The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-05-14
TILLMAN TALKS,OF
POLITICS In STATE
"RING" METHODS IN FULL VIGOR
AGAIN, HE BELIEVES.
Points to Evils That Will Follow i
People Are Not Honest and Fair
in Political Activities.

South Carolina, Senator Tillman die
tated the following statement:
81 read the South Carolina papers
this week with deep interest, and SOM
things have occurred which have caus
ed me much concern. If l were poll
tician 1 would say nothing, for every
politician knows how dangerous it i:
for me at this particular time to dill
into State politics, but a sense of duty
compels me to make certain sugges.
tions and comments.
81 noticed that in several counties
the old ring fashion of appointing
committees to name the delegates to
the State convention was carried out
That was the system we broke up in
1890, and 1 am surprised that the Dem
ocrats of the State should return to it
and permit any set Of men to foist it
off on them. 1t is undemocratic and
intended to be unfair and it should not
be tolerated.
'Then, again, in two counties there
were splits. In one, part of the dele
gates withdrew and organized an in
dependent convention. In the other,
Charleston, two conventions sat joint
ly in the same hall at the same time,
something which has not been wit
messed since the Wallace and Mackay
house struggled for mastery in the
capitol in Columbia. If this tendency
is not stopped and the people do not
realize the necessity of being honest
and fair with each other, it is not diff
fcult to foresee an independent ticket
in the field in November and all the
evils and heartburnings which would
follow such division and conflict.
Suggests Changes.
"The essence of Democracy is the
rule of the majority fairly expressed,
and white men will not tolerate or put
up with cheating and unfairness. The
only reason Mexico is in anarchy now
IS because those people have never
known what it is to be free and know
absolutely nothing about the conduct
of an orderly government. There are
some changes in our Democratic State
convention, which are imperative, and
l shall see that they are presented to
the convention, which meets on the
18th of May.
1T should provide for all elections
of delegates Or officers to be by ballot.
1t should provide also for the entry
into the primary of other candidates
in the case of death after the canvass
begins, and there should be a provision
authorizing the State executive COM
mittee, by a two-thirds vote, to pre-
vent any candidate from speaking at
the campaign meetings whose only
purpose would seem to be to ventilate
personal spite and travel up and down /,
the State to abuse some candidate who
is running. This has been done more
than once and is liable to happen
again, and there ought to be some way
to prevent it.
Recalls Ficken Campaign. +
''In thinking these matters over, my
memory has been busy with some
things which took place while I was !
governor. The Ficken campaign for /
mayor was death grapple between t
the old Ferguson crowd and the re- 7
formers. This antagonism grew so v
not and the purpose to control the V
election machinery was so great that Y
both sides sent messengers and agents \
20 See the governor at Columbia. l
lad made up my mind to see fair play v
IS between the contending factions, v
md an honest registration being the 0
irst essential, appointed Messrs. Will t
Jams, Witte and O'Neal, three leading t,
oankers of the city, representing three r
distinct elements of its population, "
American, German and Irish. They Il
we're in no sense politicians and were b
rery much surprised, but being all r
good citizens they accepted and per- a
ormed the work to the satisfaction of Il
everybody. d
"In order to enforce honesty and n
airness in having the ballots report p
d and counted, I said to those who
the two sides: will give L
he reformers one commissioner of
.lection, I will give the ms one and
ct those two chose a third, and these L
hree to constitute the board To en-