Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

t ?chance ot being elected as a split foot bull-rog did of kicking juli the > water ont of I-ako Michigan. At least, that Is thc opinion of a friend of taine. The prico paid for these Islands has been given as an objec tion. This is absurd. Enginud, ??Yaneo, Germany, Russia or Japan Would pay ten times as much to oc cupy our position in tho Philippine Islands. Lying as they do ulong the . 'Asiatic coast, they are the gateway lu ""the Orient. The people of the 3= are vitally Interested In the ^hlna; so far, we have only Kl e of the provinces. Min mm> .he other night In Char >t the teeming millions In ma, and said the great fwas to clothe tho people, e forced to use silk to make .tithes, but that this was cx /o and almost an Impossibility, i told that, for fear of wearing m out, tho Chinese very rarely ash their clothes. I have heard it " wittily said that the chief difference between the Chinese and Japanese is. that the former never wash the .clothes, and the latter never wash their body. I believe lt was Mr. Wu who Said tho other Light, to teach the Chinese to wear cotton shirts and then get the emperor to Issue an edict to make the tails only one Inch tonger, and the cotton crop of the Sooth would be exhausted bv that one Inch, and none left for Europe. It any argument was needed to show the Importance of these markets, the effect of recent troubles in China ls sufficient. Cotton goods are stacked up in tho warehouses unsalable, and when the best judges thought last fall that cotton would be twelve and one-half to fifteen cpnts per pound. lt has declined more than three cents. I am an expansionist-I favor the political, commercial and religious expansion of our country. This ls alone the line of progress. Wo can cot attain a certain growth and then eland 'still. As In the individual, so ta the nation. We either move for .ward towards perfection, or back ward . . towards decay. There arc certain crises in the lifo of every man which seized leads to success, let them pass and tho chance ls lost forever. Tho capacity to take ad -vantage of opportunity constitutes tho difference between the man whe succeeds and the one wno fails, ami GO lt ls with nations. We have .grandly relzed our opportunities, ant' I for one am In favor of pushing '.I *o the limit. During the past cen tory we have boen absorbed In test lng the great question of constltu tlonal representative government am tbp. development of America. Thc r ..finie has now como when we mus l&avo foreign trade, and not merelj subsidiary to our industrial develop ment at homo but as necessary t< our continued prosperity. Our re sources and population demam ' world-wide avenues of trade, and w< cannot separate the commercial aw political elements Involved. Wha aro wo to do with our surplus pro duets? This is the question engag lng the attention of all tho clvillzot nations of tho earth. The only fleh unoccupied is In the Orient. I believ? that the time is nenr at hand who. the cotton trade of tho South will h With the Orient. When our com merco on tho Atlantic will be ins'.p tllflcant compared with that of th Pacific. Minister Wu gave us som valuable information at Charlotte Our manufacturers aro roaching ou ?for thlc Irado, and what better can do as your Senator than help then No State will reap a richer rewan than South Carolina, with all th I Water power and manufacturing dc velopment In the Piedmont reglot and with three such harbors a Charleston, Georgetown and Pot Hoy al. How can I better serve th farmers of this State? They wi! Share in tho benefits of this trade Here is tho United States midwa between Europe and Asia. Almos an Island when the canal ls cut Wlth the Gulf of Mexico on tho Sout and tho Great Lakes on the North tho Atlantic on ono side and the Pi elfie on tho other, and with the pe; plo bf two continents bidding for ot: .products, tho possibilities dazzle th Imagination. It ls no idlo dream, believe that most of the people wltl IU the sound of my voico will live t ?no it realized. We have, become l*nclflc power with 5.000 miles < coast on that ocean; with the Hi wallan Islands and Aleutian Idlant . aa vesting places, and the Philippine as tvkey to tho "Open Door." wo ai the i nly nation strong enough to ooh pel Pussln, with her trsns-Slberia Railroad, to respect ?he integrity c tho Chinoso Emp're. As long as th United States end Japan Bay "No, tit s Chinese Etaplro must remain ii tact"and the door be left open to on urodUv.ts. When I think of ho strangely lt has all come about, fanriot bat hellove that tho hand < Cod ls folding this government, an lhat hft,P {^watched over and dlrec ?d UB ? f ..o/?e Path whero He grea j-.ess,' Jknr."' ~Qn" prosperity. I' cann; . iindermuo to discuss the question < U government for these outlying po sessions; wo have settled other pro: terns of a moro complex nature, an t cannot but believe that a solutlo Will ht found Just, humane and satl factory ?to all concerned. My vote o the Amiy Bill has been attacked. HOT THE FIRST TIME SOUT CAROLINA HAS RISEN ABOVE PARTY, lt was along the line of supportlc ."