The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-02-15

Entered at the Post Ofnce at MIL %
Secopd-Ciass Matter.
Senator McLaurin IS being crltl-
cized for voting for the peace treaty
and his critics lay special stress upon
his having made speech recently
which placed him among the opposl-
ton McLaurin's speech was against
expansion and before the outbreak
at Manila. There is nothing IN NC
Laurin's action which places him IN
an inconsistant position. He is still
opposed to expansion, and his vote to
ratify the treaty was thoroughly IN
accord with the Democracy's leader
William Jennings Bryan, who III an
open letter advised the ratification.
When the question OF holding the
Philippines comes up, we are statls-
fed McLaurin will by his voice and
vote, express the views of his people
Many of his critics know nothing
about the subject, and some OF them
have an idea, that because Tillman
voted against the treaty, McLaurln
went back upon his people by not
voting with Tillman. Their voting
differently is matter OF individual
opinion, there is no question OF party
policy or State interest involved, and
McLaurin viewed it TO be the best
interests OF the country at large to
relieve the administration from the
embarrassing position it was in, it
was his duty to cast his vote as he
did. II must be remembered that
while the Senate was divided on the
treaty question the Filipinos had rea-
son to believe the people of this
country would not back up the gov
ernment and the longer the uncer-
tainty continued, the more would the
insurgents continue their warfare.
We have not the slightest doubt, but
the delay in the ratification OF the
treaty encouraged those people to
open fire upon ou, soldiers, and add
another bloody chapter to our his
tory. The people of this country
want to get the war stopped aud re-
turn to settled condition, but the
desired result could not be obtained
as long as our Congress was holding
the country in doubt. Now that the
doubt has been removed by the rati-
fcation of the treaty, we look for
speedy peace, and in less than six
months many OF McLaurin's critics
Will be convinced of the wisdom OF
his course. Our information is, that
even since McLaurin cast his vote,
his mail has increased with letters OF
congratulstion from all over the
country. In many towns and cities
Joint letters signed by the business
community have been forwarded to
him and the wires were kept hot with
messages OF Joy.
McLaurin is in Washington at
tending to his business and making
a study of the peoples interests, and
he does not care rap what little
politicians say nor what shoe-string-
Drained newspaper critics do. Were
he petty politician he would curry
favor with these elements to make
himself popular, but there is s great
diferance between State craft and
petty politics. A statesman's acts
live IN history, but the acts OF a pol
itician are only in sight like sky
rocket for the instant. The politi-
clan comes into existence with much
pyrotechnic display and in twink
ling goes of Of the stage of action
without leaving an impression. The
Statesman, on the other hand, comes
on the stage of action and by study
and devotion he builds a monumen-
tai record more lasting than stone,
and his brain-work is impressed up
on his country's future.
The indications are that our troops
are making tremendous Roadway to-
wards gaining the ascendancy over
the insurgent Filipinos ou the Island