The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-04-01
BE THUE-BE A DEMOCRAT.

Politics, both State and National,
is beginning to become somewhat
interesting, and as the time for the
opening of the campaign approaches
it will become more and more SO,
Various states of every concelv-
able shade of political opinion
is being whispered around thick and
fast. A number Of combinations IN
connection with which the names OF
some prominent politicians are con-
spiciously mentioned, and it seems
that the situation is sconfusion worst
confounded" by the signs OF the dis
integratior of the Democratic party
and its consequent defeat IN the fall
elections, and many voter, like
Tom Watson, in his efforts to ''keep
in the middle of the road" finds
himself lost in the whirlpool OF so
many conflicting political opinions as
to the proper policy to adopt and
the principles to support that the
greatest good to the greatest num-
Der might be the result, and it is
often the case for him to pause and
enquire "where he's at"
If there is any dependence to be
placed in the reports of the South
Carolina dailies, the seat of war IN
State politics has been moved from
Columbia to Washington, and the
South Carolina statesmen who have
taken up their temporary residence IN
that modern Sodom are working the
wires by which they propose to male
the rural voter waltz up to the polls
and help them out in their deep laid
intrigues and we'll de'olped schemes
to further their own selfish interests
and to perpetuate their own political
power in detriment to the welfare OF
the people and the prosperity OF the
State. Scarcely a day comes and
ooes but what some new plan is dis
covered and unfolded by active and
very imaginative reporters by which
it is proposed by the alledged plot
ters to relegate the dear people to
the rear and assume and exercise
the powers rightfully belonging to a
free and sovereign people. But the
experiences of the past six or more
wears tells US in unmistakable terms
that as a rule there is no dependence
whatever to be placed in the state
ments of newspapers, particularly so
in reference to matters concerning
the split in the Reform ranks and
the intentions and purposes OF its
leaders. Too often has statements
been made, from the inception OF
the "AIovement" to the present time,
which, on being traced, we're found
to exist only in the fertile magma
ton of some "pennya-liner' whose
newspaper is owned and controlled
by men whose desire it is to encom-
pass the defeat of the Reform fac
ton and the elevation of themselves
and their favorites to Office and to
power. Had the newspapers state
ments been true in 1890, Ben Till
man would have never been Governor
OF South Carolina, for on every stump
we were told that he lost votes and
that Judge Earle literally wiped the
face of the earth up with him. But
when the votes were counted the
plain, unvarnished and undeniable
facts showed that the "blinker' had
overwhelmingly defeated both OF his
distinguished rivals. And so on
through each succeeding campaign
until the present time, have these
stories of the waving influence Of
this man over the masses been re-
peated until they have lost their
rhyme and reason.
There are however, unmistakable
events which cast their shadows be-
fore and which clearly outlines and de-
fines the trend of public affairs. There
are alarming signs of internal strife
in the Democratic party, the outcrop-
ings of which are seen in the con
tention among the leaders and
in the effort to pull down one set and
elevate more obedient, willing and
plant tools who know no other law
save the commands of those who
have placed the shackles around their
necks and the fetters upon their
feet. One of the most significant,
and at the same time the one
fraught with the gravest dangers 10
the perpetuity Of, not the principles
of Democracy, for they are immortal
and will live forever, but Of the
Democratic party as an organization
exertiDg a potent influence upon the
DESTINY of the nation and in the