The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-11-14
CAROLINA Ar THE CAPITAL.
Gossip About the Sonth Carolina Dele
gatfon-How They Are Divided on
the Subject Of Patronage.

chapter III tne history OF the pOlitica
events I'm South Carolina, so far as the,
are anected by what has been done OF
Is doingin Washington, ends with the
close of the extra session, and we caI
form some opinion now as to the drift
OF events. 1t has been known for some
time that one of the most important
factors in the next political contest In
that State would be the campaign be-
tween Governor Tillman and Senator
Butler for the United States Senate
and much that haa been going on here
has had more or less bearing upon thai
contest.
Senator Butler at the beginning OF
this administration from his long ser.
vice here and personal popularity had
a very potential influence in securing
offices for his friends, and these mn,
polntments were made apparently
without regard to any influence upon
South Carolina's politics. Senator
lrby does not seem to have succeeded
in making any favorable impression,
aud his late course in practically ally-
ing himself with the most bitter oppo.
nents of the Administration has, of
course, destroyed any possibility of his
| doing anything in the direction of get
ting offices for friends or partisans.
Since Senator Butler has cast in his
@os ethOo WIN ulC CuSlulcS vi UnS AL
mlnlStrat1on on the silver question he
has naturally weakened the claim which
| otherwise he would have had upon it.,
and 1T Is doubtful now whether he will
secure the appointments to office of
those whose principal claim lies in the
TACT that they are partisans of his and
that their appointment would promote
his reelection and as that seemed to
be the principal ground upon which it
was expected he would secure the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Perry as collector of
internal revenue the chances of Mr..
Ferry s appointment seem to have very
much diminished.
| think that in all appointments of
this nature it will be the policy of the
Administration to put in office mon
whose fidelity to Democratic principles
as interpreted by the Democratic Ad-
ministration leaves no room for uues-
tlon. n all such appointments it
seems likely that the opinion of Con-
gresham Brawley will be most poten-
tial, as his views on public questions
are in thorough accord with those of
the Administration.
The attitude of the different mem
bers of Congress from South Carolina
towards the Administration is some-
what complicated. 1t will be remem-
bered that early in the spring there
were several interviews between mem-
bers OF the delegation and the Postmas-
ter General on the subject of the post
Office appointments. All of tho NOM
bers Of Congress from South Carolina
participated in these interviews.
except Mr.. Brawley and Mr.. McLaurin,
who were not present thereat. The
most determined fight seemed to be
against Mr.. Latimer. who, as the
author of the May resolutions, seemed
to be a good target. 1t was found that
number of the men whom he had
recommended to Office were charged
with being Populists, but it seems
that the question as to his right to
control these appointments was never
finally settled against him until with
in the last few weeks, when the publ
cation OF his letter in the Columbia
Register seems to have given him a
coup de grace.
Mr.. Strait seems to be practically
in the same boat, as both Mr.. Latimer
and himself seem to have taken oc-
casion more than once while in South
Carolina to proclaim their hostility to
the Administration.
Mr.. Shell seems to have no diff
Guilty practically in securing the APP
pointments of such postmasters in his
district as he has recommended. He
has adopted the policy generally of
recommending parties who are ac-
ceptable to the communities to be
served, and in all such cases his recon-
mendations have gone through with
out question, and the same is true to
large extent with respect to MIR.
Ialbert; and lately it appears that Mr..
McLaurin is in the same boat with the
two last named Congressman.
10 Sllm m the Iyhnlp Sitnofip,, MON r
the Reform" Congressman as it
appears here, it would seem that
Messrs. Latimer and Strait are for
Governor Tillman, that Messrs. Shell
and Talbert are against him, and that
Mr.. McLaurin's attitude is somewhat
doubtful, and if Waddill's appoint
ment has the significance generally
! attributed to it it may be expected
! that those persons whom he recon-
mends for office will be Butler men.
Senator Butler has endorsed all the
recommendations of Messrs. Shell,
Talbert and McLaurin.
The appointment of Mr. Waddill as
| postmaster of Darlington has caused q
| great deal of comment here as it seems
| to indicate some sort of an alliance be-
| tween Senator Butler and Mr.. Nc
| Laurin, but it may be that it has not
the significance which has been given
to it. 1t is said that Waddill is now a
Butler manthough originally Till
mantle. AS 1t appears to an outsider,
however, 1T would seem that in so far
as the postoffice appointments are con-
| cerned there are some grounds for the
belief that there is some understanding
of friendly nature between Senator
Butler and Messrs. Shell, Talbert and
McLaurin. Time will show what this
| amounts to, 1t is no longer n secret tC
any one that Congressman Shell is an
active friend of Senator Buffers and
will, in all probability, be on his side
in the pending contest.
MIR. McLaurin has heretofore been
considered strong friend of Governor
Tillman, and it is generally thought
that Congressman Talbert has nc
particular love for the present Cover.
nor. Whether the friendly relations
here OF these three Congressman with
the senior Senator will result in 8
similar alliance In State politics re-
mains to be seen, but there is no doubt
whatever that Messrs Irby, Latimei
and Strait are adherents of Governor
Tillman,
Congressman Brawley, so far as ap
pears, has not joined either c0mbina
tion. Taking the ground, early in the
Administration, that none hut eeDemo
Gratis OF nnquestioned fidelity to the
party should be appointed to any pub
lie office in South Carolina, he has no
swerved from that position, but he hal
not been disposed to interfere with an,
OF the Congressman in the patronage o
their districts except i'm so far as h,
has been compelled TO protest agains
certain appointments on the. grount
that the persohs named were more il