The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-09-26
WHY HAMPTON
WAS NOMINATED

white people OF CHe Otdle IeueeAieo
the Government and ousted the car,
pet-baggers and negro offce-holders'
The Democratic ticket in that cam
paign was led by General Wade
Hampton with great tact, moderation
and wisdom, but credit for the move
ment which made Hampton Governor
of the State belongs to others.
Before the nomination of Hampton
for Governor there were two plans
by which the white people of the
State sought to bring about better
government. One party was in favor
of fusion with the better element of
the then Republican party, hoping
in that way to get rid of the unde-
sirable element in the government.
The other party believed in a straigh-
out fight by the white people of the
State against the powers then in au-
thority. The latter party was led
by General Mart W. Gary and Cen
eral NJ. C. Butler of Edgefeld.
In 1878 a meeting was held in
Edgefeld at which Generals Hamp-
ton, Butler, Hagood and others were
present. The Edgefeld Advertiser
reported the meeting fully. At that
meeting General Mart w. Gary made
a speech in which he gave the his
tory of the movement which resulted
in the nomination of General Hamp-
ton for Governor, with a statement
of the part played by various lead
ers in the State. The statement
made by General Gary had the in
dorsement of both General Hampton
and General Butler, as we'll as Gen
eral Hagood.
We reproduce the statement here,
as taken from the files of The Edge
field Advertiser in order that the
people may not be forgetful of the
men who took part as leaders in that
contest:
".As today has become a sort of
political love-feast. l will tell you
some of the secret history connected
with the straightout movement. |
went to the Centennial celebyation in
Charleston, on the 18th of June,
1876, to nominate General Butler for
Governor. He had been Informally
announced in several newspapers,
and desired to decline the nomina-
ton, in order that we might agree
upon some one else. I put his nomi-
nation in the Journal of Commerce.
John T. CASTOR carried the notice to
the paper from the Charleston hotel.
When I started home I met on the
cars General Hampton, General Ker-
shaw, and General Hagood. I had a
short conversation with General
Hampton, in which l soon discovered
that he was in sympathy with the
movement General Butler and my
self were trying to inaugurate. He
told me that he did not expect to
return to Mississippi. 1 then said to
him that l intended to try and have
him (Hampton) nominated for Gov
on the straightout ticket, that
with Butler and myself on his tanks
we could win this, battle as we had
won others in war. He replied that
he was poor, had come back to get
the odds and ends of his former es-
tate together, that he did not desire
to run for the office, that he had
made sacrifices for South Carolina,
but that if he was the choice of the
convention he would run. I was de-
lighted at his acceptance, for l be-
lieved that he could harmonic all
of the differences of the Democratic
party. The contest was between Ker-
shaw and Connor for fusion, and
Butler and myself for the straightout
Democracy. We entered the war as
captains under hi mas Colonel in the
Hampton Legion. He came out of
the way a acknowledgement and con-
tinued to rank all Of US. l did not
believe that Kershaw and Common and
Butler and myself could have agreed
upon any one man, but l believed
that we all would rally under Hamp-
ton. After this conversation, Gener-
al Hampton and myself Joined Gen.
eIal kershaw and General Ragood.
announced to them that General
Hampton had consented, if nominal
ed, to u on the straightout ticket
for Governor. General Kershaw re-
piled: We'll. if the general is non,i-
mated, l will fall into line and sup