The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, June 06, 1901, Image 3
(
AliSIi
Tillman Assigns His i
Thereupor
TdE CAMPAIGN GETTiNG WARMER.
i
Tillman Charges AlcLaurin With Attempting
to Organize a Republican
Party in South Carolina?McLaurin
' hpnnirvjc ?h.> I'Gfinvu.ic I .iJcm nnil
J a
w ilakcious.
Trenton, Special.?Senator Tillman
has furn.shed the press the following
address:
To the Demo( ratie Voters cf the J
State.
Fellow Citizens:?An extraordinary;
and unparalleled situation has unex-J
pectedly arisen in the State, and as 1
am mainly responsible for this. I feel
that a proper respect for you, requires
an explanation of my actions and motives.
Eleven years ago by a very large
vttti vnn r ?~r?vf>rn'*r nf
State, and two years afterwards I w-s
re-elected by an overwhelming major-1
ity. In '34 I was sent as your reprc-!
tentative in the congress of the United
States as c ne of the senators from
South Carolina. After six years' service
in that body I was last year cho-1
sen without opposition to be my own!
successor, i was sworn in on March
4th iast for the six years' term end-1
in? in li"'7. The ink has hardly become
dry upon my oath of office and j
y. 1 have tendered ray resignation .o
take effect September loth next. My
colleague has also tendered his rcsig-:
nation to take effect the same date,
and thus there will be two vacancies
to be filled by appointment of the gov-,
ernor until :lie legislature can elect our
successors in January next. I desire to
announce my candidacy to succeed my-,
self and slmll ask you to vindicate my
action by your votes in the primary,;
which will be ordered by the State
Democratic committee. This is an off
year in politics and but for the conditions
which had come about my acti< n j
in nrpnPii+.-Tin<r n political campaign.,
and primary election would be inex-j
disable. A brief review of recent po-,
litical events will be necessary to give
that explanation. My colleague. Jno.
L. McLaurin, was elected to the senate
at a primary held in '^7 to succeed
the lamented Earl. He was elected ,
as a Democrat standing upon the Chi-,
cago platform of U'JC. Early in "yi?:
Senator McLaurin parted company
with his Democratic colleagues in the
senate, and has since voted for and,
'advocated everything that the Republican
party now stands for, and has
persistently antagonized his own party
in all of his public utterances and acts.
Notwithstanding that a new State con-:
vention last May laid down the prin-;
Iho rvirtv ?init ji i
Cipies &U .1 IU1IVJVO V.1 li.v I'M! v.,
new national convention at Kansas
City in July announced the principles'
of Democracy as mow understood
throughout the union, your junior sennor
ha suet ! though he were entirely]
independent of the people who elected,
him and has felt under no obligations]
to obey their wishes or do their will'
as their representative. When congress 1
adjourned last March lie and his sympathizers
in the State began at once an
active propaganda of his new doctrine,
which he . 'aimed were Democratic,
but which ail true Democrats must
know are nly Republicanism in disguise
and very thinly disguised at that.
He made a speech at Charlotte, April
16th. in which the Democratic party is
sneered at and assailed. He made
another speech, at Greenville last week
lilling out and developing his new theories
.and took pains to indicate his;
perfect accord with Mr. McKinley in i
all his policies. He had appointments
already arranged to make speeches at]
at least three other places?Gaffney,
Yorkville and Spartanburg?and had
begun an active canvass for re-election,
fifteen months before the regular campaign.
which would choose his successor.
in the Democratic primary of lb02
would open. It was natural that these
gentlemen who proposed to contest for
his seat should be unwilling to prema
turely announce tnoir canumai-/ auu
take the fiel 1 against him. He had the 1
dispensing of federal patronage placed .
at his disposal by the Republican president.
and he had unlimited money fur-,
nished by his Republican allies, or McKinley
Democrats following in South
A Carolina and his purpose was to go !
^ up and down the State unopposed and
unanswered to organize his new po- i
litical machine. This was the situation ,
up to the Gaffney meeting and I was!
confronted with the question of what
was my duty under the circumstances.1
Recollect that I am a member of the
"national Democratic committee, as j
four representative; I was on the com-1
mittee on platform in both of the last
national conventions and helped frame
the declaration of principle and policy;
upon which we went to tattle, and 1 !
was chairman of the committee on i
platform in your late State convention.
Remember too that both at Charlotte
and at Greenville, uirectlj and indirectly.
I had been assailed by Mr. Mc-:
Laurin and you will understand why 1
was anxious to meet my colleague at i
Gaffney, and when invited by a large!
number of citizens of Cherokee county;
, !:
leasons and McLaurin j
i Reolies.