^e foreign policy of this govcrnmen ?j** say right here, that I am n< the'flr?tvCongressinan from Soul Carolina who bas voted against h party and sv>aporv?d the Presldei whon lt carno ^ a question of a fo ?iga war. Thrcft of the greatest nu W?t South Carolina has ever pr ducod, Calhoun, Lowndes and Chcvc supported the government again *^jf>^l'ty during the war of 181 .vbjBvea used these words, which . **jpeat from the bottom of my hear ^..respective of party, for tho gre tul.uvcKt of the nation." /in connection with the fight now /progress against me. the first pr /teclive tariff bill ever Introduced wi by n South Carolina Repr?sentativ Lowc1c3. and advocated by Mr. Ci one of the greatest speech' $^$1 11 roat1-8 ?l? w^? the first tin *V- .wj Gaffney. ?. C.. May ia. rim A^llency Gov. M. B. McSweei yflumbla, S. C. ^ Sir:-We hereby tender our rei nations as Senators from South Ct jina in tha United States Senate, i ask as a personal favor that you not appoint our successors, uni there bs as extra session of ? ate, until the Democratic Stato cc mittee shall have ordered a priman choose the men to be appointed. If : and between tl'or.e amounts the dis cretion was left to the President. At that time the Insurrection was In pro gress, and my common sense told me there was but one of two things to do Cither put enough men in the field to crush the rebellion, or quit and come homo. I believe in the former plan, and so voted. Fellow-citizens, there is a great deal of clap-trap talked even in the United States Senate. About one half of those mournful speeches on the great danger of "Imperialism" and "Militarism" were for home con sumption and the most of them were made after a comfortable beefsteak and a bottle of "Mumm's Extra Dry." I see that since the rebellicu is over, tho President says that he will take tho minimum amount. Surely, fa'. low-citizens, I could afford to trust a man on a question of that kind whom the people of the United StateB had elected to the Presidency. Why not. exercise a little common senae-lt is a simple application of the rule of three. If an army of thirty thousand men ls required for a population cf 35.000.000 people, ls an army of 05. 000 men too much for a nation of 70. A/jA MM Congress for years been spending money along the coasts and buying expensive guns, and abso lutely many of them are lying out and rusting for want of men. THF] SUBSIDY BILL. Now, fellow-citizens, this brings mo to the much-discussed Subsidy Rill. In the first place, lt Is aston ishing to me what a misconception there Is as to this roattor. There has never been a vote on the Subsidy Bill and yet even my good friend. General lintier, whom I love like a father, speaks of "McLaurin's voto on thc Subsidy Rill. Thero never was a voto on the 'Subsidy Bill, and it was well understood at tho timo that I mado my speech that there would not bo a vote at that scssiou. If I desired to deceive the people and play an un worthy part. I might just as well have kept silent and not had that Is sue In this campaign; but I felt that the people should be educated on this Important measure. My vote was of no practical value under any cir cumstances, because, If lt could have been brought to a vote, there wa3 a majority of eighteen to twenty In favor of tho hill. I did not Intend just at that time to make a set speech on tho bill. I arose In my seat to present the resolution of the Cotton Spinners' Association, and be fore I knew it I had drifted Into a speech on the general principles of the bill. What ls known as the Han na-Payne Bill has already been changed so much that the authors of the hill would not know It If they met it In the road. There was at the time a great many amendments pend ln*, and nobody ever knows what a bill of that sort will be until lt passes the Conference Committee between the two Houses; this bill never went so far as to get a vote, let alone a conference. So far as I am con cerned, I do not profess to be a mas ter of tho subject. When