The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-05-13
A TALK WITH McLAURIN.

from Washington TO the News ana
Courier, under date Of the 9Th, says
Representative McLaurin's position on
the tariff question has given him q
prominence throughout the country
which even his political enemies ct
home are bound to recognize. Not
withstanding the attempts made by
certain persons to belittle his recent
tariff speeches, be has growing fol;
lowing in South Carolina which would
astonish his political rivals, who are
eaten up with jealousy because OF his
rapid advancement in national as well
as in State politics. I saw letter
from en- ex-member Of Congress from
Texas, which stated that Vice Presi-
dental boom for Mr. McLaurin is
ulader way In the Lone Star State.
| would not be surprised to see him run
for Governor Of South Carolina next
year. There is strong pressure upon
him to make the race.
When I called upon Mr.. McLaurin at
his residence last evening found him
in particularly happy frame Of mind,
looking over q pile of letters that
had accumulated during his absence.
"My mail," said he, "has nearly
quadrupled since my two last speeches.
The first seems to have struck q respon-
sive chord throughout the South, while
the last has led to Q vast amount OF ap-
parently anxious inquiries concerning
the conditions and advantages of our
section"
!! In answer to an inquiry Mr.. Nc
Lsurin said his position on the ways
and means committee was the prime
cause for making the first speech.
II would sit there" said he, "day
after day listening to individuals and
delegations demanding recognition
through national legislation, and not
hear q single solitary mention Of the
great industries of the South. Finally
one man came before US in the interests
of long staple cotton, but failed to make
much of an impression, since he found
Southern members opposed to such
o demand. I began to get letters
from different sections Of the South cal
ling my attention to the rice schedules.
Parties interested in cotton seed oil
productions wrote me concerning tai
low being on the free list, which would
tend to cheaper oil, and thereby cheap
en- the price OF cotton seed to the plant
or. Men engaged in making cotton be-
gan to write asking If it would not be
fair to demand duty on cotton, at the
same time reminding me that there was
heavy duty on cotton cloth. The In
Justice OF sitting idly by and permitting
the North and East to obtain all the sd-
vantages of such legislation, and at the
same time realize that my own section
and people were being plundered
through its operation.
"As I continued the preparation Of
that speech became more and more
impressed that the interests Of the
South had been neglected, and more
firmly determined to make q demand
for fair and equitable division Of bene-
fits and responsibilities. ] am not
Protectionist, and rejected that state
ment many times in the course OF my
speech, but if that doctrine was to OBJ
tain in this country I simply demanded
as matter Of right and justice that the
press of the South, with rare exceptions,
have accepted my contention as fair and
Just, and I look for substantial assis.
tancs from Southern members In max
ing contest, not only for long staple
cotton, but for square recognition OF
all Southern interests in the final status
Of the tariff bill.
"Here are hundreds of clippings"
said Mr.. McLaurin, showing file case
filed with them, "taken from papers in
the South endorsing my position and
encouraging me to further action. These
letters also," pointing to large num-
ber, ''are from prominent men, not
only in the South. but in other sections,
declaring my position correct, and urg-
ing Eoe to continue the fight In order
10 round out my first speech and show
the true situation I made the last one.
Some papers have called it an immigra-
tion speech and an advertisement for
the South. I don't care anything about
that, since my purpose was accom-
plished when I attracted the attention
Of the balance of the country to our Sec
tion.
81 assumed that such increased in
terest and inquiry regarding our Sec
ton would assist materially in securing
fair play, and find it has. This speech
has been printed in full in many lead
ing papers, and liberal extracts have
found their way into thousands Of news
papers throughout the entire nation.
The New York Financier, the Boston
Journal Of Commerce, the Chicago Re
cord and. numerous journals OF this
character have printed much of the
speech, and commented editorially up
pom it. The Southern Railroad Com
pany has printed large portion of it
and sent olt thousands to its cores
pondents and inserted it in thousands
Of papers interested in our section.
make this statement not boasting, but
in order to show what an easy matter
it is and, I belive, might have been
years ago, to obtain the prompt atten-
ton of the business element OF the
North to our advantages as section.
I sincerely hope that this line of inves-
tigation may be stimulated by others,
so that the South may in the end OBJ
tain its rights"
ASPARAGUS PAYS.