Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-30
HOT CARD FROM DOUGLASS.
RichIand Independent Defends His
HanJidanv

Richand Independent Defends His
Candidacy.
Following the announcement Of W..
A. Douglass as an independent candi-
date for supervisor of Richland county,
State Chairman Jones issued an ad-
dress urging upon the Democratic vot-
ers the duty of standing by the regular
nominee. The Columbia Record Of
Monday prints the following reply from
Douglass:
ITO the Editor of The Record
will you be kind enough to give
this article the same prominence that
you have that of General Jones?
General Jones has set forth in both
daily papers his condemnation of my
candidacy for supervisor of Richland.
l wish to present the other side of the
case.
THE meaning of General Jones let
ter to the Democratic voters of Rich
land county is that they are bound by
oath to stand by the so-called nominee
of the party, that they must and are
in honor bound to come out and vote
for him, regardless Of what he Is, or
how he got there; simply to preserve
the integrity of the party-let 1t cost
the ruin of the government or the dis
grace of the county-stand by the sup
posed nominee of the party, even
though you know that his nomination
is rotten from start to finish. He puts
it up to the decent people Of Richland
that they must vote against their IDEAS
of right, that they must outrage their
conscience; that they must support
what they believe and know Is wrong,
on a mere technicality. Certainly your
oath is sacred and not to be lightly
passed over, but you promise a man
on your honor that you will vote for
him, and he violates every promise and
every rule Of the elections and common
honor among men; are you going to
stand up to him and vote for him? Do
not his violations absolve you from a
promise? And do you not uphold and
abet his corruption when you endorse
him by vote? Technically violate a
pledge or violate the laws Of justice
and trample under foot the sacred hon
or Of our people.
There are less registered voters In
the precincts that voted strongly for
the so-called nominee than his majori-
ties at these precincts; how are these
men who helped to give him the nom
ination going to support him? How
are they going to stand by the party
when they are not registered voters
md cannot elect the man they have
nominated and thrust upon the quail
fed voters who voted against him?
Why has not some champion Of party
integrity raved over this outrage Of
the solemn oath?
"The negro is the potent spook Of
southern politicians, with which they
scare their flock into line when they
want something that the people do not
want, and vice versa Rule 2 of the
Democratic primary election was gen.
orally disregarded in the recent pri-
maries. Many negroes voted without
written statements Of ten reputable
white men, statements were not placed
in the ballot box Of all negro mana
gers in many case separate lists OF
names of all negro voters were not
made and returned to the county chair
man. Do these violations tend to pre-
serve the primary system? Do these
violations keep the political spook from
becoming the balance Of power?
Whether l am elected or not, will
on November 3rd force upon the peo-
pie the necessity Of revising the rules
and methods of the primaries, that per-
nit and acquiesce and abet by pledges
corruption. If all qualified voters vote
against what they consider wrong l
will be elected.
THE party leaders and the press
have kept silent heretofore, when the
snake of corruption was crawling be-
fore their very eyes: now they hold up
their hands in holy horror, when /
openly charge and tell the people what
most of them already know.
why do prominent men innocently
act as cats paws to roast the chest
nuts for the monkeys Of corruption,
who smil at their dupes?
(Signed) wv. A. Douglass.