you enter the realm of ocean freights, with the relativo cost of high knot and low knot speed, tonnage and wages, it takes an expert t to understand lt. Senator Frye is ri very ablo man, and 1 do not believe there Is a more hon est ono in tho American Congress. He has devoted twenty-five years to j the study of those questions, and vet. I have no doubt that you could find some members of the South Caro- j Una Legislature who never saw a bigger ship than a canoe on a mill pond, who know more than Senator Frye, or anybody else, on the sub ject of shipping and ocean freights. ONLY A "STEAL" WHEN NOT COMING THEIR WAY. One of tho great objections to the subsidy is they call it a "steal." Well. follow-cItlzenB. that is a very poor argument; opponeuts of the river and harbor, postofflco, or any other bill erm make the same charge. I was a little amused to see tho hend-lincs of ..he News and Courier, "Tho Ship 3ubsldy Steal," when In the , same .week the Mayor of Charleston and the editor of that paper were In Washington wanting nine million dol llaro spent on a naval station, and a subsidy of a quarter of a million for tho Exposition. It seems that a sub sidy ls only a ''stc-al" when it is not coming their way. TI?' such foolish denunciations of tho subsidy prlp? clple lt has been difficult to get a fair consideration. Talk oiuut lob hies. There never-"jros ? more pow erful lobby in Washington than that opposed to the subsidy formed by thc great trans-continental railroads and the foreign steamship owners. I may say something later on this subject which will embarrase some people, but will refrain at this time. There is nothing in the principle of the hill itself which Involves stealing, de frauding the government or sectional advantages. There may have been some abuses In granting subsidie? when lt was In tho experimental stage, but there ls no reason now why there should bo abtises. In the ad ministration of any law there ls a chanco of abuse, and yet the law may bo a good ono the abuses being mere ly incident to its execution. This is what the friends of prohibition and the dispensary each claim. Subsidies are no new theory in the South. Con ventions were held during the twenty years preceding the war to encourage the building up of tho commerce and Industries of the South. Hayne, Cat houn and McDufflo were leading spirits in theso enterprises. Tho es tablishment of railroad and steam ship lines by government aid wu3 ad vocated. South Carolina subsidized railroads before the war. Two mil lion dollars were given to construct tho Blue Ridge Road, which has nev er been completed. I think I cnn say that nearly every lino of road constructed In this State before the war was subsidized, either directly or indirectly. Thc Legislature of Loulssiana grantee? a subsidy of $5.00 per ton for every vessel of more than 100 tnnn built in the State. Alabama gave 4.00 a ton. and exempted from taxation nil gooda Imported Into the State from foreign countries. The National Government connected the Atlantic and the Pacific by subsidiz .nat ?. =>J^)Oxtent that we are now "n., ?~l"S*?*t an o?11** for o??" snr. g"??j4Ucts. AU that in proposed, K0?: ' ia to foliow in developing our foreign ? trade the tame "principles tuet have succeeded in our internal develop nient, ls there anything new or strange in this? It is good common business sens?. What difference in principle is there between the State Government subsidizing railroads, and tho Federal government steam ship Unes? WHAT DOES BRYAN THINK OF HIS POLITICAL PARTNER OF 1896? I have In my hand an article advo cating subsidies by Mr. Se wall, who was on the Bryan ticket In 1S96. 1 would like to know what Mr. Bryan thinks of the "Democracy of his re cent political partner, since he has attacked mine." Twenty year3 ago, when we wished to develop manu facturing in South Carolina, did we not subsidize every cotton mill by exempting lt from taxation? What progressive town or county has not eulsioized r.ii'roade 01 other enter prises essential to ?ts development ? I never saw an individual, who ever amounted to anything, who wa?; afraid to spend money on himself, and so lt is with towns, coun'.leE, ot?tv? ?U? governments. VOTING SUBSIDIES TO RAIL ROADS AND NEWSPAPERS. Why should thc Southern pople, in the faco of these facts, repodar? the spirit ..' fcixly yc4*s nco? Who.