A
1 willingly acrrptrv:. ir.e resuu ui iimi
mooting is now well known. itr. MeLaurin
was unexpectedly brought face
to face with the question of resignation
and appeal to the people whose
confidence he had abused and whose
trust he had betrayed. He tried to j 1
dodge the trust, by charging that I was
attempting to dictate and boss th.> ' .
people and interfere in a race with
which I had no concern and was safely
esconced in my scat ?pr s x years and
had nothing to lose, but couid well
afford to lay down a code of moral
ethisc. for another which I was unwil- i
ling to follow myself. I saw the oppor- j
tunity to precipitate a battle at once j1
rather than wait fifteen months and I
offered to resign if he would, and the '
result you know. I acted from impulse 1
it is true, but I have always acted upon
impulse and as a public man I can af- :
firm with the sacredness of an oath
that all of my i anises have been to ;
serve the best interests of the people, i
who have honored me. I had every op- ;
portunity to weigh the consequences of
my action and to get out of it without (
discredit, but I felt then and still fee! ,
that my duty was to force the fighting ;
and rid the party of all traitors. The (
situation as 1 understand it. is this. | ]
The nno-lln * * /> -t'r> intprpCfod in h*V- 1
ing
the
wil
est
has
t w?
ma
eas
Thbut
do
(a:
go
tin
cai
avn
an<
be
tio.Jo wnatover. \utcis n.n nut l.u influenced
in this contest by the desire
to elect local favorites and thus swapping
will he prevented. The issues will
he clear cut The organization of the
"Commercial Democracy," another I
name for McKinley Democracy, will;
have to be consummated in a much ! 1
shorter lime and under much less favorable
conditions. Our party has the 1
opportunity to rebuke and punish j
treachery at once as a warning to those :
who may l>e wavering. Many good
men will be prevented from becoming
Republicans in fact, though not ;n
name by having the issues explained
before they have aligned themselves
under the new banner. The Democratic
uniform will be struck off of those
v.ho have proven unworthy to wear it |
and they will beN made to understand |
the difference between honorable and j 1
dishonorable discharges. Civil virtue,
the sacred relations which should exist'
between the representative and his.
constituency, will be more clearly un- 1
derstood and all true Democrats must
rejoice at the result. For myself and i i
the sacrifice I have made I will say
nothing. I prefer to let the people of
the State consider the matter for
themselves ar.d pass upon my conduct
as they determine, whether it was right
and proper or rash and quixotic. I have
served them to the best of my ability!
with zeal and honesty since I have
been their servant and shall continue
to do so, if they continue to honor and
trust me. When I cannot truthfully <
say that I represent the majority of the
people of South Carolina and vote and !
speak as they desire. 1 become, "as
- I
sounding brass and a tinkling cvmnai.
And prefer the retirement of private j
life to the degraded elevation of a high ,
position obtained by deceit and held ,
against the wishes of the people. I put
my case in your hands and will ex- (
plain and vindicate my ease more fully
in the coming primary canvass. :,
B. R. TILLMAN. ;
M'LAURIN REPLIES.
The reply to Senator Tillman, as given
out by Senator McLaurin is as i'ol
lows:
Fellow Citizens:? The address of
Senator Tillman to you renders It 1
necessary that I should say something
in explanation of my motives and actions.
I sincerely regret that you are to 1
be subjected to the expense and excitement
of a senatorial primary this '
year, but I feel that I am not respon- 1
sible. Had it not been for Senator Till- 11
man's Intrusion upon the Gaflney; '
meeting there would have been no ne- 1
cessity for it. A joint debate was pre- j
-.5 t .. /.nntrorv to mv wish.-?'
CipiUiieu uj niiii ^
and of the gentlemen who invited me. i'
He forced himself upon the meeting by '
his own admissions. No other honoraide
course was left to me but to !
cept his proposition or lay myself open'
to the charge of cowardice. It is too
late now to consider whether it was (
wise or unwise, and the people must I
judge between us.
I desire to announce my candidacy in i
opposition to the senior Senator for
the unexpired 1 ng term, and will discuss
with him in a fair and reputable ]
manner the national issues of the day.
and leave it to you to judge who can ;
the more '"honestly and honorably" ;
represent you in the United States Sen
au. in iiliT i was elected to the Senatej
as a Democrati and 1 am still a Democrat
in everything I have said and done j
I have had the goo.l of my people at j
heart; to thorn 1 am. ready to render
an account of my stewardship, but not<
to the senior Senator. Perhaps in this!
lies my chief sin. In my recent speech
at Greenville 1 give the people tne reasons
for my official actions since lShf.;
It is useless for me to reiterate what,
I said in that speech, is It has been ex
tensively published, and I presume,
generally read. Were it not for charges:
made in the address of the senior
Senator, it would be unnecessary for
me to say that, but I can't allow him
to assail me and mv Democracy with-!
out saying something in my vindication.
