The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-08
NO DIVISION q,

The retiring District Attorney fol-
this district, Col. j. William Thur.
mond, Of Edgefeld, has an article in
today's State in which he talks Of sev
eral things. Among them he discusses
the opposition to him by Senator Dial,
which opposition defeated his confir-
nation for reappointment, and de-
prived him Of two years of service in
his Office. He pays his respects to the
Laurens man, and thinks him the
greatest political accident the state
has ever seen. He does not state
whether he had this opinion of Mr..
Dial when the latter was the guest
Of the former at Edgefeld Gin and
during or the campaign, but he has it
now, and he speaks right out in the
meeting about it. Perhaps if Mr.. Dial
had been good about the appointment,
he would have been "growed-up"
senator by this time, but let that
pass.
Col. Thurmond does not think much
of the new converts to the republi-
can party in this state, and hopes
that there will be, no division amongst
the white people of the state. The
Colonel can contribute very much
to that end, if he will have the next
state democratic convention to a.
mend its rules by providing that the
democratic party in South Carolina
be independent OF every other party
on earth; that it is meant to run
things in South Carolina, that it may
by q decision of the white people,
support the candidate of the national
party which .promises something
worth while to this state, and leaves
the white people free to decide what
candidates they will support for con-
gress and president, regardless of
tie party to which they claim ad-
herence. The people will not always,
we think, allow few politicians and
newspaper men, all Of whom are will
ing to accept Office if offices are to
be had, to shape the politics of this
state, bind hand and foot every man
who votes for intendent of town
in a primary election, to vote for all
officers from president down whom
these professional office-seekers name,
and who they think will serve their
interests. There have been times, we
think, when it would have been very
much to the interest of the people OF
the state to vote for the nominees of
the republican party for president;
there have been times when these
candidates offered most to the peo-
pie of the state perhaps; and maybe
as.large minority of the white people
would have preferred these candi-
dates, certainly some of them would
have preferred them. Why, in such
a. case, should not the white people,
in white primary, if need be, be al
lowed to express their preference as
between the candidates of the two
great parties rather than have few
politicians fix things to suit them
selves. Such a course would be edu-
seational if nothing else.
/. Col. Thurmond and others should
take notice that if the white people
in South Carolina are not to be di-
.syided in politics, then the white mans
party in South Carolina, must be a
sparty Of the white men of the state,
in which every man may express his
views and submit all controversies to
the people for decision, unhampered
by platforms Of conventions made
by office-seekers.
The white mans party in South
Carolina, as a part of the democratic
party of the nation, is nothing but
4he kites tail, and yet we furnish all
of the material out of which the kite
is made and the wind which carries
It. So far as we are concerned we
do not care whether Southern men or
Northern men, democrats or repubi-
cans hold Office during either a demo
cratic or republican administration,
that is a minor consideration, if the
office holders are competent but we
want free discussion IN South Caro-