*, a gross inconsistency for Senators and Representatives to denounce the sub sidy principle and endeavor to arouse the prejudices of the people, when nearly every one of them from the South each year votes a subsidy to tlie Southern Ruilroad for carrying the fast mail to New Orleans. Why. fello\v-citizoii3, they voted for a Pesto ince Appropriation Bill at the last session, with a subsidy of thirty-five million dollars for carry ing the mails. It is really a subside j to the magazines and newspapers cf j the country, for the receipts are that much loss than the expenditures for that class of mall. A subsidy of nine millions per year ls much more defen sible, in my judgment, in the develop ment of our foreign trade. We spend millions of dollars building naval ves seis, useful only in times of war. why not build vessels useful both In war and penco? Every vessel ac cepting tho subsidy ls a part of the navy in time of war. The question ls not as to the principle of tho sub sidy bill, that ls a part of our es tablished policy, both State and Na tional, but it ls whether thia particu lar subsidy ls for the general wei j fare. Is lt expedient, ls lt wise, and I shall devote a few moments to this aspect of th? case. There was a j time when, by government aid and encouragement, we had a merchant marine, and carried ninety per cent. I of our products abroad. Last year \ only nine per cent, was carried lu American bottoms. Why Is this? I EUROPE VB. UNITED STATES. It ls because In this contest cf Eu i rope against the United States, for I clgn shipowners get a subsidy from ! their governments of twenty rail i lion dollars, besides the advantat? i of lower wages, and have thuB driven t the American flag from the high seas Wo pay this subsidy to the foreign ships in increased freight rates ovei .ind over again. We are drained ol two hundred millions a year whlcl we pay foreign vessels In freights ! No other country could stand sud a drain. After all, then, we are pay ; lng a subsidy, and hence lt ls a ques ; tlon of whether wo will subsidize i American or forelen vessels. It l; j useless for me to discuss before thi I Intelligent audience the Importance cf cur foreign trade If Eurone an? the United States are to be compet? tors in the markets of the world, cai we afford to put ourselves entirely ii their hands? The power to fl: freight rates gives thora the powei to fix the price of our cotton, whea j and manufactured products, j Suppose there should be a genera European war. and tho merchan marine of England, Germany and Nor way was pressed in for trananoi" aorvlce. What would bo thg effce on cotton and cotton goods? I tel you, that you would ??c cotton haulec i Into the streets e? Greenville and no j Bold at three cents, but simply haulrc i back home. There would be n< j buvers,' ?ecause there would be n I ?hi4?7B to carry cotton or cotton goorii I Abroad, business of all kinds wouli languish, and there would bo failure; on every hand. Conditions havi changed. Before the war we wer buyers abroad, now we are seller? Wo are asking foreigners not to e>; chango products, but to come hero t< buy. Nothlns would suffer In cape o a European war Uko cotton. The; would have to. come here to bu; wheat, corn, bacon, mules and horses as England did In the Boer War, bu they could do without cotton for i year or so. All the ships would bi noeded for war uses. Foodstuffs hlgl and no salo for cotton, what coull hurt the South worse? What, then is more dependent on American ship than the cotton crop? Does any man of common sens suppose in this great contest for th trade of the Orient, that the ships o Germany and England are going t give us tho same advantages tha they do their own merchants? As Mi Thurber, of Ne** York, recently said "Every ship is a missionary of trade and steam Unes work for their owi countries Just as railway lines wor for their terminal points. It. is a absurd for the United States to rel upon foreign ships to distribute he goods, as lt would be for one bus ness house to rely upon the wagon of a competing house to make Its dc liveries." There ls no section s vitally interested in ships as th South. Why, Charleston, Mobile an New Orleans should rival New Yorl so far as harbors aro concerned. W have already felt tho benefits of ou A?tatlc trade, and in lt Hes the poss bllitles of our future, but we mus have cheap freight, rapid transporti tlon, and the prestige of the Amer can flag over our own ships. Ou Southern ports are discriminate against by the same great railrou lines that aro fighting the opportunit for an American merchant marin* Wc must have a Southern comraerc, not a Southern trade. That same Ii fluenco has prevented the constru? tlon of the Nicaraguan Canal, and predict that there