The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-08-05
DEMOCRACY STANDS.

| GU o0 eA1S H2oNSA ~ AAAohA1SSoS~
last Thursday when it declined
to send delegates to the ''Elimi-
mating Convention" that assem-
bled last Friday in Columbia. It
so happened the writer was out
Of town on that day, and there
fore did not attend the gather
ing, as he probably would have
done as an onlooker, but he was
told on his return the vote stood
% to 81 against sending dele
gates. Capt. ". G. Davis pre-.
sided over the meeting. Among
those who opposed the PROPOSE
ton of eliminating candidates
chopping them out to a stand,
were Messrs. Charlton DuRant,
D. J. Bradham and Joseph
Sprott; the latter we are told
made a strong speech against
the scheme, and reminded his
hearers of the turbulence and
strife created by the Haskell
movement. Among those who
favored action were Captain
VIC. Davis, D. NJ. .Bradham, ,O.C.
Scarborough and others.
We are glad this county acted
sensibly and did not lend itself
to be frebrand. Those of Us
who remember the trying days
referred to in the remarks of
Mr.. Sprott. know what agony
the people of this state suffered
on account of the action of a few
hot-heads; they remember the
scenes enacted in every county
in the state, how crowds of
negroes were encouraged to turn
out to the polls, and what had
to be done to keep these people
from overwhelming US at the
ballot box. There we're many
men like Mr.. Sprott who did not
favor Tillman, and would have
been glad had he been defeated
in the primary, but after he was
declared the nominee of the
Democratic party they took
their medicine like good Demo
Gratis and stood by their obliga-
tion, and, when the Haskell
ticket was put. into the field
these loyal anti-Tillman Demo.
Gratis manifested their dlsap-
proval in no uncertain terms, in
no uncertain manner, and stood
ready to defend the cause OF
Democracy at any cost.
It is with this ghost of the
past in mind, men. true and tried
are unwilling to become tools
for. to say the least of them, an
Iindiscreet set of politicians, who
would ruin if they cannot rule.
The Columbia State in a recent
editorial undertook to defend the
call for the eliminating Con-
ivention," one Of its arguments
was, the call was not without
precedent. We would remind
The State the rules of the Demo-
cratic party was changed for
the purpose of putting a stop to
the conventions which it recites
as precedents. In 1890 the
famous March convention was
held and suggested Tillman for
governor, this was followed by
the Independent Convention
which put forward Haskell, then
later a convention put forward
Pope, but at that time there was
nothing in the rules prohibiting
such conventions, excepting the
Haskell convention, the rules
then, and now, pledged a voter
and candidates to support the
nominees of the party, but the
Haskellites did not stand by
their pledges, and after partici-
pating in the regular primary
and got whipped, refused to SUBJ
nit, and put forward an Inde-
pendent ticket. Hampton him.
self"saidlan Independent IS worse
than Radical" In those troub-
lous days to be charged with
being a Radical was the limit OF
a Democrats scorn.
The loyal leaders of the Dem
ocratic party after their exper-
ience with the Haskell and Pope
movements, placed a provision
in the party rules and oath
that candidates are required to
take, which makes such schemes
as the "Eliminators" proposed,
impossible in the Democratic