The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-05-02
Congressman McLaurin's Let
ter.

Congressman McLaurin's Let
ter.
He Denounces Coat-tail Swingers,
and Dog-meat Politicians.
FAvORS TILLMAN FOR THE O.. S.
SENATE.
The following is the letter Of Con-
gresham McLaurin, which was pub
lished in the daily paper Of the 22d ut,
and to which reference vas made last
week.
MI Lewis Applet. Manning. S. c.
Dear Appelt :-Your letter of recent
date, calling my attention to widely
circulated reports of my being in 'com-
bisation with Senator Butler in bis
race for the Senate, has been received.
It is a lie ont of the whole cloth.
Hitherto, I have paid no attention
to SANDERS circulated" by interested
parties, for the purpose Of destroying
the confidence, that the people are sup
posed to have in me-. l cannot, how
ever, avoid a reply to a pointed ques-
ton. such as you ask. shall '.call a
spade a spade" aud express my feelings
fully. Last spring, when the famous
"blacklisting" Of the South Carolina
delegation was in progress, | soon
discovered that the trouble arose
largely from the administration con-
founding the Alliance nan and the Pop
ulist. In the West, the Peoples party
swallowed the Alliance and, just com
ing into power, the mistake was natural
in reference to the AlliancemaB in the
South. If you will remember, I was
not present when that disgraceful scene
occurred in the Office of our Postmaster
General, where the question of the
Democracy of our representatives In
Congress was tested. I felt that the
matter of my Democracy bad been tried
by the people Of the Sixth district. aud
if I suited them it mattered very little
to me whether l suited anybody else OF
not I soon discovered that Mr.. Bis
sell was a big-hearted, big.brained man,
not much Of a politician, but a fine law
yer and a thorougbgoipg business man ;
the only trouble being that be runs the
Postofice Department in a business
way instead Of as a political machine.
Mr.. Talbert and myself have az addi-
tioDal advantage in not having defeated
ex-members on the spot to wage special
war upon us. While the issuing of
ukases, pronuociamentoes, etc., vas 60
ing on l kept my mouth shut, and ale
tended to my own business. Person
ally, / did not banker after the distribu-
ton of the Offices, for I knew l couldn't
suit everybody, and every man who
made application and failed would
either be a lukewarm friend or an open
enemy. I felt, however, that l had q
certain duty to perform in reference to
these postof6ces, and made up my mind
to perform that duty, If permitted by
the Postmaster General, and if not so
permitted then the responsibility was
taken from my shoulders. I was press,
ed from every quarter by Reformers to
secure these appointments. You wanted
the Office at Manning. and suppose I
had said: "Oh, l cannot recommend
you because Messrs. Latimer and Strait
are not recognized! You would have
very probably told me that I was sent
to Congress to represent the Sixth and
not the Third and Fifth Congress
sional Districts. l made a formal re-
quest of Senator Butler that be should
not interfere with my recommendations,
or if he did, to give a reason Why he
should treat me in a different manner
from that in which the Hon. George w.
Dargan bad been treated. Senator
Buffers treatment of me was kind,
courteous and upon a high plane. He
said that in his service 10 the
Senate be had never interfered in the
district Of a congressman. where he was
with that consideration due his
official position, and would not interfere
in mine. In the majority of cases in
my district. Senator Butler has made no
recommendation whatever; in some
cases, yours for instance, at my request
be joined in the endorsement.
1t is utterly impossible to represent
South Carolina without some concert Of
action between the Senate and House.
Senator Butler has been kind and con-
siderate, I have, in my turn, e~ndeavored
to be courteous and show proper respect
for his official and personal character.
The subject Of State politics was never
between US until after the
in The Headlight, due respect
for the feelings of each preventing even