The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-10-04

q Btshopviilc. fi,r state convention
B of tkc members Of what no denomi-
4 mates the Renorm faction. to be held
In COLUMBIA October 18th. has been
the eauss Of cdnilidcrabie surmise and
epscuIation az to the purpose of the
.propossd ernvsntion. Some have ar
rived - The conclusion that the con-
vention u the preliminary step toward
? bolt from the regular Democratic
7 orEapization and for opposition to tho
noeSineeu Of f'>ho party. leading 10 sical-
" 20 csalition wsth the Republican
party and an appeal to the negro
vose. others are more charitable
and are OF the opinion that the pro-
posed conventionis Is nothing more, Sc
rious than an exnisitioh Of jdisap-
pointm<nt and soreheadednessf that
. wilI result IN nothing but talk and
perhaps an effort to perfect stronger
7, Hleass or1anization ny tanning Ipat-
ti@n feeling and bitterness. But sur
misc and speculafion lead to nothing
ana no qne, ssvu those in tho con-
ndsnce cf Mr.. James and his associ-
ates KNOWS what are his alma or
what ne hopes 60 accomplish by his
ipropcsed. po-called Reform. con-
However, the fact that Mr.. James
A. sponsos for the PROPOSED cbnven-
41jepL has revived recoliections smops
~ c1d>r men of sumter and Lee
4 qorn1los q N eecurrence lnsidSnt to
- eeA4> sa4.a- -, M cSsn..
~ = lI(E M t6ll 81 B(iSn I sf 10. q
fbt Nnt Mr.. James boltsd ana NOT
only refuscd to support the regular
>ichst, but waH a candidate on mix
q white and negro ticket. As we
recollect the circumstances. Mr.. James
and some other irreconcilahle Re-
formers boited what was known as
the ''Peace and Harmony" convention.
I composed OF both straightouts and
Iteformers. and refused to support
tho ticket nominated by this conven-
tlon for delegates to the constitutions
al convention. The ticket named was
m follows: Judge T. b. Fraser. n. d.
Lee. ,. III. Scarborough. straightouts,
and sphepherd Nash. n. r. stackhouse
and Geo. p. AtcKagen. Reformers.
The convention nominating this ticket
was held as the result OK tho desire
Of a majority OF the members OF both
factions to put an end to tho factional
strife and bitterness that had RACED
In Sumter county without cessation
from 1890 up to that time.
The straighteut faction was in the
majority In surator county and there
was every reason to believe that full
straightout delegation to the Constitu-
\ fional Convention could be elected,
bot II being the wish OF conservative
men Of both factions to allay the
bitterness that had divided the coun-
fy for i've years, an agreement wa.
made TO hold peace and harmony"
convention. and to nominate combi-
nation ticket. each faction to have
three representatives The convention
was held and the plan was carried
out. but not without opposition and a
prolonged wrangle In the convention.
Mr.. James was one OF those who stood
ort against the peace and harmony
program and he and others refused
To abide by the action OF the conven-
tion. Later a caucus of the opponents
OF political peace and harmony In
sumter county was held and ticket
was put out in opposition to the nom
inees of the convention. A little later
ID leaked out that trade had been
framed up with the negroes and a
mixed ticket agreed upon. This tick
ct was as follows: w. A. James. of
Dishopville: james II. DuPrc. of Pis-
sab; ID. Il. Keels OF I4ynchburg, and
Peter Thomas, OF Atkins. whites, and
w. ". Andrews. OF Sumter. and II. ~.
RI. dson. of Wedseheld. negroes.
This -loket was run In the election for
delegates to Constitutional Conven-
tion. but was defeated. the ticket
headed by the late Judge II. Il. Fraser,
father Of Associate Justice II. r.
Fraser. being elected by a substantial
majority.
All this happened twenty-ono years
ago. and. writing from recollection. II
Is difficult to give all the details oi
tho occurrence. but the outlines above
given are substantially complete and
correct.
Those whose recoliections go bach
10 1895 are wondering. la view o.