The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-09-09

5ounu the Primary System Is 4 Farce
Denies He Ever Said He wa. Not a Re-
former.
GREENvILLE, S. c.. Sept. i, 1896.
To the Democratic Voters OF South
Carolina.
In accordance with the rules of the
party, | haye had the honor of appear.
ing before you on the hustings in sup,
port OF my candidacy. Ibid not pur.
pose to have anything further to say,
but had determined to await the yer.
dict to be rendered by our people al
the primary elections. The entry OF
Senator Tlllman, however, into the
fight as the champion of my antagon,
lst compels me reluctantly to address
you IN reply to his letter.
am surprised that the senator
should have SO far forgotten the prin
clples which he has SO ably advocated
as TO come home from Washington to
influence the Reformers in their
choice ofa United States senator.
You will remember how harshly he
criticized Senator Hampton in 1890,
for what was then termed unwarrant.
ed interference In the guoernatorial
contest. His contention then was that
the people should be permitted to ex-
erclse the right of suffrage without the
dlctatlon of any self-constituted ruler
or master.
The primary system of election was
adopted in order that the people
might see and hear the candidates,
and then express their Will at the bal
lot box. But, if after the people have
seen and heard and given expression
to their will, a high and honored OF
tc1al can lntrude mis- views, so as to
change the judgment which is about
to be pronounced, then primary
election is a sham and pretense. 1t
would have saved time aud trouble,
strife and contention, If few friends
of his fayorite had in the first instance
called upon him to name the standard
bearer OF the party.
In advocating primary elections
did the senator mean to say, Il am
willing for you to elect the man of
your choice without consulting me,
provided you elect my favorite, but if
l discover you prefer another candi,
date, ] will assert my power so as to
control your votes?" 1t looks so.
But the senator is mistaken. The
people are sovereign, and while they
have honored HIM and would doubt
less honor him again, they will not
submit to. his dictation, Again, the
Rsformers of South Carolina believe
10 fair play. and | would ask the SEN
ator if il is fair that he should now
come into the field against me afte-
the battle has been fought and my
opponent virtually vanquished. Why
did he not take the stump during the
canvass2 ! would then have had TIE
opportunity of showing to many vino
will net see this paper how unjust the
senator Eaas. been in his criticisms OF
my political course.
It is true that I was compelled to
take the stump in 1890, in defense OF
the State administration OF which l
was a member. Surely no one con.
demns me for that. 1t was my privi,
lege to become a candidate for the
Democratic nomination; it was my
duty to appear before the people in
vindication of my administration as
their attorney general. But after the
convention met and Capt. Tillman
was nominated, it is we'll known that
/ refused to oppose him. After his
election as governor l did all that
could as private citizen to hold up
his hands. You will remember my
letter to The News and Courier in 1892,
in which I advised my friends and
supporters to yield to the will of the
majority and give Governor Tillman
all due credit for ali that was com.
mendable in the discharge of the deli
cate and important duties of his Office.
This letter resulted in estranging from
me many Of my personal and political
friends. Since that time have be.
longed 10 neither faction, but have
advocated peace. harmony and tae res
toration of good feeling among our
people.
No one can truthfully say that I
have been unjust to Senator Tillman.
Has he been unjust to me2 Let his
own conscience answer. Permit me
to refer to some of his structures upon
my candidacy. He is mistaken when
he says that I was influenced by any
thing that occurred at the first cam.
paign meeting in deciding to enter
the race. Mr. Duncan's entry and
speech had no effect whatever upon
my course, for while | had been in
formed that he had filed his pledge l
knew nothing of the character of his
speech.
l was presiding over the court in
Charleston with heavy criminal
docket before me, and could not ne
glect my duties as judge to promote
my interests as candidate; hence,
many of the campaign meetings had
been held before I could appear upon
the stump.
The Senator is also grossly unjust
and inconsiderate when he says that:
General Earle has repudiated with
scorn that he is Reformer." | would
like to know upon what he bases his
charge, for it is not founded upon any
act or word of mine, and is not true.
A large majority of my friends are
Reformers; they elected me to the Of.
ice of circuit judge; they induced me
to become a candidate for the United
States senate, and at least 20, 900 Of
them voted for me at the last primary
election. II the Conservatives had
voted for me generally, l would have
received q large majority. But many
OF them declined to vote or me because
of my attitude towards the Reformers
and their leaders, and because ! had
commended many acts Of the Reform
administration.
It is true, IS asserted many times
during the canvass, that am the can
didate Of no faction, and recognize no
difference between Reformers and
Conservatives; but honor them all