The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-05-27
DEMOCRATS MEET
IMPORTANT GATHERING OF STATE
LEADERS in DEMOCRACY
Decide PRIMARY REFORM

DELEGATIONS From Charleston and
Georgetown Raised Issue Which
Had to be Referred to Credentials
Conmittee-Primary Reform to
Come Before Convention.
The State Democratic convention
met at noon Wednesday with former
Gov. John Gary Evans, chairman of
the State Democratic committee, in
the chair. The sessions of the con-
ventSon are being held in the hall OF
the House of Representatives, which
had been especially arranged for the
occasion. AS on the opening day Of
the general assembly, Sergeant-at-
Arms Wilson had marked off the
delegations in various parts Of the
hall, showing where each county's
Representative should take their
places.
The two United States senators
were absent from the convention.
Senator Tillman indicated several
days ago that he could not attend
and Tuesday nights dispatches gave
as his reason consideration in the
Senate of the agricultural appropria-
ton bill. No member of the South
Carolina delegation in congress at
tended the convention.
- Jas. A. Hoyt Of Columbia, nominal
ed by Christie Benet, was unanimous
" selected temporary president OF
the convention. Mr.. Hayt, escorted
to the chair, named Ne. NJ. Mann OF
st. Matthews, r. B. Sloan and r. E.
8 CarwiIe Of Columbia as temporary
secretaries.
- The first business before the con-
yention was the calling of the roll of
delegates from the uncontested coun-
ties. The counties, were then called
alphabetically and the delegates an
nounced, substitutions being made
where necessary when delegates had
not come to the convention.
IS When Charleston county was
reached Mayor Grace handed up a
roll Of delegates. Chairman Hoyt
announced he would not recognize
any. delegate hom Charleston as the
delegation was contested This was
apparently in response to Mr- Grace's
statement that he was not sure
whether his delegation or the other
would be called the contested dele
CATION from Charleston.
MFR. L. J. Williams Of Aiken moved
that the Georgetown credentials be
referred to the committee on creden-
tials as there were twelve votes with
half q vote each. Georgetown coun-
ty, after years of division, had gotten
together at the recent county conven-
lion on sort Of compromise plan
by agreeing to send to the State con-
yention split delegation, each en-
titled to a half vote. This question
comes before the credentials COM
mittee later.
At I o'clock Wednesday afternoon
the credentials committee met to
consider the Charleston contest and
the Georgetown "spnt" delegation
situation.
Thomas NJ. Raysor Of Orangeburg
was named chairman Of the commit
tee on credentials.
The Georgetown "spit" delegation
was seated by the credentials COM
mittee Of the State convention, the
II delegates being given places in
{ the convention with. six votes, but
not more than one member is to
serve on any one committee.
After the appointment Of the Gre
dentials committee the convention
recessed until eigtt o'clock last night.
The credentials committee met at
3 three-thirty and began hearing testi-
mony in the Charleston contest. Both
) the Barnwell and Grace representa-
) tives introduced much testimony and
submitted many afidavits. The Gre
dentials committee unanimously vot-
ed to seat the Barnwell delegation
after hearing the testimony.
Delegates to the State convention
poured into Columbia Tuesday and
the hotels became alive with the
hum and hustle Of politics. Many
politicians not members Of the con-
vention are there also, and little
knots and groups constantly congre-
gate in the lobbies and discuss the
probable action which the convention
will take on the all-importsnt Ques-
ton of reforming the primary.
The main feature Of the prelimi-
naries was the caucus OF those favor
ing primary reform. The caucus
took place in the big auditorium Of
the Jefferson Hotel and lasted sew
eraI hours. The newspaper men were
Z not invited to the caucus, but it is
known that the matter Of primary re-
form was gone over with. Advocates
and opponents of'the Richland plan
to restrict the primary to registered
voters took part in the caucus, and
various and sundry suggestions as to
the most feasible plan were threshed
out.
The. convention was called to order
noon Wednesday in the hall of the
House Of Representatives by John
Gary Evans, chairman Of the State
Democratic executive committee. At
ter the preliminary organization was
perfected the first matter to come up
was the contest from Charleston
county, which was sent to the COM
mittee on credentials. This contest
was to be disposed of before the con-
.ventiop could form permanent or