The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-06-05
cratic Primary.

today issued the following address:
To My Fellow Citizens:
dered IL necessary that / should say some
thing In explanation of my motives and &C
tlons. sincerely regret that you are to be
subjected to the expense and excitement OF 8
am not responsible. Had II not been for
Senator Tillman's intruslop upon the Gaffaey'
meeting there would have been no necessity
for 1t. A joint debate was precpitated by
him contrary To my wishes and OF the gen
tlemen who invited me. He forced himself
upou the meeting by his own adm ssion. Nc
other honorable course was left 10 me, but tc
accept his proposition or lay myself open te
the charge OF cowardice. 1t Is too late now tc
consider whether 1t was wise or unwise and
| the people must judge between US. desire
| TO announce my candidacy In opposition tc
the senior senator for the rnaxpired LONG
term, and will discuss with hirI n fair and
reputab BILE manner the national Issues OF the
day, and leave 1t to you TO judge who can the
you in the United States senate. In 1897 !
was elected TO the senate az Democrat and
am still a Democrat.
In everything have said and done l have
had the good of my people at heart, 10 them
! | am ready TO render an account OF my stew.
ardship, but not TO the senior senator per.
haps in this lies my Gu lef sin.
In my recent speech at Greenville l gave
the people the reason for my official action
since 1899. 1t * useless for me 10 reiterate
| what said In that speech, as IL has been eN.
Il u nSlveiy puDllSO60 AOQ l presume generally
read. Were IL not for charges made In the ad.
| dress Of the senior senator, II would be un-
| necessary for me TO say more. But cannot
allow him to assail me and my Democracy
without saying something in my vindication.
He charges that, after the adjournment ol
| congress In March last, with the aid OF my
| friends, ! ommenced In the State an active
propaganda of my new doctrines, (which are
claimed TO be Democratic but are nothing bu t
Republicanism in disguise" He arrogates TO
himself the power 10 decie for the people as to
| the Righteousness OF my course and views,
and is not willing for them to hear and Judge
for themselves. His Indecent Intrusion upon
the Gafney m eeting illustrates his methods
of "bossism" and his desire TO "rule or ruin.'
| After my return home In April last receiv.
ed Invitations from citizens OF Greenville,
York. Cherokee, Newberry and Spartanburg
counties TO address the people on the nation
Bl Issues Of the day. AS their public servant.
I could not disregard their imperative calls,
and accepted the invitations. Had not
done so, my political opponent would have
charged that 1 could not meet my consti.
tuents face to face and explain my political
action. 1t was not my purpose In accepting <
these Invitations to inaugurate my cam paig n
for reelection more than year In advance
of the primary, but TO attempt to enlighten
the people and remove false Impressions
produced upon the public mind by the senior
senator and his sympathizers.. had been
pers!stently maligned and misrepresent ted
and the only means afforded me for my vim.
dication was TO get the ear ofthe people. This
where ] was invited to go, and had 1t not been
for these invitations should have remained
silent.
Have we reached the point where number
OF private citizens cannot invite one OF their
representatives to address them. without In
Guiding the senior senator or first obtaining
his permission? The senior senator. II seems.
willed that should not De heard at that time
and determined that shou Id walt for his
bidding TO 20 before the people. The senator
also charges that am Republican and was
Grganzns s.,da kspu1lSsn party here;
dId he he eonsens SsesSe0 to run u wIn Ei me in
Democratic primary? 1 denounce the charge
as an infamous falsehood and The senior
senator knows what he says Is untrue. In
his recklessness, the senior senator furth Or
charges that the dispensing OF the public
patronage has been placed at my disposal
and "unlimited money" Is furnished me by
the Republicans to aid IN the schene OF the
organization OF new party. denounce this
as q malicious ialsehOod. In my Greenville
speech explained why had been consulted
about the federal patronage and at Gaffney
charges as wiltuly false, and yet he reiterates
them in his address. His purpose In repeating
what he knows 10 be ISLANDERS must be
evident to all.
dresses 10 throw the whole responsibility OF
the present situation In the State upon me.
| After defining my Democracy and branding
me as q traitor to the party, he meekly says
IL
me, apd 1t was incumbent npon him to crush
me and my influence In this State. The
senior senator has undertaken herculean
again" The senator forgets that lie insidi-
ously and maliciously aRsailed me last sum-
mer, when l was unable 10 defend myself,
and after my Charlotte speech, In an inter-
view, made false and slanderous charges
against me. l did In my Charlotte and
| Greenville speeches criticise his Populistic
Democracy. and l have nothing to retract.
| He i'm pugns the motives OF others, but when
reply is made lie cries out That he has been
attacked in an unjustitiable manner. The
people shall judge OF our Democracy and
not the senior senator. 1t 1s evident that
| the senior senator fears that he cannot defeat
me on fair field with no favors. Else why
| is he assailing me In his address and threat
ening TO put out other candidates? What
was said on the stand al Gaffney and the
correspondence between US Will convince
any fair-miuGed man that our fesig gnation
was with the understanding that the race
was 10 be between US on and the campaign
was not 10 take place until the tall.
| The senior senator said on The stand that
| he would unite with me in n letter to Gov.
McSw eenty requesting him to withhold
action until Il decision by the primary. The
address Is characieristical of the man and
his political methods. He Is addicted to
| making reckless and false charges against
others which he never substantiaies. An
honest man Is always rh chary IN charging
"Stop thief" He II an ambitious boss and
| habituaI dsturber OF the political peace and
harmony OF South Carolina. Last summer,
for the sake OF peace ne was given no opposl,
| tion, and az soon AZ the doors were closed
and all entries barred, he made slanderous
attack upon the Bible and the ministry Of
this Stale. Fellow Citizens there will never
be anything like unity or quetude among
onr people until he Is re!egated TO private
life. His incendi try appeals to class haired
and pIudee such an he G maze dts at Gapsy
spirit and utterances, will keep up diSsen
sions, divisions and dscord 10 the State
With the aid OF The people ! Will make a
herioc effort during this campaign TO break
down "bossism' with its train OF political
evils and invite all good citizens to assist
me to inaugurate an era of free thought. free
speech and Independence of action on the
part of The people of South Carolina. The
senior senator. In the quietude OF farmers
lie In Edgtteld county, could be viewed az
pitchiorkl .ss pigmy and blessing TO the
State.
(Slgned) John Lowndes McLaurin.