will be no cana until Its friends uni) tho advocates c a merchant mafry join forces an work in haxmorf * th* two aro ii Wi separable. They v/111 either fall to- j pether or succeed toL'Cther. When | that time comos, freights will move North an 1 South. Instead of Ea'it and West. Our ports will be the gateways, and tlie South will develop with un equalled rapid itv. Cannot auy'man of sense see that the money power head ed by C. P. Huntington and Hill, with great railway systems running East and West, do not want freight de fleeted South? With this chango, the Seaboard. Coast Line and Southern would rival la greatness the three trans-continental lines. The pro ducer of raw material will prosper, just in proportion to the demand for bis product. All that our Southern people have to do now is to be wise and conservative, and favor the great public measures looking to thc pro motion of the material and industrial interests of the country and the honor and glory of the nation. no YOUR OWN THINKING. Fellow-citizens, with so many thinga to talk about, it has not been possible for me to do more than skim the Bur face, but I hope I have been uo fortu nate as to excite a desire on your part to investigate for yourself and not let some old moss-back, who does cot i know that the war has ended, do your thinking. These are practical, vital is sues. As your Senator, I have frankly stated my position. There are two sides to these questions. I respect an honest d liieren ce of opinion, but no mau can impugn my motives successfully. NOT AN AUTOMAT ?N. I never could answer the endo of an automat on in politics o" bu3 ne*s I yield to tho dictation of no man. lt is characteristic of a Scotchman to think and act for himself. I have asserted and will always assert my personal and political individuality. I have blared out my own path more than once tn County. State and National politics, and followed it without re ! g*ard to popular applause. I made ! "Peace and unity" very popular once I in this State-too popular, in fact-for j some of those v/ho once denounced the "Leader of the Movement." now grovel in the dust at the feet of their old-time toe, humbly content with the curses that full from his Ups, for the sake of the few crumbs that drop from the I table. REFUSES TO PREACH THE GOS PEL OF DESPAIR. If re-elected, as far as in me Hc3 my voice and vote will be used In behalf of those measures which make for hu man progress and human happiness In tho present world; measures which will unite and knit men into a wider recognition of the brotherhood of man. My voice will go, not to invoke party prejudice and party passion, not to preach a gospel of despair, not to help to create bitterness, but to assist in its ellr--"nation. Tho rancor of party prejudice, the foment of party spirit, the agitation for public spoils and selfish ends, these are the fetters that clog, the manacles that impede our national development, and threaten our national life. A COMMISSION .TO STUDY CHINA IMPORTANT TO THE SOUTH. When a measure ls beforo Con gress proposing the creation of a non partisan commission of trained busi ness men to visit China, to investigate and report how wider markets for American products may be obtained among the eig.t hundred million of people who live In that portion of the globe, a measure which would be of more benefit to the cotton growers and cotton spinners of the South than almost any single economic measure ever Introduced into Congress shall I blindly follow the lead of the modern apostles of Democracy and vote against it because the meiv ure originates upen the Repub lican side, and because a Republican President would have the naming of such commission? For one. I have .a higher conception, mot alor?? 0f mr privilege Pat my duty, to stand by and frilr^ilce by every honorable effort the Interests of those people through whoso favors I have a place in the halls of legislation. When to be a suc cessful politician one must cater aione to prejudice and follow blind passion In its leadership. I shall even If taunt ed by the latter-day saints of Democ racy,' prefer to believe, that my con : duct io in strict accord with the poll I des of those grand old Democratic heroes of tue past, who in their day end age, gifted with patriotism and wisdom, made the Democratic partj known throughout the nation as the party of progress as welJ as the party of power. IS PROSPERITY SO FRIGHTFUL A PHANTOM? Whenever prosperity is so frightful a phantom that I must either get scar ed rt that phantom or stand by the is suet that promote