The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-08-07
An Appeal to Reason by 7. Larry Can't.
ARTICLE T..

''DemOcraC, ID SOuCn SalOIIud, 4OI
the past six or eight years has been a
very elastic word, and has been stretch
ed and strained so as not only to en-
brace and take in the entire popullst
party. but every white republican as
well who would consent to vote with US
and only agree to support the nominees
of the State or county election for
which ne voted-leaving him free to
support his national nominee if he saw
proper. In Spartanburg county, I
know several hundred white republi-
cars who regularly vote the State
Democratic ticket but cast their votes
for their party's national nominees.
Even when the populist party was
in the zenith of its power that political
organization secured but meagre
support in South Carolina, owing to
the fact that, by voting with the Dem
ocrats, it could best secure its ends
and at the same time under the gulse
of democracy, disarm and paralyse the
power of its enemies.
In our own State the greatest latitude
has been given to political dissentients
and all required of a candidate or vo-
ter was that he would agree to abide
by the verdict OF the primary at which
he voted. 1t was the desire OF the
political leaders in our State to strength
en- the reform ranks by drawing there
in as many white voters as possible so
as to keep the conservative a hopeless
minority.
There was at one time, however,
among our reform leaders, who are
now setting themselves up as the sacred
guidances Of democracy, and are so
Jealous of the honor of their party,
strong inclination to join the populist
ranks: and they would have done so,
too, but for the strenuous protest and
exertions of the late Hon. John L. NJ.
Irby, who was, at that time, State
chairman, and South Carolina would
have been as strong populist State as
Kansas. This is true, and l know
whereof I speak. The introduction, by
Mr.. Latimer, of those resolutions Bit
terly denouncing Grover Cleveland in
the State convention and which con-
vention, too, was tottering on the very
brink of populism, gave the members
"a bone to gnaw" on and distracted
their attention from what was then
known as the "Third Party" And
when those anti-Cleveland resolutions
were first introduced Governor Tillman
opposed them at the meeting that
night, but the next day, when he found
the convention determined to pass
them, he was silent.
At that time the Alliance movement
was very strong in South Carolina and
the introduction OF those resolutions
bv Mr.. Latimer secured him the con-
gressiopal nomination is his district.
But before the election was held Mr..
Latimer passed through Mccormick
and while there had an interview,
which was published in a newspaper,
in which he (Latimer) stated that he
would refuse to 60 into any Democratic
caucus on the sub-treasury bill. AS
soon as this interview appeared several
papers in our State raised protest
against the Democrats voting for any
candidate who would not abide his
party cacus. Mr.. Latimer then came
out with second interview in which
he argued that the sub-treasury bill
was ''an economic" and not a ';polltl-
cal" question, and the members OF con-
greSS had no right to hoId any caucus
thereon.
now understand that Mr.. Latimer
repudiates the Alliance sub-treasury
bill, the same plank upon which he
ioated INTO congress, and which shows
that the gentleman's mind has under
gone revolutionary change or what
was once the 'livest wire" in South
Carolina politics and which not only
knocked Senator Hampton, but every
old congressman in South Carolina out
of their jobs.
We all remember that when Mr..
William J. Bryan was first nominated
bv the Chicago convention that "l6 to
u was the leading issue in our State,
and had pumped out the sub-treasury
bill. When our State convention met
every delegate elected to the national
convention had to swear to support
Senator Tillman's ''16 to l or bust'
proposition. The delegates from this
district exercising the time-honored