He charges that, after the adjournment
of Congress in March last, I
with the aid of my friend3. I commenced
in the State "an active propaganda
of my new doctrines, which are
claimed to he Democratic, but are1
nothing but Republicanism in disguise."
He arrogates tc himself the,
power to decide for the people as to i
Lhe righteousness of my course and:
, _ . ? ~ V.^rr, /-, I
V1CWS, ailil IS nut wmuig 1u1 uiuuj %.kj |
hear and judge for themselves. His in- j
decent intrusion upon the Gaflney (
meeting illustrates his methods of
bossism and his desire to rule or ruin.
After my return home, in Aprilu last,
f received invitations from citizens of
Greenville, York. Cherokee, Newberry
and Spartanburg counties to address I
ihe people on the national issues of the
day. As their public servant I could not:
disregard their imperative calls, and'
accepted the invitations. Had I not
done so, my political opponent would ,
have charged that I coul dnot meet my !
stituents face to face and explain
political action. It was not my pure
in accepting these invitations to
in my campaign for re-elee;ion
re than a year in advance of the priy,
but to attempt to enlighten the
pie and remove false impressions
duced upon the public mind by the
ior Senator and his sympathizers. I
I been persistently maligned and
represented, and the onlt* means afded
me for ny vindication was to
the ear of the people. This was my
y object in making speeches where
as invited to go and had it not been
those invitations I should have reined
silent. Have we reached the
int where a number of private citins
cannot invite one of their reprentatives
to address them without inidimr
the senior Senator or first ob
twining his permission? The senior
Senator .it seems, willed that I should
not he heard at that time, and determined
that 1 should wait for his bidding
to go before the people.
The Senator also charges that I am
a Republican and was organizing a Republican
party here. If he believed this
charge, why did he consent to run with
me in a Democratic primary? I denounce
the charge as an infamous
falsehood and the senior Senator
knows what he says is untrue. In his
recklessness, the senior Senator further
charges that the dispensing of the
public patronage has been placed at my
disposal, and "unlimited money" is
furnished me by the Republicans to aid
in the scheme of the organization of a
new party. I denounce this as a malicious
falsehood. In my Greenville
speech I explained why 1 had been consulted
about the Federal patronage,
and at Ce.iTney I detouced. in his presence,
both of those charges as wilfully |
false .and yet he reiterates them in his
address. His purpose in repeating what
h.e knows to be slander must be evident
to all. The senior Senator undertakes
in bis address to throw the whole responsibility
of the present situation in 1
the State upon me. After denouncing
? T??hrandinc me as a
Ill > Ul'lUUUfts; w.. v. w _
traitor to the party, he meekly s?,ys
that he and his Democracy were as-1
sailed by me, and it was incumbent
upon him to crush me and my influence
in this State. The senior Senator
has undertaken a herculean task, "for
truth, crushed to earth, will rise
again."
The Senator forgets that he insidiously
and maliciously assailed me last
summer, when I was ur.a.ble to defend
myself, and after my Charlotte speech,
In an interview, made false and slanderous
charges aeainst me. I did, in
my Charlotte and Greenville speeches. J
criticise his Populistic Democracy and
I have nothing to retract. He impugns :
the motives of others, but when a rer>'v*
Jc rnnri.-? he cries out that he has '
Illj .o -been
attacked in an unjustifiable manner.
The people shall judge of our
Democracy and net the senior Sera'or.
It is evident that the senior Senator ;
fears that he cannot defeat me on a j
fair field,with no favors,else why is it
he assailed me in his address and
threatening to put out other candidates?
What was said on the stand at 1
Gaffney and the correspondence b> I
tweon us will convince any fair-minded
man that our resignation was with |
the understanding that the race was to
be between us only and the campaign I
was not fo take place until the fall.
The senior Senator said on the s:and
that he would unite with me in a letter
to Governor JlcSwoeny requesting
him to withheld action until a decision '
by the primary.
