Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-03-05
THE COMING CAMPAIGN.
Warm Time Assured-The Effort
to Change the Rules OF the Party.

A Warm Time Assured-The Effort
to Change the Rules of the Party.
In accordance with the constitution
Of the Democratic party Of this state,
says the Columbia Record, conven-
ton of the party will be held in this
city on the second Tuesday in May.
The convention will be called by Chair
man Willie Jones in due time.
Ordinarily the convention possesses
little significance, but this year 1t may
be Of portentious import. The conven-
ton may do anything it pleases with
regard to the rules and regulations of
the primary, and, indeed, may abolish
it altogether, and return to the con-
nor any desire that anything Of that
kind will be done. The significance of
the convention lies in the fact that an
effort will undoubtedly be made to
change the oath so that Senator Nc
Laurin may not be candidate in the
senatorial contest.
The executive committee wanted to
do something Of the same kind when
1t was expected that primary would
be held last summer
That the same question will come up
in the convention goes without saying.
Should the convention change the oath
so as to keep Senator McLaurin out,
the action will not only affect him, but
many hundreds Of other members Of
the party.
There are now lots of men who are
not McLaurinites, probably, who do not
wholly endorse the Kansas City plat
form, and the conscientious ones will
not subscribe to an oath falsely.
Should the convention then take the
action referred to, it appears now that
1t would be the opening Of wedge to-
wards disrupting the party. All con-
vention Democrats hope that no such
radical action will be taken, but that
all differences will be fought out in the
party.
There is some discussion about limit
ing the number Of campaign meetings.
There is to be an army of candidates,
so much so that 1t will be beyond the
power of physical endurance of the
most rated political enthusiast to lis
ten to them all in one day, however
short their time may be. The conven-
ton may tackle this question, and 1t
has been suggested that one or two
meetings, or maybe three, be held in
each congressional district, and con-
tinue two days, if necessary, in order
to let all the candidates have their
say without wearying the people to
death. Still, the county to county can
vass has been so engrafted on the rules
of the party that it will be hard to
make a change.
This state has always been noted for
one Of warm political campaigns
and fights between candidates in pub
lie are no unusual circumstances. If
the Tillman- McLaurin slugging match
is to be taken as an omen of what Is to
happen this summer, 1t would be well
to call out the military at each meet
ing for the purpose of preserving order.
For, If all the candidates get to
scrapping among themselves, it will
take a military company to quell the
riot among them alone, so numerous
will they be-. Or, if calling out the mi
litia is too costly, it has been suggested
that a sufficient number Of deputies be
sworn and armed with the new style
of pistols-one that weighs three
pounds and is 90 inches long.
A company thus armed would be
about as effective as a military COM
pany. But, seriously, all the indica-
lions are that there will be warm
times ahead.