization to
undertake the fight. United in back
ing, organization ard membership
they are too weak to hope to succeed of
themselves. What then must be their
hope2 Certainly it is, that they are
depending on uniting their forces and
relying on enough deserters from the
Republican and Democratic parties to
= enable them to win the fight. Their
reliance is in desertion from the two
great political parties. The all i'm
portant question is, will the desertion
be great enough to enable them to sue
ceed2 The answer come al once, no.
True men will not desert the party in
which they have been raised, and in
whose doctrines their fathers before
them believed aud delighted to cher.
ish, so long as the party sticks to the
main fundamental principles underly-
ing its organization. Simply because
the members of party disagree, or
are divided, on a particular line of
policy, which is not fundamental, is
no reason for supposing that the
members of either party, in any con-
siderable numbers, will desert their
party. And why should they not de
sert their party2 Because there is as
much chance for one policy to win in
the end, within the party, as there is
for the other, much less the violation
of principle involved in desertion.
On matters of public policy, party
lines are frequently not observed now
by our members of congress. The
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