The address is characteristic or tn">
man and his political methods. Ho is
addicted to making recklcs; and false |
charges against ethers which he never
substantiates. An h -nest man is always
chary in charging others with j
dishonesty. The thief often errs "Stor? |
thief!" lie is an ambitious b.iss and
habitual disturber of the political '
peace and harmony of Forth Carolina, j
Last summer, for the sake of peace. 1
he was given no opposition, and as
soon as the doors were closed and a:l
entries barred, he made a slanderous ]
/
attack upon the H:bic and the ni.n 3.ry
of this state.
Fellow-citizcn3. there will neveh be
anything like unity or quieUiJe
among our people until ha is leiogated
to private life. His incendiary appeals
to class hatred and prejudice, such a?
ho made at Gaffr.ev to the factory op
eratives. and his dictatorial spirit and
utterances will keep up di sensions.
divisions and discord in the State.
Y.'ith the aid cf the people I will
make a heroic effort dur.ng this campaign
to brrak down bosslsm with its
train of political evils, and I invite all
goo.l citizens to assist me to inaugurate
an era of free thought, frre speech
and independence cf action cn the part
of the people of South Carolina. The
* x ' - o
senior senaior, iu uie iiui-muc \.l ?
farmer's life in Edgefield county, ccu'd
be viewed as a pitchfork less pigmy
and a blessing to the State.
JOHN LOWNDES McLAURIN.
OPPOSES SUMMER CAMPAIGN.
McLaurin Addresses Chairman Jones
Giving His Reasons.
Senator McLaurin protests against
a canvass of the State in August. He
has written to Col. Wiley Jones, chairman,
asking that the State executive
committee arrange for the campaign to
be held at some other time.
Col. Wiley Jones, who announces his j
candidacy for the Senate said, concerning
Mr. McLaurin's letter:
In hl3 letter to Col Jones, Mr. McLaurin
states that he wants the is u?
between himself and Tillman. lie
says :
' Dear Col. Jones: I note in tc-day's
paper that you speak of the campaign
"""olf onrl Sonntnr Till-nan
UCl ? CCJ1 III ,)OUl 0.14V4 MW44MVV -
beginning about August 1st. Th s Is !
entirely out of the question so far a3 I I
an: concerned. I made it point to dae
the resignation September 15th. because
I knew that it was absolutely
impossible for roe to canvass the Sta o
until the weather became cooler. I re- |
signed In good faith to sul mit the j
question to the voters of Soatn Caro- !
lina. I want fair treatment and an i
opportunity to present my case to th? j
people. Senator Tillman Intruded Urn- j
self into this fight. I am ready to fight j
to a finish, but want no "draw"' or j
"fouling." My suggestion would l:e as |
congress does not meet until December j
4th, that the committee requc t Gov. |
McSweenev to withhold action until [
the result of the primary Is announced,
and then appoint the man receiving J
the highest number of votes. Let tho
legislature elect my successor as it is
only for a short time, or let you gentlemen
who desire to contest arrange
your canvass entirely apart from mine
and Tillman's.
I would ti'so suggest that you permit
lie and I to arrange tho schedule
for our meetings. It is my desire to
conduct a clean, decent canvass, tree
from personalities, if permitted to do
so; but I am ready to take what comes.
I wish it distinctly understood, however.
that I cannot entertain the idea
of canvassing in August, and that one
man at a time i3 all I care to fight. I
had enough of the four to one busine 3
in lSt'T. I appeal to you as men and
chairman of the party fcr fa:r play.
The reason I suggest withholding action
on cur resignations until aft.'r the
primary is that there are many postofTlces
and other matters of inter'?t
to the State, among which I might
mention the Charleston Exposition,
which demands the attention of a sono. j
tor. To take away from th* State th'3 <
protection of even six weeks may 1
cause trouble. I do r.ot care personal- i
ly. however, what is done about th s, |
hut think it m> duty to mention it.'
* " ?
yours respectuiuy,
John L. MoLaurin.
JONES REPLIES.
Col. Wiley Jont s. c hairman cf tho
State Democratic Executive committee,
addressed the following to Senator McLaurin
in reply to the latter's protest
against a canvass of the State in the
month of August.
"Dear Sir: Upon mv return home from
Chiekamauga I read your opm letter
addressed to me in The Evening
Record, and I will now answer it.
I simply stated that I though: that
the canvass would commen ce in .august
next becaus?* at that t n:e the
crops are laid by and the farmers arc
at leisure, and the merchants have Ittle
to do, and I thought that it was the
best time for tne people to hear public
speaking. It has always been customary
since we have had the prim- [
? A rtrtni-oeo rliir'rto- All- I
aries 10 na>c uu huimo
gust. This is a matter entirely for the
committee to decide I really have r.o
authority to do anything in thi3 matter
except to cad the committee together.
