The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-15
A LIVELY MEETING
oFTHE DEMOCRATIC STATE sxECu-
TIVE COMMITTEE.

chairman Irbv Makes Big Speech Ii
Favor or his Views, but the Committe
Raferred the Whole Matter to the Stat
Convention.
COLUMBIA. S. c., april 7.-Whel
the Democratic State executive com
mittee met tonight there was quite
gathering of visitors, composed of Go
fumbians and many from outside o
the city interested in the proceedings o
the committee. The Senate chambe
was selected as the place of meeting il
view of its commodiousness. but
subsequently proved to be entirely tor
5 large and to have toe many places o.
observation had any one been inclined
to eavesdrop. When the committee
met the usual formality of the roll,cal
was temporarily suspended and Chair
man Irby took the middle of the aisle
and had at least one say before the
doors were closed.
He spoke exteml .oraneeusly anc
said that he had called the COMMITTEES
together, as the representatives of the
Democracy. for two reasons. AS this
was a Presidential campaign year II
was necessary to make good start.
Under the Democratic constitution
: there is an ambiguity as to when the
local clubs should be called together:
In one place it seems to be provided
that the club meetings should be held
the first week in May, and in another
, section that time is provided Tor the
county convention. This is a most
important matter. He recommended
that the committee fix a certain day
for all clubs to meet and another day
for the county convention. The party
constitution provided that the State
convention meet on the third Wednes-
day in May. Another reason for the
call, and one that was of vital and
great importance not only to the sue
cess of the Democratic party in the
State, but in the nation, had to be con.
sidered. He said that he felt that if
the emembers could appreciate the feel
ing he had for the success of the DEM
ocratic party and supremacy of the
white people, they would pardon his
trespassing on the time of the COM
mittee. The committee, notwithstand'
ing any challenge that might have
been made against it, is a true Demo
cratic committee. 1t is the successor
Of the committee of 1876, and it is the
only committee that had right to the
name since 1890. 1t is entitled to all
the legal rights of the committee that
won the victory of '76. The first
chairman of the committee was Judge
Haskell, and then Col. Moore or Gen:
Kennedy, and then Col. Hoyt, and
this committee as their legal successors
are here rather as Democrats than as
boilers, or as deserters, and the respon-
sibility is upon us as their successors.
Iassume my share of the responsibility
and say that we have come to a crisis
in the very existence of the party, and
as chairman of the Democracy dare
speak out and warn you of the danger
that threatens us. We have come to
thu time when there Is division in
our ranks, and the issue must be fairly
met. We came into control of the
machinery under a directpledge that
we would continue it az Democrats,
and if we are ready to desert our party,
the party of our fathers, then let us be
men enough, and bold enough and
honest enough to say so and 60 and
join any party of our choice, and not
masquerade as Democrats. The peo-
pie gave me the position as chairman
of the Democracy and I claim to be a
: Democrat of Democrats, and that 1
have honestly been the trustee of the
true element. The Democracy has
been threatened. We have met the
Conservatives in open fight and we
have survived the shock of Indepen.
dentism. Now we are met with per-
haps more serious opposition. We are
challenged by a distinguished Demo
crat. We are challenged by one who
has been one of its greatest beneficial
ries since the war. We are told in
so many words, that If this State does
not get what she wants in the National
Convention her little eighteen men
are going to say to the thousand dele
egates: I'VE are going to bolt. "
Eighteen men are going to say to this
great country that this State will not
stand this or that. I speak not as a
candidate for any Office, but as chair
man of this committee and as Demo
crat. It is not honest for us to bind
certain element of the State to the
nominees for officers, and when they
want us to be bound to the nominees
of the national party to prepare for
l~l
ought to be sauce for the gander. The
proper thing to do is to 60 into the
fight and stand by the result and work
for glorious victory of the Democ-
racy.
As soon as chairman Irby had fin
ished his talk he directed Secretary
Tompkins to call the roll and that dem
onstrated that there were only three
absentees, those from Georgetown,
Kershaw and Colleton. A telegram
was received from Mr.. Kirkland, of
Kershaw, in which he said that his po.
sltion, and he believed that of Kershaw
was to abide the result OF the National
Convention.
It was then that the unexpected hap
pened. The newspaper men had been
given to understand that they would
not only be welcomed, but that they
would be expected, but it seemed that
as if another programme had been
mapped out.
Mr.. Evans moved that the commit.
tee 20 into executive session, and he
said that it was very evident to all
who had the interest of the Democratic
party at heart that its enemies should
not know all the secrets, and that if
fbora xuare anv divisions thew should