Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-10
YORK COUNTY POLITICS
Some Inquiry as to the Dlfefepee
IN Factions.
ANALYSIS OF COUNTY CONVENTION
Where Men Talk Of Peace and nar.
mony: but Refuse to Do the Things
That Make Peace and Harmony
PossibIe-OId Time Differences eas-
ed Upon Desire for Recognition ana
Thirst for Domination.

possibIe-oId Time Differences pas
ed Upon Desire for Recognition ans
Thirst for Domination.
Written for The Yorkville Enquirer.
The York county Democratic con
vcntion went all one way last Mon
day. and to the unsophisticated' ~
peared to be exceedingly harmonious
But the convention was not composed
very largely of the unsophisticaoeo
Most of the people present were mel
of judgment and experience, and yer!
few OF them were deceived by any
thing that was said or done, and IN
tenor OF the things that were said ane
done were not calculated to contribute
to harmony.
There were two factions In ina
Commemorative pronounced and wei
defined factions. For the time hent
they are called by some CONSERVATIVES
and Rcformcrs. Others designate then
as Rlcaseites and anti Bleascitcs. W.
do not like either of these distinc'
tions. for neither of them are truth
FULLY dcscriptive-no more so than wa:
the old distinction OF Tillmanite ant
anti-Tilmanitr. For the sake OF due
courtesy to both factions we prefer tc
designate them as Conservative ant
reform, though we confess we have
never seen any sign Of conservatism
about a Conservative, and we do moi
know Just what 1t Is that a Reform
rr wants 10 reform.
There are good many Conserve
tives" who prove their lack OF conser'
vatism by insisting upon calling Re-
formers "Blcascitcs." not sc much b!
way of designation as by way Of cpl.
tibet. just as in the old days Reform
crs were called "Tillmanites." The
fact of the business is that the Con-
scrvativc refers to a Reformcr as
Bcascite just as an ally refers to
German as a "Boche'-eXcept OF
course the feeling behind It Is some
what different.
The only objection in the world that
a Conservative politician has to a Re.
former or n Bleaseite Is that the Re-
former or Blcaseite will not vote for OF
follow the lead Of the Conservative
AS a rule the Rcformer is willing to
allow the Conservative to be q Con-
scrvative If he wants to; but by the
same rule the Conservative is not
willing to tolerate the Reformer un-
der any circumstances. except upon q
change Of party allegiance, and he
must not ask for recognition as free
citizen even at that. ..l5
BENJAMIN LTillmap did LaA
tablish these distinctions between
Conservative and Reformer. The dis
tinctlon Is almost as old as the history
of the state. II comes down from the
DAYS of the Lords Proprietors. This
state has always been governed by 9
minority. The Episcopal church was
mainly responsible for it. From few
wears after the first settlement of tho
state almost up to the Revolution
ary war 4 man could not vote
or hold office in this state unless ht
was n communicate Of the Episcopal
church. Trcorcticallv this condition
was changed after the Revolutions; bu,
the ruling class / d so well establish
cd itself in the meantime that 1t was
a long time before 1t was changed ac-
,ually. The first successful revolt was
led 10y Judge William II. Smith oi
York county, in about 1924. Judge
Smith went to the United States SEN
ate on the issue of Episcopal domina.
ton: but one terrible time he had oi
it. The opposition never, never gave
up its struggle for domination and aft
cr long bitter fight. Judge Smith
was finally driven from the state.
Tillman's fight was exactly the
same as Judge Smiths. No. it was moi
u church fight, nor a denominations
fight in the case of either Of them. II
was n fight for the tights Of the ma
iority against the domination of Q
ruling minority. That 10 all. Tillmar
found the great majority of South
Carolinians chatting under the irk'
some rule OF this oligarchic minority
and he was shrewd enough to lead the
majority out of the hands by which /,
was controlled. But do not let any
body make the mistake OF thinking
that Tillman had any easy time Of 1t
Personally he has Jared better than die
Judge Smith; but then he has beer
more of a politician than was Judge
Smith.
The followers of Judge Smith were
Rcrormers, Tillmanites or Bleaseites
His opponents were Conservatives.
So far as the whole upper part oi
the state was concerned. and especi-
ally so far as York county was con-
ccrned. Tillman reaped much benefit
from the efforts of Judge Smith, and
we do not think 1t going too far to
say that much of the Reform senti-
mcnt Of York county today is trace
able back to the teachings and preach
ings of this same Judge William H.
Smith.
Who in that convention last Monday
is out OF sympathy with the United
States of America in this war with
Germany? Not a man. We are sat-
isfied that there was not one among
either Of the Conservatives or Reform
ers. and we do not believe anybody In
the convention thought so.
But there was some very silly poll
tics in that convention.
Here arises a Conservative In SOL
emn seriousness and burning elo'
quence and advises the members thai
in these critical times, we must stand
together like brothers. We must for
get political differences and devote our
united efforts to the prosecution OF the
war.
Then rises a Performer" and puts IN
nomination as delegate for the state