The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-22
DEMAND FOR FAIR PLAY.
The State Democratic Executive Com
mittee Will Not Dare to Rule Any
Democrat Out Of the Race.
Charleston Post.


The Spartanburg Herald is opposed to
Senator McLaurin and hopes to see him de.
feated for reelection to the Senate. Never
theless 1t does not believe he should be shut
out of the primary next summer. II Is pro-
bable that the Herald has guaged the strength
Of the new movement in South Carolina
more correctly than some Of Its fellows, and
has concluded that 1t will be better TO
extend the bounds OF the Democratic party
that II may contain all the elements rather
than TO subject them to the pressure or the
rising waves. Here is the Spartanburg
papers view: N,
lit is evident that the time is not far dis.
tant when the Democratic party IN Soutn
Carolina will be confronted with serious
problem. There are many strong men 10 this
State claiming to be Democrats who not only
believe In the principles OF goVefhnment ama hn,
who, in national elections, vote with them.
These men are beginning to clamor for what
they are pleased to term the white mans
State convention will have to determine
positively whether vote for the Republican
ticket will disfranchise man In the primary
election. The Democratic party never was
close corporation. Great latitude has always
been allowed voters in maintaining their
honest convictions. Conditions have been
such in the South as to emphasize this moer,
ality, but everywhere men nave dlHereo
while maintaining their Democracy. We
have had war Democrats and copperheads,
high tarf Democrats and free traders:
We can now have expansion Democrats and
anti.expansion Democrats, imperialist ana
anti.im periallst. 1t Is natural for men to Oil.
fer in their political sentiment and their
Ideas as what is the best policy for the gov
ernment to pursue. Two men equally honest
equally intelligent may view the same occur.
renee and come away with totally different
ideas concerning II. They may view paint.
ing at the same time, one approving and the
other condemnipg its merit. Many men OF
many minds. II rarely happens that any
into political platform. IL ls not necessary
that man should endorse every plank In
platform In order to accept 1T. The supreme
test is support OF the ticket named py tne
majority OF the representatives chosen by the
party In the various States. There need be
no serious difficulty in solving this funda-
mental proposition. We take 1t there will De
no effort 70 s inose WnG h9,I TO- pass
ship subsidy bill, that we ought to retain the
Philippines. We do not believe that the Ell
fort will be made 10 prevent voter from
y repudiates Bryan and free silver. But we
do maintain that the State convention
should put clause In the constitution OF tne
party so plain and unequ1vocal as 10 ADMIT
40 quibbling, TO the effect that every man
who casts his vote in a primary election shall
take an oath to support the nominee OF the
Democratic party, national. State and county.
In the South at least, Democrat may be
defined 10 be white man who pledges hlm-
self to vote for the nominees chosen by the
Democratic representatives."
The Post then says:
We are In full agreement with this, except
at one point. The oath in the primary should
be to support the nominees OF that poll and
should have no binding on the future. Thus
there is no occasion for pledge to support
the national: candidates OF the Democratic
party TO be required at the next voting IN
this State, since the question OF national
candidates Is not then at issue. "Sufhcient
unto the day is the evil thereof" But other
wise we believe with the Herald that the
oath at the primary should be made strict
and binding upon all those who participate
in 1t. to support It's nominees.