The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-05-31
EXCUSES MADE BY TILLWAN
Fok PkECIPITATING A CAMPAIGN IN
THIS "OFF" YEAR
IL Checks Canyass I'm Which McLuurin,
ohopposcd, Was MahinE Many Re.
publ can Votes In tho State
Especial to The State. I


10 tho Democratic votors of the
| State:
Fellow Citizens: An extraordinary
and unparalleled situation has I'M
eXpectodly arisen IN tho State, and
as l am mainly responsible for this,
feel that propor respect for you
requires an explanation Of my actions
and motives.
Eleven years ago by largo vote
you elected mo governor Of the State,
and two years afterwards l was ro-
elected by an overwhelming majority.
In vi l was sent as your representa-
tive IN tho congress of tho United
States as ono Of the senators of South
Carolina. After six years service in
that body I was last year chosen
without opposition to be my own
successor. was sworn in on March
1th, last, for the six years term end
ing IN 1907. The ink has hardly be.
como dry upon my oath Of Office aud
yet J. have rendered my resignation
to take effect September 18th next.
My colleague has also rendered his
resignation to take effect the same
date, and thus there will be two va.
cancies to be filled by appointments
of the governor until the legislature
can elect our SUCCESSORS in January
next. 1 desire to announce my can
didacy to succeed myself and shall
ask you to vindicate my action by
your vote in the primary, which will
be ordered by the State Democratic
committee lis is an off year in
politics :. he conditions
which ha| ,ut my action in
preclpltG.. political campaign,
and primary election would be mex
cusable. A brief review of recent
political events will be necessary to
give that explanation. My colleague,
Jno. L. McLaurin, was elected to the
senate at primary held in '07 to
succeed the lamented Earle. He
was elected as Democrat standing
upon the Chicago platform of 1896.
Early in 80 Senator McLaurin parted
company with his Democratic col
leagues in the senate, and has since
voted for and advocated, everything
that the Republican party now stands
for, and has persistently antagonized
his own party in all of his public ut
terances and acts. Notwithstanding
that new State convention last May
laid down the principles and policies
of tho party, and a new national con-
vention at Kansas City in July an
nounced the principles of Democracy
rs now understood throughout tho
union, your junior senator has acted
as though he were entirely indepen-
dent Of the people who elected him
and has felt under no obligations to
obey their wishes or do their will as
their representative. When congress
adjourned last March he and his
sympathizers in tho State bagan at
once an active propaganda of his now
doctrines, which he claimed were
Democratic, but which all true Demo-
Gratis must know are only Republican,
ism in disguise and very thinly dis
guised at that. He made a speech
at Charlotte, April 10th, in which the
Democratic party is sneered at and
assailed. Ho made another speech
at Greenville last week filling ont
and developing his now theories, and
took pains to indicate his perfect ac-
cord with Mr.. Mckinley in. all his
policies. He had appointments al
ready arranged to make speeches at
at least three othor places-Gaffney,
Yorkville and Spartanburg-and had
begun an active canvass for re.elec.
lion, tifteen months before the regu.
lar campaign, which would choose
his successor, in the Democratic pri-
mary Of 1902 would open. 1t was
natural that these gentlomen who
proposed to contest tor his seat should
be unwilling to prematurely announce
their candidacy and take the field
against him. Ho had the dispensing
of federal patronage placed at his
disposal by the Republican presi-
don't, and ho had unlimited money
! furnished by his Republican allies,