prosperity, you need rt ot fear that I shall dodge. Whenever certain "la%ter-day saints" attempt to force me to the acceptance of the doc* trine that a dead Issue of the past is a vital force In the living present, ? shall make my personal protest. When ever, to be an acceptable Democrat, ac cording to the definition ot a party led by Allen, Pettigrew and Teller, I must attack and oppose every man and ev ery measure that is not marching backward, I shall reserve to myself_thc right to state that South Carolina turns her face with hope and with courage towards the f?ture. Whenever, In the face of a pending political contest, ono must have a cold chill each time cotton goes from live to twelve centB or wheat to a dollar a bushel; each time cattle or hogs go_urj a cent a pound; each.time he reads an advance of ten per cont in wages; each time he secs a notice in the paper ol "Men Wanted" In our great Industrial army; each time that an old, linger ing mortgage is cancelled; each time that he sees a new roof put upon the house and a few more comforts for th? old mother at the nr?slde; each time he sees tho burdens of domestic toi! lightened for the weary wife, to be compelled to have a chill for fear Mr. Bryan's chances would be hindered by each and all of these varied circum stances during the last three or foux years, would have kept me in a per petual shiver. For myself, rathor than be a sufferer from an Imaginary ague I shall p:*efor to glory In these evi dences of prosperity and happiness rather than conjure them up as spec ters, even if some politician's chancee ar? ?boreby lessened. When to be approved by "the latter a'ay saints of Democracy" as a consis tent party man, ono must turn bis back to the rising tun and watch alahe ?tn petting, and when, instead of view ing the glories of the morning, he must conjure up the phantoms of night, I shall rest content to place my i-jith in those immortal principles, which the fathers of Democracy pro mulgated at the formation of our gov ernment, and which have been sealed by the devotion of partr?otic men and consecrated by the blood of heroes. When marching from a condition of misery, when fleeing from a land of Sodom, must one needs look back with yearning? When, like the chosei of God, es caping from the task-masters of Egypt, and marching towards the land of pro mise, flowing with milk and honey, with wealth of corn, vine and olives, abounding In fatness, must we still at tompt to satisfy the morbll cravings of that appetite which yet yearns for the fleshpots of Egypt? With the great race prob'.em, which bas for so rnauv year3 confronted us, happily settled, as I said at Charlotte, "why snouiu we be miserable uiavee o? one party, and a foot-ball for the oth er?" Let it be understood that the in dustrial and commercial Interest of the South come before the interest of any yoHt'elan, ! ennnot believe that nar rowness, bigotry, prejudice or the arts of the wily politician, should be per mitted to swerve us from a course . hieb leads to the attainment of these objects, which bring in their train blessings to every farm and nreiid?, to every heart and home, in our grand old commonwealth. Why should the achievement of some narrow political ambir.lon stop the young men of the South from the op portunity of winning the same success which is open to the young raen of the North? Some twelve years ago, a boy of German parentage just out of a lit tle school near Pittsburg, went to work in an iron mill. Quick, active, willing obliging, ne was soon promoted tc u position in the draughting office. A short time afterwards he was promoted as assistant foreman,.then cs foreman, then as superintendent, then cs man ager, Iben as president, and today, he stands as president of the l?gest cor poration that the world has ever known, and by common report draws a salary of ona million dollars per year. This is an extreme case, but mer ely an example of thousands and tens of. thousands of similar eases in the North. I cannot believe that there are higher intelligence, g!?:ater capacity or truer worth, to be found anywhere than among the youths of pur State. The difference arises alone from con ditions and environment. What father or mother, v/hat good patriotic citizen, what Christian man, then, would censure me, realizing as I do the marvellous advantages that South Carolina possesses for manufac turing, and recognizing the Infinite possibilities of development, if I hope 'bat that development shall como speedily as a blessing to you aud yours. Can there be a commercial