Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-04-06
County Politics.

AltnOuSn Il great lluJoIily VI ''N
people of York county are giving their
attention to matters that seem to be of
more direct concern to them than poll
tics right now. ii is just as we'll that
everybody should be reminded that
there are always q few who are more
concerned about politics than anything
else, and If those few are left alone,
some very important matters will be
settled regardless of the wishes or de-
sires of the majority.
This Is the situation i'm York county
today. The party machinery is on the
eve of reorganization. Precinct club
meetings are to be held on April 2S,
and the participants in those meetings,
whether they be few or many, will de-
termine the personnel of the next
county convention, and the next county
convention will determine the person.
mel of York county's representation in
the next state convention. And as
outlook is that it will not be solely a
question of personnel in either case.
The main issue at the club meetings
and at the county convention hinges on
whether or not the state of South Car
olina is to continue i'm the liquor busi-
ness as heretofore.
There is reason to believe that a
great majority of the Democratic vot-
ers of York county are opposed to the
continued maintenance of the state
dispensary machine, with all the cor
ruption inseparable therefrOm. There
is no ground for a reasonable doubt
that opposition to the re-establish-
ment of the dispensary in York county
is simply overwhelming. But if this
sentiment is to count for anything, it
must assert itself. Unless the people
who won a hard fought victory in the
open last September. assert themselves
in the present crisis they may look
forward to the eventual certain loss OF
all they have gained.
AS has already been suggested, it
will largely hinge on the developments
of the precinct club meetings on April
2S. These club meetings are open to
all Democrats. They are to be called
to order by the present officers and re-
organized by the election of new Off
GERS. or the reelection of the old ones.
What the officers elected will stand for
will depend upon the predictions of a
ma jority of those composing the meet
ings. If majority of the club men,
bers participating in the re-organiZa-
tions are in sympathy with the diSpen-
Sary party, the officers will be that
way and otherwise, vice versa. After
the election of officers. comes the clec-
tion of delegates to the county con-
vcntion. This election will be by bal
at and will be open to all Democrats
who present themselves within the
prescribed hours of election. Every
Democrat in the county has a right to
vote on an occasion like this; but it
has rarely been the case that any con-
siderable number of them have ever
Xercised that right. More than once,
for instance, less than fifteen men have
organized the YOrkville precinct Dem
OC ratio club and elected twcnty-four
delegates to the county convention,
The same thing has happened in Rock
Hill. and the four clubs of these two
towns can come pretty nearly doing
what they please in the county convcn-
ton.
While. of course. under the manner
Of its constitution, Il county cOnven-
tiOn is not necr SSarily an index of the
sentiment even of the majority of the
vot, rs. it is supposed TO represent. still
it is better that the people take proper
interest in these things at the proper
time. If after it has been duly cOnSti-
tuttd in regular manner. county
convention takes some action that is at
unqucStiOhcd variance with the will
and desire of the great body of voters
il is too late To make Il protest. The
OretiCally such Il convention has the
right to commit its principal, the party
ut large. to almost any kind Of Il prop
% ition. and when delegates derive
heir authority from only Il few indi-
ridua!s instead of from the many, they
are not usually any more careful of
the manner I'm which they seek to pro-
mote their own interests than they
should be.
There have been signs of quiet activ-
ity among the dispenSary forces i'm this
county of late and there Is good rea-
son to believe that plans are well
under way for the capture of the pre-
cinct club meetings and of the county
convention The thing is easy enough