The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-07
MLAURIN TALKS BAL
BACK.
THROWS HOT SHOT INTO THE TILL
MAN CAMP.


Democratic Pnrty-says TiIImau
Has "A Record That Needs LOolSina
After-Defends His Own Course
and Attacks His Enemies.
Columbia, S. c., Aug. 6-The State
Democratic Executive Committee to-
day received Senator McLaurin's reply
to their action of July 25. condemning
his course in the Senate and demanding
his resignation. 1t is of considerable.
The Morning News gives the letter in
full:
Paris Mountain. s. c., Aug. 5, 1901
To the Democratic Executive Commit
tee State of South Carolina: Gentle
men-The official notice of the action of
a majority of your committee of July
25 was received by me on Aug. /, Ave
days after it had been announced in
the newspapers. This published an
nouncement was the first notice 1 had
that any action affecting me was TO
be taken by your committee. l am now
officially informed that the majority of
your committee condemns my course in
the Senate, demands my resignation
and undertakes to expel me from the
Democratic party. Twenty-one men have
attempted TO usurp the powers OF the
10000 Democratic voters of South Car
olina and as an incident, in a meet
ing called for another purpose have
hastily endeavored to do what can be
done only by solemn proceedings of i'm
parchment, expressly provided for in
1f
Responsible Only TO the People.
hold my commission from the DEM
ocratic voters of South Carolina, 1
recognize no authority but theirs, take
no orders from any source but them,
and shall in due course appeal to them
for judgment on my course as a sena-
tor and my character as a man and a
Democrat.
Personally. I am indifferent to your
action because nobody has made you
my master or censor, and l regard
what you have done as merely ex-
pressing the malice and the fears OF
one individual, Senator b. r. Tillman.
But for this always evil and indecent
influence ordinary respect for the pro-
prieties would probably have prevent
ed the four of you who are my declar-
ed competitors for the seat l now have
the honor to occupy, from attempting
to use the power entrusted to you by
yor party to remove a rival from your
path
Action Unfair, Absurd and Undemo-
cratic.
AS a citizen and Democrat of South
Carolina / am mortified by your ac-
tion, because it has brought upon the
state the condemnation and the ridi-
Guile of the press and the public
throughout the country. Unhappily
those who are not intimately acquaint
ed with our conditions accept the ac-
ton of your majority as representing
the intelligence and Democracy of our
state and both are made objects of
dirision Against this l wish to enter
my solemn protest. ] shall demon
state how unfair absurd and undem-
ocTatic your action is; and l shall trust
to the Democrats of South Carolina to
repudiate it when the opportunity is
given them. Your purpose is to deny
that opportunity.
Star Chamber Proceedings.
1t is in strong contrast with the bla-
tant boast of Senator Tillman Al CAT
ney TO put me on trial before the par
~ on the hustings with himself as
prosecutor. AS you know, sought that
to the people. but the Governor saw
fit to forbid it. Now Senator Tillman
appears as prosecutor against me in
my absence and by proceedings like
those of the star chamber. which was
the most infamous tribunal of Eng
lish history. and the most abhorrent
TO Anglo-Sa instincts, seeks to ex-
clude me from the party and it's de-
bates and public assemblages. 1t is
your duty, as custodians of the party
interests, to seek recruits and to
strengthen the party. To save Senator
Tillman from stalking his record.
strength and fortunes against mine.
you undertake to exclude me and my
friends from the party. Whatever
your individual motives may have
been, the purport of your action is to
facilitate the Senator in lodging me
and to deny the people the opportuni-
ty or passing on my positions and
conduct. 1t seems to me the Democrat
&c masses of South Carolina are COM
petent to say at the polls whether or
not have been faithful senator and
a consistent Democrat? Why should
you attempt to prevent them?
Political Assassins.
It is no cause for wonder that Sena-
tor Tillman should seek to make polti-
cal assassins of you to avoid open and
fair fight. He has climbed to power
by venomous abuse of many of the
purest men in the state who opposed
him, for which he has always carefully
shirked personal responsibility. and on
the political lives and fortunes of those
who befriended him while he needed
friends. Norris, Tindal and Donaldson
men representing earnest purpose and
the interests Of the farmers of the state
and. therefore. strong. We're used by
him to promote his own interests and
then thrust aside. Irby, Shell and Far
ley died despising him because of his
treachery TO them and to the people.
am now in his way and because he has
failed to strike me down he incites you
to attempt to strange me, and at the
same time to destroy a white primary,
TO his advocacy of which he owed
much of the best of his early FOLLOW
ing. Party principles are fixed and
20 the principles of the Democratic par
ty have been uniformly faithful. Par
ty policies are determined from time
10 time by party elections and conven-
tions, and no man nor body of men
has the power to say between those
elections what policies shall be the
tests of party loyalty. Senator Tillman
is assuming the prerogative of supreme
boss and dictator to say who shall OF
shall not be regarded as a Democrat
next year. I do not concede any such
power to him, nor to you. He. nor all
80