The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-05-24
BIcLAURIN AND HAMPTON.
What "Gtteraon Thinks About tho Colum
bn Postonlce Incident.
(Louisville Courier Journal J

| oh eaIbn, DelDS Ouereu an once, cOulu
decline it-particularly man in
neod-goes without saying; is SIM
pie matter Of course; Of tho nature
Of the Pennsylvania bottling and
trade mark; and therefore, the CON,
ments Of that thick and-thin organ
upon some recent utterances Of Gen.
Wado Hampton will surprise no one
who can distinguish "B" from "bull's
foot" The Press ascribes the TO-
fusal af the grim old warrior to be
bribed to sectional prejudice" See
ing all things through tho green cog
giles of political interest and party
feeling, it can imagine no other or
higher motive. This is the iaun.
diced way the Press puts it:
"One or two points in the utter
ance of Gen. Wade Hampton, Of
South Carolina, recently reported,
deserves attention. It is said to
have been intimated to Gen. Hamp-
ton that he could have the Columbia
postmastorship without any political
conditions being attached to tho office,
the appointment, it is understood,
being ut the disposal of Senator Nc
Laurin. AS Gen. Hampton is old
and in straitened financial circum-
stances it was probably thought that
such an offer would be acceptable
1t was promptly declined, however,
with the remark: 81 would not only
not accept position from such u
source, but would not oven con.
slider it." The conclusion to be
drawn from the circumstances and
tho language Gen. Hampton used is
that he is not in sympathy with the
effort Senator McLaurin is making
to liberalizo tho politics of South
Carolina, and that he prefers the old,
'bigoted methods to any new depart
ure. This is to be regretted, but it
is not unexpected. If any one I'M
agined that Southern prejudices
which are the growth of generations
could be dissipated at once, and that
tho white Democracy could be split
in twain by some Federal appoint
ment, the reply of Gen. Hampton
will undeceive them. Said the Gen.
oral: "The people of South Carolina
should know by this time that I am
not for sale, and that T never shall
be-"
The fine figure Of this venerable
soldier and gentleman, all things that
were his in youth gone from his age
save dignity and integrity, drawing
his tattered cloak about him and put
ting away an obvious and shameless
bribe with honest scorn, makes no
appeal to this heartless cynic and
rabid partisan, who cannot even
truthfully relate the facts. We quote
the Press again:
But at the same time that Gen.
Hampton makes clear his own posi-
ton he also reveals the Inconsistency
of the leading Southern white Dem
ocrats. Their assertion, reiterfited
time and again, has been that it was
no use to attempt to build up a Re-
publican party IN the South until re-
spectacle white men were appointed
to Office. But az soon as it init
mated that white man can have an
Office from Republican Administra-
ton Gen. Hampton denounces it as
an attempt to buy Democrats and
spurns the offer with contempt. He
plainly prefers the manners and meth
ods Of Senator Tillman to those of
Senator McLaurin. Hampton has
been held in higher respect than
most Southern Democratic leaders,
but his latest utterances will not tend
to reaffirm that opinion. Gen. Hamp-
ton might have helped to pave the
way for a more liberal political era
in the South. He has refused, but
he cannot stop the movement, how
evor earnestly he may strive to that
end. It has been started and the
utterances Of leading Southern news.
papers show that it has already
gained support that assures itf
permanence."
| Is it true then that, in South Caro-
lima, a man must perforce follow
either Tillman, with his pitchfork, 0,
McLaurin, with his basket Of chips
1 80