Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-03-13
POLITICAL GOSSIP.

South Carolina Politics as They Appear In
Washington.
The Greenville News has CORES
pondent at Washington who seems to
be pretty we'll informed as to the
various developments in South Caro-
lima politics as they appear in the
national capital. The following ex-
tracts from his letters will be of more
or less interest in this section:
I was standing at the west door of
the senate chamber a few days ago
talking to Senator Tillman, who has
been confined to his home through
indisposition for nearly week, when
Senator Irby walked out of the Demo-
cratic cloak room and passed us. AS
he passed he uttered few almost
unintelligible words of greeting to.
Tillman, who simply answered ''Irby."
That was all that passed. I under
stand that it is about all that ever
passes between them. The newspa-
pers here have contained reports that
they never speak but this is not 80, .:.sst
/ Talking about the fight for Irby's
seat, friend of McLaurin said that
Tiilman could not afford to give either
his open or secret support to Governor
Evans in preference to McLaurin.
The latter, he said, stands too well
here not to be of value to Tillman.
He then referred to McLaurin's digni-
fed defense of Tillman in the house,
when member attacked the junior
senator from South Carolina and spoke
of him as an anarchist. McLaurin
made a calm, deliberate reply, couched
in well chosen words.
There is no doubt that McLaurin
will make the race for senator. If he
runs for anything, it will be for senator
or governor.
So far as his politics are concerned,
McLaurin ought to be eminently salts
factory to some of these Reformers
who are looking for eight in the West"
McLaurin was a member of the free
silver conference held here in January,
and is one of the leading advisers of
the new silver party. He has the
credit of going out of the party ahead
of Tillman. McLaurin is also some
what protectionist. He is in advance
of his faction in South Carolina in that
respect. That will make him some
friends among those who are beginning
to embrace protection. He does not
hold to Republican ideas of protection,
but believes in it to a limited extent.
This may be news in South Carolina,
but it is fact: As the new silver
party is likely to take on protection
and silver at one load, and as that
party will more than likely get the Re-
form vote of South Carolina in the
national election, Mr.. McLaurin is
pretty well heeled in the way of cam
paign material when he strikes the
stump.
Should McLaurin and Evans get to
pulling too many feathers off each
other for the senate, and it is deter
mined that for the good of the party
both should come down, there would
be abundant material to pick from.
"Secesh" Talbert is saving wood and
saying nothing. He claims to be
somewhat of a stump man himself and
often casts "wistful eye" toward the
north end of the Capitol. Stanyarne
Wilson will keep out of the deals that
may be made, but wouldn't mind step
ping over into the senate if deadlock
should ensue. He will, however, pre-
fer to come back to the house to taking
chances at the other job.
As to the talk about the opposition
to Strait, it is said here that there are
a raft of fellows who want to repre-
sent that district. There is Finley, of
York; Hough, of Chesterfield; Tran
than and Floyd, of Kershaw, and
Barber, of Chester. Straits friends
do not believe that any of these men
could beat him unless it was Barber,
and declare that the doctor has too
firm hold on the affections of the
farmer friends of his district for any
body to get ahead of him. This can
be said for Strait: He is hard work.
er and is always in his seat. He is
steadfast and true to the Reform move
ment, and no disloyalty along that line
can be charged to him. Strait left
today for home to see how the land
laws and on account of sickness in his
family.