The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-05-25

and with the writing OF which Tillman
has since claimed that he had som >.
thing to do. The attack upon the admin
istration with which Earlehad been con.
n"cted Tor four years, and the charges
vaguely presented but vehemently
urged. caused him to enter the field AS
candidate for Governor. The mem-
oraole campaign which followed is
lamlllar to the people Of the State, and
when 1T closed with the ovcrw o ming
nomination Of Tillman by the conven.
tlon in September, 1890, Earle accepted
the result in good faith and refused to
join boiling faction, as he recognized
the right of the majority 70 do as it
pleased With the public Offices. He
returned to the practice Of law in Sum
ter, and remained there nearly two
years longer. For quite a while he
had been considering the matter of
coming back to his native county. and
In 1872 he purchased beautiful home
IN this city and entered upon tho prac-
tice OF law. 1t was soon after com NJ
here that he advised against maxim
any opposition to the recollection Of
Governor Til man, practically refusing
TO ally himself with either faction, and
holding that the white people Of South
Carollna ought not to be torn asunder
ny factionai differences. His course
IN this instance al'onated many Of his
former friends, but he steau fastly main
tained his position that organized op-
position to Governor Tillman only
strengthened his following, whilst il
injured tho State with outsiders who
could not understand our family quar-
rel. The Conservatives nominated
John g. Sheppard for Governor and
Jas l.. Orr for Lieutenant Governor.
Senator Earle adhered closely to the
practice of his profession. as the senior
mber Of the firm of Earle ~ Mooney,
and built up large and lucrative
practice, which continued until he was
elected Circuit Judge in 1895. His
election was regarded as non-facSional,
and chiefly due from political stand
point to the position he had occupied
Tor several years, but 1t was also in
recognition OF his fitness and capacity
for the office, which was fully justified
by the fairness an justice of his course
upon the bench. A judicial office was
much in agreement with his disposition
and temperament, and he was enjoy
ing the work devolving upon him when
the campaign of 1896 was opened. He
had no thought whatever of entering
politics again, and was not at all in.
| clined to enter the field as candidate
for United States Senator, when solic-
| tied by members of both factions, and
| urged to make the race for the purpose
OF healing the breaches Of the past.
For several months after he was ap-
preached on the subject he was disin.
clined to become a candidate, and his
consent was on y partially given at
the opening Of the campaign in juno.
1T was not final and conclusive until
the initial meeting at Manning, at
which time he was holding court in
Charleston. His pledge was in the
J hands OF a former law partner and
trusted friend, Mr.. II. O. Purdy, of
Sumter, and through misunderstand-
ing the pledge was filed and afterwards
Withdrawn, bat the matter was ad-
justed that evening and his pledge
duly accepted by the chairman of the
State executive committee.
For eight or ten meetings 1t was
impracticable for Judge Earle to be
Official duties, and this he would not
do. His entrance into the campaign
was on the 18th OF July at his old home
In sumter, whore his earlier triumpbs
In politics were secured. and which was
a good omen of success in this instance
Prior to going upon the hustings, he
Issued an address TO the people OF the
State, In which among other things he
said "ln State politics l belong to
no clique or faction other than the
Democratic party" On national Issues
he said that the monetary ques.
tion overshadowed all others, and
argued that gold and silver should
! be coined freely and without limit at
ratio OF sixteen to one as money OF
final redemption, with equal legal ten.
: der power, without waiting for interna-
tional agreement" HE discussed the cur
rency and other Issues upon an exalted
, plane, and the campaign so far as he
was concerned was progressing without
unusual incident until the meeting at
: Bennettsville on the 2lst OF July, when
, there oame an Insulting insinuatlon
, from Governor Eyans, which was
promptly resented by Judge II trle, WI
| gave wacning that a repetition "
3 not be tolerated. Three iasdiaaf
r Florence occurred the ept -
? 1icnlmiEatec In blows ardsoN W
: pated general rlotbaienaa ri
q was concluded ,withol- s' ~
x 81, ~ 4. S,opine CotDls 49,