The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-08-18
WHO IS LYING :?
It is Between Strait and Nc
Laurin and McLaurin and
Evans.
Mawfezd, Watson and Crum-Hot
lAeeting IN CAes'er.


meeting here to-day was quite lively,
as far as the senatorial candidates
were concerned. As for the audi.
ence, it did not seem 10 enthuse to
any extent, and it was only every
now and then that the hearers would
applaud.
It was during Mr.. Mayfeld's
speech and the repeated charges that
Mr. McLaurin was Populist at heart
and that he had offered to issue a
Populist manifesto that Mr. Mayfeld
said he would again repeat the
charge, now that Congressman Strait
was present
Strait and McLaurin both jumped
up at the same time and Strait said
to McLaurin to make his statement.
Mr.. McLaurin said that in 1892
there were three or four parties favor
ing the free coinage Of silver, and
that it was his intention. with others,
to try and get all of these forces to-
gether; that Tiliman, Bryan and
other leaders attended conferences to
try and get the free silve1ites, the
Pepulists, the silver Republicans and
silver Democrats together, and that
it was those forces be was trying to
get concenirs led at one Of these con-
ferences, and an address was issued,
and he, Bryan and others signed it,
aad that he got members Of the South
Carolina delegation to sign it. At
one of these conferences to get all
the silver forces together he made a
speech and said that in South Caro-
lima everything was all right and
there was no need in his State for a
Populist party What he wanted
was to secure the election of Bryan.
and in the last campaign the free sill
yer Republicans, Populists and all
worked for Bryan. That was his
sole purpose in advising any combi-
nation of forces or of doing what he
did. As for South Carolina every
thing the free silver people could
want was to be had in the Democrat
ic organization and that was good
enough for him.
DR.. Strait said he had hoped not to
be drawn into the matter, but would
say that the address Mr. McLaurin
spoke of had nothing to do with the
address spoken of to him and Tai
bert. When they were seated to-
gether, Mr.. McLaurin came up to
them and said "Talbert, l want
you and Strait to go in with me in
the Populist party. The time is ripe,
the current is high and the sea is
coming in. :"
Mr.. McLaurin-Dr. Strait. you
certainly misunderstood the tenor of
what said. 1t would be remarka-
bic, indeed, if l were to go up to you
and make such bold statement in
such an off hand way.
Mr. McLaurin went on to say that
he had always talked to Latimer, Tai
bert and Strait along the lines Of a
union of the south and west as indi-
Gated. He said he had favored to
them an amalgamation of the silver
forces, but he never proposed Pop.
ulist party or joining it. lie said
that Bowden had nursed him like 3
woman when his wife was also sick,
and that while he was recuperating
he begged aud plead with Bowden
and had him to con6ne his fight to
the national electors. although it was
Bowden's intention to run State
ticket, and that it was only by hard
work that he had spared the State
such a fight as North Carolina had
experienced. He had Bowden amend
his platform and cut out the part
looking to State fight.
Dr.. Strait said that it occurred to
him as strange at the time that Nc
Laurin should have made such state
ment to him in an off hand manner,
especially as he, too, was under the
charge of being Popu!ist and was
"blacklisted" for it.
Mr. May6eld then closed by saying
that if the other congressman would
not prove the charge he had made, he
would withdraw from the race, and
if the other congressman substantial
ed what Dr. Strait had said, then
McL2uyin should withdraw from the
race
IN the course of Col Irby's speecf.
he was talking about the charge of
McLaurin that the people repudiated
Evans for having been 'rammed
down their throats, and that Nc
Laurin supported him with all this
Mr. McLaurin said he did not
that he voted for Duncan On the first
ballot and for Earle on the second bal
lot
Evaus-You swore to me that you