Political Parties.—Since 1876 practically the entire white population has been Democratic, partly from historical reasons and partly because of the conviction that union under the only national party that has defended them against negro rule in the past is necessary for the maintenance of white supremacy. The only murmuring in this connection was in 1928, when the nomina tion of Governor Alfred E. Smith for president put a severe strain on the party loyalty of thousands of South Carolina Dem ocrats, though few voted against him.
The Reform Movement.—In 1878-80, under the leadership of M. W. Gary (1831-81), the old conflict between up and low country became a fight mainly between the poorer masses and the propertied classes.
The triumph under Benjamin R. Tillman (governor 1890-94; U.S. Senator 1895 to his death in 1918), prominent "farmers' movement" leader, was facilitated by acute agricultural distress. Col. A. C. Haskell's appeal to the negro against Tillman, with proviso that there should be only white officials, was generally condemned even by his own class, drew practically no negroes, and only served to embitter feeling among the whites. The farmers', or more broadly "reform," movement was marked by the establishment of Clemson Agricultural and Mechanical col lege (1889), the dispensary system of State liquor monopoly (abandoned because of corruption and failure to restrain intem perance) and the work of the Constitutional Convention of 1895 disfranchising so far as possible the negro. Direct primary elec
tions, long in use in most of the counties, beginning in some in 1878, were adopted in 1896 for naming U.S. Senators, Congress men and State officers. State politics since 1890 present a strange combination of rancorous personal politics, mass conservatism and dislike for "aristocratic" influence. Class feeling was strongly manifested in the campaigns of Coleman L. Blease (governor 1911-15). Factionalism subsiding, Blease was in 1924 elected Senator after having been badly defeated in 1918 on a platform condemning American participation in the World War. The State contributed over 70,000 men to the World War.
Agriculture and banking suffered severely in the deflation of Partial recovery through diversified farming and indus trial expansion was halted by the world depression in 1929.