Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-05
The 4turkrille enquirer.
YORKVILLE, S. G. (:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, IS:
is 1T BLACkMAIL?


In the last sentence Of his letter to
the Greenville News, N. A. Dunning,
the man who claims to have written
speeches for Senator McLaurin, said:
"Long before this suit is over, the peo..
pie of South Carolina will understand
the sort Of man they sent to the senate''
The News and Courier points out
that this is strongly suggestive of NAL
ice, rather than desire to secure al
legged rights, and the Columbia Record
and the Spartanburg Herald are of
opinion that the whole business is a
piece of blackmail.
That Dunning and others have as
sisted in the collection of facts and
figures for Mr. McLaurin's speeches,
is very likely. No congressman ever
undertakes to hunt out for himself, all
the statistics he may have occasion to
use. There are hundreds of men in
Washington who make the furnishing
of statistical and other information a
regular business, and congressman
find it more convenient and economi-
cal of time to avail themselves of the
labor of these men, than to wade
through such drudgery themselves.
But men like Mr.. McLaurin always
pay their bills, and it is very likely that
if Mr.. McLaurin used the services Of
Dunning, he paid cash at the time.
Mr.. McLaurin first won distinction
in Washington as the result of his ap.
pearance before the committee on
banking and currency, in behalf of a
bill to issue slOO,OOO,OOO worth of
legal tender notes, to take the place of
notes supposed to. have passed out of
existence through various accidents,
destruction by fire and the like. The
committee, which was composed for
the most part of contractionists, was
naturally hostile to the PROPOSE
ton, and put Mr.. McLaurin, then q
representative, through most search
ing examination. The questions and
answers filled pretty big pamphlet,
and the answers showed learning,
readiness, and craftsmanship that made
for Mr.. McLaurin national reputa
ton. 1t is hardly probable that Mr.
Dunning was on hand to prompt MIR.
McLaurin in the able answers he made
on that occasion.
Then there is another occasion which
we call to mind. 1t was during the
campaign for the primary nomination
of United States senator. Evans, lrby
and Mayfeld made a dead set against
McLaurin from the beginning. They
and their friends bounded him as no
man in this state had ever been hound
ed before. Single-handed and alone,
he put the entire combination to rout
on every stump, and there are hum
dreds of people in York county who
were present at that famous debate in
the courthouse here, when McLaurin
pitched Evans, Irby, Mayfeld and
Strait into the same grave and COW
cred them with oblivion. If Orator
Dunning was on hand, he was GER
tainly very much incog.
1t will also be remembered that be-
fore he ever went to Washington, and
no doubt before he ever heard of Mr..
Dunning, Mr.. McLaurin had made,
during the Tillman campaigns, the
reputation of being one of the ablest
stump Speakers in the state.
Just what this Dunning business
means, we are not in a position to
say. We have noticed all along, how
ever, that the heaviest batteries of the
gold standard crowd have been direct
ed at Mr.. McLaurin. We figure that
the heaviest batteries are used only
against most powerful opponents. AS
to whether Mr.. Dunning is man OF
ability, we do not know. BY his own
admission, however, his stock in trade
is eloquence. If he sold "eloquence"
to Mr.. McLaurin, he would sell it
against Mr.. McLaurin. 1t may be
that he is now in the employ of the
gold standard crowd, charged with
commission to undermine Mr.. Mcl1au-
rim at home. This is not unreasonable.
At any rate, we believe that Mr.. Dun
ming is right smart of liar.