The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-10
TILLMAN URGES
REPORT BY LAW
ADVISES LEGISLATURE TO SAFE
Guard PRIMARY
Good Government Doomed Unless Pri-
mary is put Under Same Regula-
tiOnS as General Election.

Washington, u T., JAN = we
must either reform the primary sys-
tenn by law or see it die" warns Sena-
tor Benjamin Ryan Tillman, in an
open letter to the South Carolina Gen
eral Assembly, soon to meet, in which
it is urged that legislation be enacted
to safeguard the primary system OF
election in this State IF we do not
safeguard the primary system" writes
Senator Tillman, and make it above
suspicion, good government in the
State is doomed" The senior senator
again warns the people against the
negro being used in politics under
white leadership; if the black popula-
ton be thus modified, he thinks, Of
fees Of trust and power will become
mere ''pawns in the game of politics,
to be bought by the highest bidders" "
Following is the statement:
Il dislike to have the appearance
even of assuming the right to dictate
to the general assembly, and such is
not my purpose now. But for reasons
unnecessary to enumerate l feel that
1 have a duty to perform in the pres
ent instance.
"The angry passions aroused last
summer in the State campaign for
Governor have in a measure subsloeo'
and the people have cooled OIL 10
NV mind there was great danger TO
white supremacy and democratic uni
+v which is now happily passed. But
unless every possible safeguard IS
thrown around the primary system, py
law rules and regulations MADE SO
plain and of such a just and reasonable
natnre as to compel honesty and 1alr
nlay in the primary-the system Is
doomed and the people of the State
will settle their political differences at
the polls in November just as they 90
now in all border and Northern states.
Two White Parties Impossible.
"There are many people in South
Carolina who would be glad to see two
white parties in the State. Were con-
ditions different 1 myself would like 70
have two white parties, but as things
are now it would mean the mobilization
of the negro and his active and aggres-
sive return to State politics under
white leadership.
81 know of no calamity greater tnan
this that could overtake our people.
sneak advisedly, for I went through
the reconstruction period and know the
DEGRADATION to which our people sank
the rottenness and corruption that
were in our politics, and made our
government a by-word and Kissing,
and know how hard it was to get the
white men to lineup shoulder 10
shoulder and throw off the yoke. From
1868 to 1875 we had the vilest ana
most corrupt government in South
Carolina that has ever existed in any
State of the Union, except Louisiana.
Offices as PaWnS
"The negroes outnumber US IN
South Carolina by more than one hun
dred and fifty thousand, and large
number of them are either registered
or eligible for registration. # they
should eyer be modified and led to the
polls by white men, in the struggle TOR
mastery and control, then We can never
save the State from a repetition OF
even greater corruption than we have
already endured The State corpora
tons and Standard Oil, to say nothing
of the railroads, would use money law
ishly, and the governorship and the
United States senatorships, to say
nothing of the congressional delega-
ton, would become pawns in the game
of politics to be bought by the highest
bidders.
"The Democratic party of South
Carolina, when it meets again in con-
vention, will no doubt deal with this
question, but the legislature ought to
deal with it now, at this coming ses-
sion, while the memory is fresh and
knowledge of intensity of feeling has
not faded away.
General Outline.
"I can not and will not indicate just
what sort of a law the legislature
ought to pass. The details must be
worked out in committee, but I can