Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-19


snobbery or business or professional
piracy. There are those who will hold
that every individual, whether he come
Of an ancestry that has dominated for
generations or an ancestry that has
always been humble servitors, has
equal rights in every department OF
life, whether business, professional or
political and the like. And by concrete
example the case can always be prov
en-; but still down beneath the surface
no one is convinced.
Back in the nineties, Earle lead one
side and Tillman the other; then came
Sheppard as the leader of the Earle
forces, and then the Sheppard Earle
side dropped out as an organization
and began the merging process. which
was continued until finally ascendancy
was regained under Hayward, main
tanned under Ansel and lost under the
leadership Of Mcleod. Then followed
two years ago the fiercest struggle of
the entire era between Blease and
Jones, anu llle CONSERVATIVE party loS'
again.
To make clearer the situation 1t is
necessary to review some political his
tory. When it became certain that the
Reformers were in the ascendancy,
there was commenced counter move
ment for prohibition. The political
manpulators, realizing the strength of
the honest prohibition sentiment in
the upper part Of South Carolina, and
that most of that sentiment also back
ed the Reform movement, injected the
prohibition issue with q view to wreck
ing Tillmanism. Tillman and his ad-
vscrs shrewd in their day and genera
ton, brought about an arrangement
whereby the Prohibitionists agreed to
settle their claims on the good old ba
sis of majority rule, and on principle
alone with the personal ambition ele-
ment left out; but as they were inno-
cent of politics and without leaders,
they were deliberately cheated of the
fruits Of their victory and were gener-
ally merged into the Reform party
along with the dispensary
Later the Prohibitionists made an
other fight under the lead Of Feather
stone and all but won and two years
ago they tried it again with the same
result. And both times under Feath-
erstone they fell victims to the supe-
rior political strategy of the Conserv-
ative party.
For instance four years ago, when
the first primary proved that the eX-
treme wing of the old Reform party
led by Blease was stronger than the
extreme wing of the old Conservative
party led by Mcleod. and the fl
nal test came between the Bleaseites,
and the Prohibitionists, the Mcleod
Conservatives threw their weight with
Blease. There are those who deny this
proposition; but these cannot explain
on any other basis how Blease was
elected.
Then came the fight Of two years
ago. the Conservative element muster
ing it's forces under Jones for another
great battle. Theoretically victory was
certain. Blease always known and re-
cognized as a leader Of the liquor ele-
ment, would be impossible to Prohibi-
tionists, and they would have to vote
for Jones' Every effort was made to
pitch the campaign on personal
grounds so as to keep the Prohibition
question entirely out; but by this time
the Prohibitionists had learned some
thing. Already they had been eucred
three times-once by Tillman and
twice by the Conservatives. and now
they were beginning to see things.
Naturally belonging to the Reform ele-
ment rather than the Conservative ele-
ment. and thousands Of them feeling
sore because of the way the Mcleod
ties had treated them two years be-
fore Just as the majority of the Nc
Leodites had voted for Blease against
Featherstone, a majority Of the Pro-
hibitionists two years ago voted for
Blease against Jones.
AS to whether the election Of two
years ago resulted in bringing the old
Reform party together again, there Is
difference of opinion. Some people
think one way and some the other;
but there is no question Of the fact
that the Conservative party was de-
feated at the polls, and the great ques-
ton to be determined by the present
campaign as we see it is whether it is
still in the minority
According to the reports from st.
Matthews, it appears that the present
fight is to be made largely on the same
lines as heretofore. At the outset Sen
ator Smith appears to be determined
to stand on his record in the senate
alone. Governor Blease seems deter
mined to emphasize his record as a
bolter of the Democratic party and a
lifelong opponent of Reform. Messrs.
Jennings and Pollock seem bent on di-
recting their batteries To Governor
Blease's official course in the conduct
of his office, and To ignore altogether
the political lines that have been 50
generally recognized during the past
twenty-five years.
AS to what the candidates for state
offices are going to do, has not yet been
clearly indicated: but it is pretty safe
to assume that the general issue as
between them will be about the same
as in the case of the senatorial candi-
dates.
While of course we hope there will
b. nothing of the kind in view of the
change in the rules, the new enroll
ment, etc, it is not at all impossible
that the final settlement Of it all will
be in the general election.
MEXICO AND MExlCANS