The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-01
LAURENS, S. c., June /, 1897.
He Blunders.

McLaurin is Il smart fellow latter
tho order" Of the day, smart as that
word is used commonly. We are not
quarrelling with his appointment. lie
has written Z very short letter to Gov.
Ellerbe accepting the honor and in it
makes four points:
LIST. He accepts with thanks.
I'd. He will do his best to represent
all the people.
3D.. He wants n primary this fall to
elect q Senator.
4th. He favors election of United
States Senators "by q vote Of the peo-
ple," but he is careful not to say by q
direct vote of the people, and we are
left to guess at his views. We presume
however that he means q direct vote of
the people. This would not DO De-
mocracy according to Jefferson and
Madison, nor according to Calhoun,
Jackson or others Of tho fathers. The
suggestion in the days of McDunie or
Harper Of this State, would have con-
gested the mass from Caesars Head to
the Battery. 1t is not i'm sympathy
with the theory Of this or any repub-
lie. 1t is Of the woody West, out of the
whole cloth, and may he all right. We
do not combat the idea by any means.
1t is a matter Of debate. We, of the
South, who call ourselves democrats
have battled hard and lost a million
men, and the accumulated of
w hundred years OF labor combating
the idoa Of being governed by, and
trampled under the heel OF q majority.
1t may be the right idea and we are
open to conviction. The theory Of the
majority Of a town, county or State,
may work well, but the majority rule,
as of this nation, which works the
laws OF trusts, monopolies, plutocracy,
corruption and force, works tyranny
in our view. We shall see. There was
once an idea and we modestly suggest
1t, that Senators represented States
and the fathers established the CON
stitution under that idea and the Demo
cratic party alone OF all parties have
insisted upon that theory of our gov
eminent. But we are old fashioned.
Other Pharoahs rule in Egypt. 1t may
DO that the world is so much better,
men are SO far advanced, that the
safety conserved by a six year term
In the Senate and election by the Leg
islature is dangerously In the teeth OF
the socialistic trend Of the time. 1t
may be so. And if so, the Senate
should be abolished, as a useless ex-
pense and absurdity. Where Is the
use of n duplicate representation of
the people? If the idea of the fathers
that a sober body, elected for six
years, by the peoples representatives,
independent of the passions Of the
"maddening crowd" as a check upon
rabid and wild and passionate legisla-
ton is a wild idea, hen a single legis-
lative body, direct from the people
should be the government. A Senate
OF Lords is a mere elegant luxury like
the Lords in Britain. But this talk of
ours is for consideration we are old
fashioned and may have m~isconceived
Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Calhoun
We want light, and so do our readers T..
We do not believe that this Govern
ment is a nationality. We think the
States are States. and that the propo-
sition to elect Senators by the people
may prove a dangerous experiment.
A primary by the Democratic party is
all right. But there let there be a
halt. If we are to become national re-
publicans, then the proposition to elect
Senators by a direct vote OF the people
Is a long step in that direction. Even
Senator Tillman in denouncing the U.
3. Courts and Judges, plumes himself
on his urgency OF the sovereignty OF q
State, and it's exemption from suit as
individuals and ordinary corporations.
But we want ~ people to think.