The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-16
THE REFORM PARTY
TO FORM ORGANIZATION


Democratic party of South Carolina,
pursuant to the action taken at the
October convention, has estaDhsneo
Headquarters in Columbia, and the
central committee Of the party Will
meet here at noon on Wednesday,
March q, to map out definite pro-
gram for the campaign of 1918, which
is now practically on.
At the meeting Of the central COM
mittee the action of the recent gen.
eral assembly will be considered, and
the campaign which is to be inaugur-
ated will probably not only lncluoe
the suggestion of State ticket TO =
the Democrats Of South Carolina, out
that the various counties send to the
next legislature delegations Whlch
will make an earnest endeavor to re-
Eeve the people of the State from
some portion, at least, of the buroen
of taxation under which they are Ia
boring, and to enact other remeolal
measures-in other words. to express
the whole matter in concrete FORM
the suggestion will be to the people
of the State that they get together IN
an effort to take over their own ogV-
ernment into their own hands.
The necessity for some action OF
this kind is evidenced not only by
the appropriation bill of the last lesls-l
lature, but by other acts of the gen.
eral assembly passed at the recent
session, and by the attitude of the
present administration.
In this connection, it would be use
less to review the failure OF the gen
eral assembly to enact the measures
proposed looking towards a reduction
in the legal interest rate; the failure
to submit to the people the question
. of biennial sessions; and the fallurd
to pass other measures which would
have tended towards the reduction or
expenditures.
There is also no need to call atteli-
ton again to the appropriation or
s53,5oo for claw enforcement" the
compromise measure by the prohl0i-
tionists, among themselves, which re-
suited in the passage Of the quart
a-month for medicinal purposes" leg
islation; the creation Of new oft1ces,
carrying additional salaries. in this
time of strain and stress.
AL these matters have been 80
fully reviewed that they are beccm-
ing threadbare. 1t will be the effort
of the Reform party, however, to
show the people exactly how they
have been treated, and to urge them
to rally around their own standard
and redeem the State from a imam
cial tyranny, which is just as burden
some upon the lives and liberties or
the masses Of the people as the ty-
ranny of selfish kings in the olden
times.
There is another tyranny which
the people will be urged to throw on,
nv their ballots. 1t is exemplihed In
the attitude of the administration
forces towards the present chief game
warden, who is a "Blease appolntee,
and who has made good in the Office
South Carolina during the past
quarter of a century has been noted
for the strenuous political battles
waged between the two factions OF
her democratic party which have ex-
listed during that time. That the gam
paisn of 1918 will be as hard-fought
as anv IF these previous campaigns.
is certain; and that it may surpass
them all in the vigor with which II
will be waged, is probable.
That Former Governor Blease Will
be called upon to lead the Reform
party in the race for governor is the
concensus Of opinion of the Reform
leaders who have been in Columbia
from different parts of the Stat DUR
ing the past several days. Several
other candidates have been suggested
or announced, among them Attorney
General Thos. y Peanles of "a'
we'll; Hon. w. a. Stuckey, of Lee, and
Hon. Jno. G. Richards OF kershaW.
There is a general disposition, how
ever, to "get together and agree up
on "straight-out' ticket. in which
event Former Governor Blease will
probably be called upon to take the
lead, and some of the other gentlemen
mentioned may be candidates for 9TH
er State positions.
The Reform party will oppose Sen
ator B. r. Tillman for reelection, II
he should be a candidate to succeed
himself, as now seems probable. At
y torney General Thos. H. Peoples may
be a candidate for the United States
senate. Hon. W. Jasper Talbert, OF
Parksville, Mccormick county, has
issued a formal announcement stating
that he will make the race.
On the anti-Reform party side OF
the issue there has as yet been no
crystallization of opinion, so far as
has yet appeared. Governor Manning
has made no statement in regard to
his future course in politics since the
interview he gave to the press some
months ago in which he stated that
he would not be candidate for the
United States senate This leaves the
field for the United States senate at
this time, so far as the anti-Reform
side is concerned, to three men-Sen-
ator Tillman; Mr. Mr.. N. B. Dial, OF
Iaurens. and Former Congressman