The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-07-14
many OF vcu city henchmen try to

During the hCHhpo, tFa!rrnan Fur
DIV sterped forward TO Senator Irhy
and said: 'Colorel let's understand
one another r~'ghtaway. In the pres
ieuce of tits digrified audience I ask
that ycudc not use such language"
Atihis roinIthe Chairman was inter.
rup,td by some one c&lling for The
Auditor o. the county. who was
wanted on business outside. Contin
uing, Mr.. Purdy said: 1--WE want to
give you respectful hearing, but
must ask you rot to say that any
more"
Irby. 'Sav vhat9'
PurdY: Cal US henchmen
Irhy: "Weil, I've said IT, once, and
| don't know that Treed sag it again"
Then the chfrri1g hsgan again, and
when it hsd sr6gided somewhat, Col.
Irby said: lau irsuiteG me first"
The Yelling began aaa'n, AND Chair,
man Purdy scaiu said: 1 sn in 10
way responsible for this outhurst OF
feeling. We waot 10 give you a re
sprct;ul heariny, ard 1 hopS before
you conclude that ycu will feel sorry
for what you said and wi.hdaw it"
Irhy: II will withdraw the often
sive word when the men who insulted
me apologize for what tht:y have done.
| am YOUR guest, here by invitation
and by right, l hage been a friend OF
Sumter county. helpedto make one
of lis distinguished ciljz'ns Attorney
Ger eral. apd then hel ped to make him
Judge, aud my friends helped to elec!
him U. S. Senator. Ga that ground,
if NO other, I should be treated with re
snect. II you expect to elect McLaurln
by such methods then go ahead, but
| want you to understand that | have
as many friends among tbs Conserva'
tives as he.
when McLaurin talks about what
he did, and insinuates about what 9th.
ers didn't do, I sat here quietly and
gave him q r~esnectful hearing. But
politics is politics, am simply a far
mer, and expected to talk to Reform
e,s. i have 10 set, written sophomore
speech, written out three or four weeks
before hand. 1 have not a note or a
memorandum, but I intend to speak
my mind at the forty four meetings
to be held. I am in this race at the
start, and will be in at the finish.
When | saw The Reform movement,
I helped to father, about to ba dis
rupted and destroyed as l thought,
rather than oppose the wishes of the
people. didn't expect to enter this
race. I didn't expect to deal IN per
sonalities, but before I filed my pledge
even, here comes this honorable gen
tleman with the scared mad" on and
talks about dishonest politicians sulk
ing al home. lam not OF the sulking
sind. There are 60 feathers on my
leg. I'm no Shanghai. Let no man
stard here and tell me that the PEG.
pie will have a ring streaked, striped
and speckled politician to represent
them in the Senate"
A voic:: "Who do you have refer.
%epce2"
Irby, turning to McLaurin: II refer
to Mr.. McLarin."
Continuing he said: 81 will have
the opportunity to speak to the people
of the State and not in towns like this
where the crowd comes out and tries
to bully me. I am an original Rafor'
mer and have stood by her principle
from the beginning and will to the
end. Iquit politics and went to my
farm. The people know my record
aud 1 am proud OF my record.
Let it be understood that he has
attacked me by speaking OF dishonest
politicians sulkirg at their homes. l
give him to understand that he never
would have been heard of except as
a little briehess ten cent lawyer had
it not been for Tillman and myself.
Today in South Carolina there is the
~foulest conspiracy against the farmers
that aver existed, and McLaurin is the
beneficiary of it. He has betrayed
more friends than any man in the
State. He has never been true to
friend or foe. He was the smart,
curly headed boy whom the ring took
up to run against W. D. Evans, but
be was defeated. aud when the Till
man wagon came alone he Jumped On
and even tried to push the driver off
He got so full OF Tillmanism that he
could not stay in the ranks but went
to the Pnpulists. You Conservatives
had him blacklisted st Washington
because he was a Populist. He crawl,
ed on his belly, with his hat in his
hand, 10 Gen. Butler, snd asked him
to remove the bla,kiist. [ myself
went to Cleveland 10 defend him, but
found out afterwards that he was q
PopuIist and wrote the platform for
Bowden.
ut is said that be opposes the Dis
pensary. Is he honest2 Is be coming
out like a bold Carolinian, like a white
man2 No, he is whispering in your
ears that he is opposed 10 the thing,
but at the same time is trying to have
q law passed in Congress which would
fix the dIspensary on you for 400
years. Isn't that dishorest2"
Just here Mr.. McLeurin rose from
his seat. lie was pale with suppressed
excitement. He marched over directly
to where Col. Irby was Standing The
crowd was as quiet IS death, the ST.
lence was oppressive and the suspense
was nervousIy exciting. Every body
Expected O. fight, for McLaurin's atti-
tude seemed to indicate that he would
either demand an apology or fight.
His right hand was clihched. but be
did not draw it back in a belligerent
attitude. Facing ]rby and standing
but a few inches frem him, he said:
Senator, let's have an understand
ing right here. We have known each