triumph,, an industrial success, that will not bring pleasure to my heart? | believe that the intelligence and the Christian patriotism of the people of this State r.'il risa lo a conception of o::r'grand possibilities .If my life shall be pre served to witness this marvellous trl nmph, do you think the attacks made r.pcn me by selfish, ignorant men, with iheir own purposes to serve, will not be forgotten, or, at least the wounds they may leave will have healed, and ^ven those who condemn today will join with me In a shout of thanksgiv ing that will stir every heart capable of lofty sentiment. Fellow-citizens: Before I close I dc Flre to say something in defense o! a dist?n????sfced gentleman cf thc Stato of Georgia. * "Aft?1" 1 made my fPezch at Charlotte, 1 reei^T0^ several hun dred letters of ccnp^ulat'on from prominent Democrat3 in 0V6ry Stat^ South of Mason and DiX^ Hae. Arno ig Ibero all there was one let??T???a* ^ai^ such a ring of truth about it, t^i^1 ? wrote and requested permission to' publish lt. It was from the Railroad O>mml35lon of the State of Georgia. As econ as this letter appeared in tao public prirts, the politicians be?an the same attr .ks upon Mr. Crenshaw that t.hoy were making upon me. <A politi cian out ci office wants oaly sufficient agitation to get In. Then he wants political stagnation to enable him to continue In office. M,r. Crenshaw does not belong to this* petty cla?s. TO.eso newspapers charge thnt.Mr Crenshaw is seeking my aid to secure a Federal appointment. I denoance the assertion as an absolute falsehood, as I have never s?en Mr. Cren3haw. The only letter that I have ever receiv ed from him th?t has not been pub lished I now hold in my hand. Thh letter will touch the hearts of ev?ry father and m o? her in this broad land. I m eke no apology for reading this pa triotic gentleman's letter, lt ls so pa thetic and breathes the spirit of a no ble, chivalric soul, that 14 will abso lutely stamp as false anything of a sordid nature in connection with him. DETTER OF Mil, ORENSHAW. State Capitol, Office of Railroad Commission of Georgia, T. C. CrcnshawjCthalrman. May 17,1?01. Hon. John D. McLaurin, Bennetts ville. 6. C. My Dear Sir: The publication of my tetter to you of the 25th ult, endorsing your Charlotte speech, has . heaped upon me a storm of abuse and 'misrep resentation in t,v j state. This le to bo regretted mo.-e on account of the dogmatic condition that it evidences, than for any haran that it can bring upon me. In order that you may read and see for y ourse? Z how unjustly I have been assailed, simply for having the courage, to express my honest con victions. I hand you herewith clip pings from several Georgia papers. I especially invite your attention to tho outrageous publications in the . Even ing Nows' issue of tho 15th, inst., headlined "Capital Democrats Hot at Crenshaw." You will observe in thia publication, I am charged with ulte rior motives; that I am seeking a Fed eral appointment, and am counting on your support. I entertained the views I expressed to you in my letter long -.'.'j ' , V ! before I knew anything as to what: your line ci. policy In the United States* Senate would be upon any question. I oin produce personal letters showing: that I wrote to friends in Ohio and New York on the subject o? Mr. Bryao and his ylaifurni, ia which I exprot????. myself more extremely than I did in dither ol my tetters td you. I have, oa different occasions, in private conver sations with friends, made statements? sim liar to those contained In my let ters to you. I stand by adi I have writ ten, regardless of what they may say,, and t?tere I3 t?o power on earth that can drive me from my position. If any man In America Is to bo allowed to write to ?ay what he thinks of Mr. Bryan and his absurd cry of imperial Ism, without being branded as a trai tor, I certainly ought ho be granted that privilege. ' I am one of those who believe Mr Bryan, by his unpatriotic utterances concerning the policy of our govern ment in the suppression of the Phil ippine Insurrection, is indirectly re* .-gonn'ble for many lives that have? been lost, and much o? the blood that bas been shed in those islands. Gan oral Laraton said* "If I ?^TT! UIMcd Mr Bryan, by fae encouragement he I* giving tH insurgents, will be respon sible for ray death." 