Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-30

thousand white votes. So there have
been three attempts to resist the will
of the organized Democracy speaking
through regular channels. In each OF
these instances those who had broken
fealty with their fellows and who fall
ed to support the nominee Of the party
as they had pledged in the primaries
to do, were forgiven and admitted
back to fellowship without any ques-
ton. In each case those who resisted
the will of the party, of course, felt
justified in acting independently, but
they were private soldiers, 80 to speak,
and the desire Of our people for con-
tinued fellowship and good will among
the whites prevented their expulsion
from the party.
Now we are confronted with differ
ent condition of affairs. The new con-
stitution adopted in 1895 has elimina-
ted, for the present, the Negro majori-
ty. The number of Negroes eligible to
vote does not exceed $4,000; but 1t Is
constantly increasing and there may
be a good many thousand who are not
registered who would be eligible to
registration. There have been in the
recent past evidences Of Republicanism
cropping out in South Carolina in va
rious directions. There is no doubt, we
shall soon have a white Republican
party appealing to the Negro votes.
The action of one Of your United
States senator's in advocating Republi-
can doctrines and voting with that
party on all essential measures, con-
tending all the while that he Is DEM
ocrat and that he has the right to de-
fine what Democracy means, has
brought things to focus. The Demo-
cratic party in South Carolina, and 1t
is we'll understood that the state is
overwhelmingly Democratic, has
right to be honestly represented in the
senate and in the house, and In fact
do not believe the Democrats Of the
state would Intentionally and willingly
elect any man to any office whose De-
mocracy was unsound If they knew it.
Our present danger Is Republicanism
in the disguise Of Democracy. There
fore the question has been raised and
it is now an issue and it must be set
tied as to what constitutes Democracy
and who shall define it. 1t Is contend
ed that we should leave the primary
just as 1t is and make no new rules
and regulations to prevent recur-
renee Of the election of a man or men
whose Democracy does not tally with
that of the national party. We are
urged to permit every man to vote
who will take the pledge, and not to
require of the candidates any other
pledge than the one now in force. To
the first proposition there can be no
serious objection. We need not be so
solicitous about the rank and file, at
least I do not think the time has yet
come when we must drive out Of the
party individuals who will pledge
themselves to support the nominees,
state and national, though they may
be disoyal. It would be manifestly
unfair to permit Republicans to vote
in a Democratic primary, thereby en-
dangering, If they were in sufficient
numbers, the election Of a genuine
Democrat as against some mugwump
or traitor. I do not think, however,
there are enough avowed Republicans
who will take the oath, to make 1t
necessary to trace their records back
to the preceding November election
and see whether they voted as they
had pledged themselves or not.
It may in time become necessary to
use the registration lists at the legal
election to purify the club lists, but
we cannot we'll make the rules so ex-
acting that we will bar out men who
want to act independently in merely
local matters. The fact that our fight
Is in the primary and not in the legal
election, and therefore, hardly half OF
the Democratic votes are ever polled
at the legal election, would make 1t
difficult to devise a scheme to prove
who had or who had not supported the
nominees Of the party" I will not
therefore. discuss that phase of the
subject but 1t Is a matter Of vital ne
cessity that we should make candi-
dates define their attitude and give
explicit pledges as to their actions
while In office.
Senator McLaurin was charged with
Republicanism in his race in the pri-
mary Of 81, but he denied it bitterly,
and I thought he was honest. He de-
nies it still; but his utterances now
are all in endorsement of the Republi-
can policy, and his votes tally with
his speeches. We must have revision
of the pledge given by candidates
which will make 1t impossible for any
honorable man not a Democrat to Sc
cure the nomination. If we are to keep
the party from being stabbed In the
back and not have repetition of the
present disgraceful state Of affairs.
At this time South Carolina really has
no voice in shaping public matters in
the senate, or If she has a voice the
votes of the two senators are nearly
always on opposite sides Of any given
proposition. This is something that
does not obtain in any other Demo-
cratic state, and know of no way by
which we can guard against recur-
renee of this condition, except to re-
uuire all candidates for the senate,
state officers. congressman and other
positions of honor and trust to pledge
faith and loyalty to the doctrines and
principles of the party, as announced
g., +ho st,ta ond national conventions