The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-25
Tillmau wants McLaurin elected is

UeCEuSc MCLauIIu 10 plSoSSN Ny LILO
vote already to help Tillman pass an
amendment through congress which
will permit tbs disps1sary to be con.
timed in South Carolina for years TO
cnm,. Lillmau knows full we'll that
if he can get this"amendment through
CO ngress that then the courts cannot
Interfere with the dispepsary law and
he will have it fixed en- his people fer
years to come. He knows full well
that amendment will set at naught
every decision rendered b.y the courts
and that then his pet institution will
have full swing. No power can inter
fere with it. Tillman kno VS. McLau'
rim will vote for it and work with him
to get this amendment through con.
eress, for he both voted and worked
for it last session, and during this
campaign McLaurin has said that he
was in favor of passing the amend.
ment. Ben Tillman knows that If
both the senators do not favor the
amendment, it being a local measure
cannot pass, and he knows that If l
am elected to the senate instead OF
McLaurin he can never pass it. But
Tillman is playing shrewd hand to
keep bis dispensary as an issue for 1900.
If the dispensary gees down Tlllman
will be without State issue. If all
factions want to play into Tillman's
hand let them vote for McLaurin's
election. If they want to keep the
dispensary on our people, Let them
vote for McLaurin. 1t rests with the
people of the State to say by their
votes whether or not they will vote
for McLaurin and thereby perpetuate
the dispensary.
ITO pull McLaurin through Tillman
comes into this campaign for McLau-
rim will help him to get his bill
through congress. Though Tillman
promised keeping his hands off in this
election, he has not done so. But by
entering this campaign aud throwing
his weight against me, antagonizes my
position. l notice Tillman says he
will resign his position to run for gov
ernor next year before he will see the
dispensary 90 down. I take up the
challenge and dare him to enter to up
hold the dispensary. Now, l am
against the dispeusary. l am entered
against it and will never stop fighting
until the State goes out of the liquor
business. Tillman will never dare TO
run for governor on the dispensary
issue. Either Tillman or his represen
tative will be beaten by the votes of
the people. Next year this fight vii;
be made with all the power that Can
be brought to bear"
Then, after the band had played its
installment, Gov. Evans took the
floor and said that the audience had
Just witnessed the dramatic retirement
of his good friend Mayfeld, but that
he was satisfied that he would pick
his flint and try i. again. A public
Office was, ne said, u public trust, and
if Mayfeld had any conclusive proof
that cleared McLaurin of the charge
of Populism that it belonged TO tie
public. The people were the masters
and entitled to this information. He
said it made no difference to him what
Mayfeld thought, for Strait was an
honorable man and so was Latimer
and Talbert, and they would all re-
peat the charges made yesterday, and,
moreover, That man" approached
him and for more tnan an hour tried
to urge him (Evans) to join in the
Populist party with him.
About this Tins there was consider.
able applause for Mr.. McLauriD, also
for Evans, and a few hisses Evans
quickly took it up and said that nobody
could scare him and that he could talk
all the better against such people. He
went on to say that Maytield had no
right to put Strait in false light u n
less hs could produce the proof.
May6el said he believed what
Strait had said.
Then Evans jumped at him and
wanted to know how he could believe
McLsurin and also Strait.
Mayfeld said that the whole point
was that McLaurin had worked against
and succeeded in preventing a Popu
list organiz alton for South Carolina.
Evans said that McL,urln threw
Bowden out into the stream to see how
he could swim in tie Populist sea,
and when Bowden was swallowed up
McLaurin let oof his Populist here
sizes. Governor Evans then went on
to say that he ran against the bosses
for governor and that the Colleton
plan was advocated by Koester and
others who opposed him.
At the outset, he said that Tillman
was made to send down a letter in
which he repudiated the March con.
vention, and that McLaurin went all
the way to Spartanburg to enter the
race, and after he came to Spartan
burg and saw how the wind was
blowing he returned 10 Washington
and wrote that denunciatory against
ME and Tlllman." While he knitted
me I never knitted him or any other
man in the back, and if had sold my
vote against Wallace could have
been attorney general, for it was ofer-
ed to me first, but l never 60 back on
my friend. He repeated that he went
on McLaurin's Official bond and was
still on it. Then he went on to speak
OF McLaurin's voting for Duncan and
Earle, ard said that not only had Nc
Laurin told him that he was going to
vote for him but that Ellerbe had as
sured him that McLaurin was for
Evans, and, moreover, he had con.
suited with him as one OF his political
friends. At Edgefsld, when twitted
McLaurin said that he had tried TO
help Evans out OF a hole, and yester-
day he had said that he had voted
against him, which was all complete
surprise to him. After speaking OF