1 had a sen in the full vigor of hi? young manhood, with a thorough mil itary educa'.icn, who, through th? k'ndness of President McKinley, waa mai.Ta sen "or captatn In the 28 (h Volun teer Infantry. He was looked upon by all who knew him, and recognized ny all his superior officers, from General MacArthur down, os one of the bravest captalna In the Philippine army; he was also dreaded hy the insurgents,, probably as much as any oilier Amer ican officer, on ace y mt of his daring} and successful scouting int} place* that were thought to be impregnable. The mountain Of Cavile, at cha Bo; lc? of Payapa, in Batanga? province, on the Island of Luzon, is stained with his blood and brains, and ne now sleeps* lu a cold and silent "grave, with a young widow to struggle through lif* without his help, and four little chil dren to be raised to womanhood with out A father'B protection. I loved my son, and was proud of the record h> made as a soldier. On receipt of the news of his deatia, his commanding of ficer Immediately issued the following general order: **It Is n,o exaggeration to say th*t ia? . Captain Crenshaw's death the' rog> ment has suffered an lrreparah'e loss 'I'ftat ls a high encomium, but In his case lt is deserved." Tills same officer In writing to Major General H. C. Corida, Adgt. Gen. U. S. A., said among other things: "Mr. Crenshav/ does not know what. a fearless and devoted soldier his son WR3. From the flrat moment my eyes rested upen him at Manila, he was all attention to duty. Fear he did not .know; hl3 physical powers never ^ ged; his willingness to work in th*' line of his profession knew no bounds j and he had the rare faculty cf insplr I ing h's men with his spirit. He was brave and constant I was just upon? the point of recommending him for tho brevet of major and lieutenant colonel, when word was received that ho all too soon "iad passed beyond the reach of earfiiily reward." Such are the records on filo In the War Department at- Washington, D. C., concerning my son. How could I feel otherwise than proud of h!rn7 Although shot ia the head, with his brains oozing out, he retained his pres ence of mind and directed the fight uniy his soldiers, who 'had learned to love him, had routed and put to 'fright an enemy outnumbering his command ten to one. After suffering months of pain through the cavity made by an ins-urgent bullet, he reached home, wihero he had came to die among his loved ones. On his deatti bed he said to me: "Father, Wm. Jennings Bryan Is certainly responsible for my condi tion; all of Bryan's utterances are known and understood by the Insur gents in the Philippine Islands as welt as they are here, and they axe ?Imply keeping up the Insurrection In hope? {.hat Bryon will be elected, and that ti-jfios 'will be withdrawn and the islands turnV?V J>ver to ?tem " f?o further said: 'TOSS*? is.. defeatfcd' they will soon quit fighfc%S; . r Mr. Bryan is against the rWT?0^0* the Philippine Islands, and has cSS?;^ mltted the Democratic party to the same line of policy. Mr. Bryan favor? the pulling down of the flag of our . country which our gallant soldiers, by the sacrifice of their lives and th^ shed? . ding of their blood planted upon these islands. I favor Ito retention forever, and If lt is treason against the Democratic party for me to >o ex nress myself, then I offer myself as a willing sacrifice to the decree. I cannot and will ? not admit th? cause for whlch^my son fought and gave his life was wrong. Narrow-min ded men, who are afraid of a free andi fair discussion, may charge' me will? bolting the Democratic party, wllh "seeking an appointment from Presi dent McKinley," and with "counting on the Junior Senator from the P&lmeb? / to State to help him out,*\or withwhat soever they please, yet I will rteadily maintain that I am right in all that I have written. With, highest repards and beat Wi.-jh.C3, \ I am yours truly, T. C. ORBNSHAW. Fellow-cltl?eno, tiblf* letter needs no comment. A great soul breathes in every line and sentence. The Yan kees struck the shackles from limbs ot our slaves thirty-fivo years, ago; edu cation and Industrai development ls rapidly emancipating the white people of the South from a slavery Infinitely more -hurtful, because lt fetters th? sou^ and clogs the wheels of progress. Democracy is broad enough to admit o? the discussion and settlement o? these issues witaTn tSe party> lines. I hear no talk of ? new party\ except frcrn the Ct?emies pt progress. Talle about the great heart of the man who wrote this letter Dcmg Influenced by a desire for a Federal appointment, It is the inspiration ci a narrow ml, .fl and a small soul. What care I for ft seat in the Senate, compared to thia great movement which meaos the de struction o? bcctionallam prejudice? and partisan Intolerance.