The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-07-14
EVANS ENTERS THE RACE.
THE EX-GOVERNOR JOINS THE SsNA.
TORlAl CAMPAIGN PARTY.

He Discusses tho Tariff and Charged NC.
Laurin with Being a Protect!onist-lrby
and Ms.GsJd Also speak-McLaurfn was
Indlspostd.
Tt is said that the campaien meeting
at WATERFORD ~ Thursday was q
dainty affair. Three of the would.b be
Senators were on hand to tell why the
good people should vote for them.
The audience did not seem to enthuse
worth a cent. The political appeals
were accepted with about the s'oljd
faces as a lecture on geology might be
heard. The humor of Col. 1rby took
we'll and he furnished q relish to the
substantial talks Of the two FIRST spea-
kers. ex, Governor Evans and Mr.
May field. Business kept Mr.. Duncan
away, and Senator McLaurin tele.
graphed that he was too unwell to be
present. With an entirely sober and
good patured audience of about one
hundred, there was no occasion for
the speakers to get mad. They made
speeches with pith and point.
Mr.. Evans was first introduced by
Acting Chairman Howell. He was re-
ceived with approval and said be
wanted to take up st once the new
evangel of Senator McLaurin. This
new doctrine sought to be thrust upon
the people of South Carolina, he said,
is a reversal of the policy of the De.
mocracy Of the State which has pre-
vailed since the euunciation by Cal
houn. Our conditions hava not
changed and we are today as much an
agricultural people as ever. Our prio-
cipal manufactures are of cotton and
this needs no protection; what we
need is absolute free trade; but the
Democratic doctrines of tariff for rev.
enue only is the easiest manner OF
supplying funds for the government.
The difference between the Democrat
and Republican creeds is easily deGn-
ed. The Republican party is owned
and controlled by the manufacturers
of the east, who have grown fat IN.
der the protective system, now sought
to be engrafted on us. When a man
who today occupies the seat Of Cal
houn in the Senate openly declares
that the trouble with our people is
that we have fingered and loafed too
long around his grave it is time for
patriotic South Carolinians to rise and
repudiate him.
Tie first idea advanced by Mr.. Nc.
Laurin is the imposition Of a protect
i've duty on Egyptian and Peruvisn
cotton, aud he seeks to gain votes by
posing as the protector of the pocket.
books of the people. This fallac.y,
Mr.. Evans said, was easily explained.
There is absolutely no composition as
to Peruvian and Egyptian cotton and
sea island cotton. The production of
sea island cotton has increased from
25, 493 in 1883 to 105, 900 in 1895 81,
showing increase in production in
spite of foreign importation. Ameri-
can spinners last year took AZ, 900 bales
OF sea island cotton against only H.
ga bales in 1884. It cannot be con
tended that Egyptian cotton has sup
planted sea island cotton. Tue fabrics
manufactured from sea island cotton
in no way compete with those manu-.
featured from Egyptian or Peruvian
cotton. 1t will thus be seen that this
position cannot be defended except as
Republican doctrine.
This is not only the vote of McLau.
rim in favor of Republican protection
Mr.. Curtis, in his letter to the Chicago
Record, says: MIR. McLaurin is a pro
l.c!ionist. During the last session of
Congress he voted with the Reputli-
cans on the committee OF ways and
means" TIE secretary of the Ameri,
car Protective Association praises him
as 6, recent convert. Instead Of pro
tecling the pockets OF the people OF
South Carolina this bill dra VS. from
the pockets 40 per cent. mora for goods
manufactured from those Imported
cotions. If this be equality then Mr..
Evans wanted to be saved from it
The way in which cur Senator has
baea fooled is best illustrated from the
fact that McLaurin's proposal was re-
ceived with open arm by the R3rub-
licans and without a dissenting vote.
The tariff on cotton was granted. The
next day the manufacturers q demand
ed compensatory duty on manufac-
tured products and II was granted:
Thus the consumer pays an additional
20 Ter cent. as a bounty 10 the manu-
tacturer without any return.
Mr.. McLaurin tries 10 tie himself to
Tillnan, but, as Mr.. Evans under
stoud il, TiIlman's position was that
the entirs bill was ROBBERY, wrong in
principle, and he e~ndsavored 10 make
it as offensive as possible to the farm.
ers. MI. McLaurln, however, defends
it as Democratic principle aad thus
attem pts to commit his people to the
principles Of the robber tariff barons.
TilIman did not defend ii as right, but
simply to show the outrage upon the
South, and demanded o bounty upon
our exports, which would have brought
some recompense for the burdens.
We can ueeer hope TO gain any
thing from the Republican party or
by trading Democratic principles for
a mess of pottage. South Carolina
must stand by the Democratic party,
as from that alone can equal rights be
obtained.
Mr.. Evans said he vas defeated last
year Oh account of malicious ISLANDERS.
Hs said that now as all candidates
we're Reformers the voters could align
themselves according to the Demo
cratic principles involved.
Senator Msyfeld said he was a little
unwell and would not, III the absence
of McLaurin, attack his tariff views,
with which he did not agree. He