The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-08

"For a time the spirit of reform and
the latent desire and determination Of
the people to rule was kept in check.
But, at last, like some mighty giant
lust reused to a consciousness of bis
power, by repeated injuries, the people
aroused from their lethargy and trust
ing in their own might determined to
he sovereign. The election of B. r.
Tillman as governor, in 1890, accom-
plished by the general uprising of the
people: under the leadership of Tillman,
Stackhoase and others, was the cul-
mination Of this great social and politi-
cal revolution and one ofthe legitimate
results of the reconstructive and revo-
lutionary effects of the war of 1861.
"The economic conditions prevailing
elsewhere of course also played their
part. This irrepressible conflict has,
however, we hope, ended in this brief
picture of new South Carolina. Colo
mel Stackhouse occupies conspicuous
place in the work Of reform and re-
habilitatioD. AS one of the people,
risen from their ranks, their champion,
be deserves their everlasting gratitude
and remembrance"
When he concluded number Of the
members gathered around him and
congratulated him upon his successful
debut. There is no doubt about it, he
made remarkably good impression,
as he is probably the best talker in the
South Carolina delegation. Among
those who came forward to offer their
congratulations, was Tom Miller, who
is contesting Colonel Elliott's seat.
There was no formal disapproval of
Mr.. McLaurin's mistake in Juggling
politics into a eulogistic debate, but
several of the members remarked that
it was in very bad taste. To make
matters worse Tom Watson, of Georgia,
who volunteered to pay tribute to the
memory of Captain Stackhouse, went
further than Mr.. McLaurin and devot-
ed the greater part Of his remarks to
politics in Georgia and the Southern
States. Several of the members sug-
gested to Senators Butler and Irby that
more care be taken in selecting the
speakers for the eulogies in the Sen
ate.
The other speakers were Representa-
tives Tillman and Shell, of South Caro-
lima; Lanham, of Texas; Davis, of Kan
sas, and Watson, of Georgia.
Mr.. M'LAURIN's MISTAKE.
1Greenville News
The Hon. J. L. McLaurin probably
hoped to create very great sensation
by the speech he took advantage Of the
time given him for eulogy on Mr..
Stackhouse to make. The kind of
talking he did used to astonish and de-
light The North, but it is stale now.
Cable and Henry Grady said about the
same things very much better.
Of course there is certain amount
of truth in what all of them have said.
It is true that the conditions in the
South before the war caused and main
tained class distinctions and impaired
the dignity Of labor. Those conditions
did not forbid the rising OF men from
the ranks of the people. A majority
of the men who have been foremost in
South Carolina and whose names are
honored in her annals were of COM
paratively humble origin. Neverthe-
less social influence and position had
more effect in politics than was whole
some for republican form of govern
ment and the tendency was to the es-
tablishment of social system which
would have degraded the laboring and
commercial classes. We have always
held that the war was blessing to the
South-that the South gained far more
from it than the North. One of the
greatest blessings was the removal Of
the enervating effects of inherited
wealth and of the application of class
distinctions to occupations. A tre-
mendous quantity of energy and cour-
age which would have remained latent
in the old conditions was forced into
activity by the new and it has been a
powerful factor in building up and de-
veloping this section. Men of what
were the lower classes found oppor-
tunity and hope for their ambitions.
Men of the upper classes faced neces-
sity and faced it like men, and have
been found shoulder to shoulder with
their fellow citizens in the struggle for
the material advancement of the South.
The change was felt in South Caro-
lima as elsewhere. It took effect natu-
rally and gradually. The old things
which were not appropriate for this
time and present conditions were done
away with one by one. Class distinc-
tions had been banished from politics
before Mr.. McLaurin or Mr.. Tillman
had been heard of outside their own
counties. The way was open to every
man in commerce, in politics and in
every other department of life. 1t was
so because the natural good sense of
the people of all classes had recognized
the need of making it so.
The political element in this State
represented by Mr.. McLaurin had no
grievance Of that kind to 60 upon.
We see that distinguished orator de-
clared that if it had not been for the
wonderful change recently brought
about in this State Mr.. Stackhouse
never could have risen to the position