The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-07-20
Why MR.. BRUNSON
WITHDREW.

20 the Eiitor of The News and
Coa.:er As rbe queutiop. why did
you ai,bdraw from the the race tor
Governor p is coossau,Iy being asstd
me bq friends all over the State, will
appreciate YOUR kindness in giving lie
space for brief letter 10 explanation.
TIE Prohibitionis's OF the State. De-
!;eviug they were acticg strictly 10 bar
uony With Democratic rules, made
,aeic nominations 90 the l4:b Of April
aod I accepted the domination when
made. The State Democratic execu
; i've con ui,,ee net May 1S. aud while
!, d:i no, declare 'he Prohibitiools's
ocsslde OF party rulss, it did make the
d'spensa,y plank in the Democratic
platform. June 8 fled my pledge as
candidate for the regular Democratic
; c;uina,iou, understanding ii to mean
irst sba. it says: II am net nor will
become the candidate of aoy faction
other thso the regular Demo
cratic domination
! A few days after the Prohibition
executive committee, constru'og toe ac-
,;on Of the State Democratic executive
conmitsec to mean that votes cast for
the Prohibition nominees would not BE
coro,ed. withdrew :be nomioa'looS 10
order .'to &C, iu entire accord with The
rules Of the Democratic party
This Interpretation of the rules,
aud virtual admission that the Fro
l.ibitionis,s were acting contrary to
Democratic rules, left me where
could not become all individual
candidate for, if i, was necessary
to withdraw the nominations because
the Prohibitionists were a faction,
then the moment | should become
the candidate Of the Prohibitionists |
woald violate my pledge, as it says ::
81 am not nor will become the can
didate.' - etc.
1t was my purpose to make an hon.
est. manly struggle for the Demo
cratic nomination and did not under.
stand the pledge to preyent this. but
the construction put upon the pledge
by both the State Democratic and
Prohibition committees would ex-
c,ude candidate if placed in noml-
nation even by "many citizens
Is it not true tha. this primary sys-
; teu has outlived it's usefulness !!
There is a very small negro vote
about 10000, believe. in the
State, aud it could not be used to the
injury of the white people to any
great extent 1t would oe extremely
difficult to so organize it as to make
it balance OF powe:: besides, the
candidate seeking negro votes would
be apt to lose his white support
Upon the other hand, when we
now hold county convention, many
of the clubs hold no meeting TOR the
election of delegates, but certain men
go without election to represent ~
the club In the county convention,
fairness and right give place TO pollt
icai inclination and wrong the dele
gates to the state Convention are
read from iist previously agreed
upon and the list adopted as a whole
The State Convention proceeds in
about the same way The questions
of what is right or best for the peo'
pie carry not half 80 much weight as
how shall we keep the voters at our
heels and secure Office again
TIE platform Of the Democratic
party of the State is intended now to
bind it's members to a support of the
d,spensary system of selling liquor !;
the candidate pledge can be so con
strued as 60 count out one opposed to
the dispensary. and the pledge taken
by the voters in the primary binds
,he voter to cast his ballot in the gen.
eral election for, perhaps. an un
worthy nan
To hold fair election in the pr;
mary where club lists are ever chang.
ing and managers of election are ap'
pointed all favoring one side, is not to
be expected I frankly admit that
the dangers arising from unfalrness
and corruption in the primary are
greater than the dangers arising from
the present small nego vote.
Il we have reached the place where
the Democrats Of the State who op
pose the dispensary cannot name q
candidate for ;he regular Democratic
nomination, while the Democrats who
favor the dlepepsary are allowed to
put the dispensary as plank in the
Democratic platform, then we have
reached the point where we should
abandon the primary and organize a
Dem oc, attic Prohibition faction and
Democratic. .Di-peusary faction and
] o,,;, or 1;fTa,cncpa at the general