The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-20

masses as to their interests and their
duty as to kindle throughout the land
smouldering fires of patriotism. They
need man who owes no favors to the
powers that be and takes the field with
no commission from millionaire poll
ticians.
We put forward as that leader, q
farmer pure and simple, yet an orator
who can lay down the champions oi
the enemy, a man of courage and will
whose honest heart is afiame for the
masses; the man of destiny-B. R.
Tilman.
We call upon him to 90 forth to bat
tie and to reach with his voice the peo
pie of America, slumbering under op
preston and misrule in the past, anG
we put at his command, in the service
of the people of nation, the organized
Democracy of the sovereign State oi
South Carolina.
By Mr.. Russell: That we have wit
messed with deeep sympathy the strug
gle of the Cuban patriots for freedom
and we endorse the action of congress
in recognizing them as belligerents
and we call upon the President of the
United States to give immediate effect
to the clearly expressed will of the peo
pie.
By Mr.. J. D. Montgomery: We
endorse the present State administers
ton for the vigilance exercised in the
enforcement of the laws for protection
of the rights and liberties of the citi
zens: for the economical administra.
ton of affairs and for the competency
and honesty displayed in the exercise
of their duty by the various State off,
cials.
By Mr.. T. s. Terry: The Democra.
tic party of South Carolina do hereby
affirm the Constitutional enactment
as passed in the recent Constitutional
of the State of South Car.
olina, THAT no public moneys shall
be used for sectarian proposes, &C.
cords with the sentiment of the peo'
pie of this State and we further con.
denim the action of the United States
senate in reinstating sectarian appro-
priations in the general appropriation
bill passed by that body.
The convention then adjourned to
8 o'clock in the evening iu order to
give the committee time to consider
the matter referred to them.
During the morning the several del
egations from the congressional dis
tricts met and selected their delegates
to Chicago to be present to the conven-
ton at the proper time.
THE EVENING SESSION.
Ats o'clock Mr.. Patterson again
called the convention to order. The
reports were called for
Mr.. Cooper of the committee on con-
stitution made its report, being a new
constructed upon the old
The only material
change from tho old constitutions
provisions is that presidential electors
Shall not be voted for in the primary.
section requires the election
of the county chairman by the county
convention instead of by the e1ecu-
tive committee. The other changes
are merely verbal and uoimportant.
Those who have copies of the old con-
stitution are in possession of the new
one by making the changes indicated.
Mr.. E6rd asked that the chairman OF
the committee explain all the changes:
While this was being done brand
new pitchfork elaborately decorated
with ribbons could be seen in the
crowd near the door of the hall.
The committee on constitution to
whom was referred the resolution in.
the delegations to vote and
act as a unit on all questions before
the national convention reported the
resolution with out recommendation.
The convention declined to strike out
the words Before the national con-
and adopted the resolution.
The committee sent back the resolu-
ton in regard to the registration Of
voters with tho suggestion that the
matter be sent to the State executive
This suggestion was adopt
ed.
Senator Tillman then presented the
report of the committee on platform
and resolutions. At the request OF Mr..
E6rd, the platform was presented first.
Senator Tillman read it as follows,
taking peculiar pleasure in doing so,
Judging from his manner:
1. The Democratic party of South
Carolina reatfirm its allegiance to the
enunciated by Jefferson,
Monroe and Jackson and followed by
their successors in Office and pledges
itself to stand by those principals as
the creed of our political faith.
2. We denounce the administration
of President Cleveland as undemocrat-
ic and tyrannical and as departure
from those principles which are cher
ished by all liberty loving Americans.
The veto power has been used to
thwart the will of The people as ex-
pressed by their representatives in
congress. The appointive power has
been used to subsidize the press, to de-
bauch congress and to overawe and
control citizens in the free exercise of
their constitutional rights as voters.
A plutocratic despotism is thus sought
to be established on the ruins OF the
republic.
3. We believe the power and usur-
pations of the Federal courts as now
organized to be dangerous to the repub.
lie. The American people have lost
confidence in life tenure of officers in
any department of government and
we repeat here the warning of Jeffer-
son against the tendency and effect of
the constitution of the Federal judici-
ary, which he styles an irresponsible