This i will do in a short time.
You can rest assured of one thing,
and that is that the State Democratic
Executive committee will be absolutely
fair in all that it has to do. I have
never been associated in my life with
a body of men who desired to act more
fairly, and did act fairer, than this
committee has always done. It is composed
of some of the best men cf our
State, and they will give everybody ah-1
solute justice,"
MACHINISTS STRIKE
A Number Employed In Souther's
Railway Shops Walk Out.
DEMAND IS EOR A NINE HOUR DAY
The Shops at a Number of Points Af
fected?The Causes of the Difficulty
Explained.
Salisbury, Special.?At 9 o'clock
Thursday morning G2 of the 71 machinists
employed in the Southern Railway's
Spencer shops went on strike.
There was no demonstration of any
kind, the men merely laying down
their instruments and going quietly to
their homes. Five of the 25 apprentices
also struck. It is claimed by the strikers
and denied at the office of General
Superintendent Sands, of the eastern
division .that the strike has been successful
all over the system. Strikers'
telegrams claim that President O'Connell's
order was almost unanimously
obeyed at Columbia, Asheville, Knoxville,
Greensboro, Atlanta, Charleston,
Birmingham, Columbia, Memphis and
Macon. At the railroad office it wis
said that none were out at Alexandria,
Greenville and Charlotte. Four were
said to have gone out at Greensboro
and 17 at Manchester. It is admitted
that the strike was general at Columbia,
not only the machinists going out,
but other classes of workmen In sym
pathy with them. It appears that at
the large shops, where the employes
are acted upon by local unions, the
strike has been much more general
then at minor points.
The strike, in the opinion of the officials,
has signally failed. They do not
expect serious embarrassment to result
from it and they are confident that '
two-thirds of th estrikers went out unwillingly
and simply because, they were
ordered out by their union. None of
any other class of employes quit. Thi3
is a small defection out of a total of
500 employes and it is said will not
cripple the shops. It is learned at the
office of the general superintendent
that the total number of employes out
on the eastern division of the Southern
on account of the strike is 189.
This included 30 at Charleston, 64 at
Columbia, 69 at Salisbury, 17 at Manchester
and 9 at all other points. This
includes all classes of employes now on
strike. This statement covers the four
shops mentioned and also those at Alexandria
and Lawrenceville, Va.; also
seven junction points, such as Charlton
CrMtiahnm whf?rp machinists
are employed.
Master Mechanic Robinson said at
night that the shops would go on regularly
and could attend to all necessary
work thrown upon it. the more easily,
as the engines and other rolling stock
were in first-class condition and could
dispense with much overhauling for
some time. It is believed at the general
superintendent's office that the
condition just described as existing at
Spencer, is about as it is on the whole
system; that it is some slight embarrassment
to the railroad company, but
not presenting any serious problem.
In Knoxville.
Knoxville, Tenn., Special.?All the
machinists, apprentices and helpers in '
the Lonsdale shops of the Soutnern
Railway, with the exception of six, are /
on strike. Three foremen in the wrecking
shop, it is reported, were Thursady
morning requested to take up machinists'
work and they refused and quit.
The strikers claim 127 men are out,
and the railroad officials say 113.
President Henry of the district lodge,
says he knew nothing of the men
striking here until after it had been
made. The order to strike was not
made through him. The Knoxville
board of public works denied the request
of Superintendent C. L. Ewing
of the Southern, that policemen be stationed
in the Southern Railway yards,
to guard engines and other property
and prevent any disorder. The board
claim that no reason existed to believe
the strikers would give trouble.
Ashaville riachinists Quit.
Asheville, N. C., Special.?AH the
machinists in the repair shops of the
Southern Railway here went out on
strike Thursday morning. The force
here is not large.
Out In Greensboro.
Greensboro, Special.?Four machin.
ists engaged in repair work for the
Southern Railway here struck Thursday
morning.
Forty Out in Atlanta.
Atlanta. Ca.. Special.?-Forty machinists
and 300 apprentices in the employ
of the Southern railway here, struck
Thursday.
Seventy-Nine Out in Columbia.
Columbia. S. C.. Special.?This morning
19 machinists walked out of the
Columbia shops cX the Southern ra.lwav.
In Birmingham.
Birmingham, Ala., Special.?Fortyfive
machinists in the employ of the
Southern Raill-way here, struck at 9
O'clock Thursday morning, to enforce
the nine-hour aeraand. The machinists
of the Alabama Great Southern
shops, controlled by the Southern Railway,
are still at work.
.VjJ