Evening star., 1901-06-06
TILLMAN-McLAURIN AGAIN
GOV. McSwEENEY AGREES TO AC.
CEPT FORMERS RESIGNATION.
Gives Reason for Declining I'm the
First Instance-MOre Heated
Correspondence.

A dispatch from Columbia, S. c., last
night says: Decidedly the most sensational
development in the senatorial tangle in this
state is letter which Governor McSwee-
ney sent to Senator Tillman today. In his
communication the governor informed Sen.
ator Tillman that If he still wishes to re.
sign and will send to this office an uncon.
ditional resignation. will exercise the au-
thority and power vested in me by the
people" This means that the governor
will accept Senator Tillman's resignation
If it shall be formulated on that line.
The letter follows:
'Your letter of June / has been re-
ceived. 1 have carefully noted it's con.
tents and the most charitable view which
l can take of 1t is that it was written In
the heat Of passion and without due cor
sideration. 1 note that you say that
have 'transcended my authority and that
the governor cannot compel member OF
the United States Senate to hold his COM
mission and exercise the functions Of that
office If he chooses to surrender it. And
that you decline for the present to with
draw your resignation. Had You read
carefully my letter addressed to you and
to Senator McLaurin, you must have seen
that did not express any desire to compel
a member of the United States Senate to
hold his commission and exercise the tunc-
tions of that office if he choose to sur
render it.
My sole purpose in returning the resig-
nations was to ask you gentlemen TO con-
slider calmly and thoughtfully the conse-
Quences to the people of what l judged TO
be hasty act, and what you admit to have
been a hasty act, and L must confess that
/ am somewhat surprised at the tone OF
your answer to my request.
Il considered the course which I took
in this matter to be for the best interest
of the people of South Carolina, and I am
responsible to them alone for my action,
and Furthermore, 1 still believe that my
course has met the approval of majority
of the citizens of the state; nor do l con-
slider them unthinking citizens, Eu. men
who know and recognize as fully as any
people on earth the rights and duties end
responsibilities of citizenship, and who do
not need the services of any one to tell
them their duty.
Your insinuation that have been i'm
portuned' to await the convenience Of
any present or would-be aspirants who
are not Just yet ready, for various reasons,
to enter the contest brought on so uneX-
pectedly, and that for this reason my ac-
tion has taken the direction 1t has, Is un-
worthy Of man holding the high commits
sion which has been given you by the peo-
pie Of South Carolina, and deserves no
notice in this connection.
However, l may say for your benefit that
alone am responsible for my reply, and
will give account for the course l have
taken to the people who have honored me-
and not to any one individual. In this
matter I have done what 1 thought best
calculated to promote the present pros
perity and contentment Of the people Of
my state and shall continue to do SO, re-
gardless of what any one may say or think
Of my course. l did not think that po-
litical campaign this summer could do any
good, and acted according to my belief
However. had the designations been uncon-
ditional and unrestricted. my action might
have been otherwise. With due respect for
your opinion, think l have as high con-
powers as you or any other citizen of this
state, and you must have known that the
brief interview to which you refer means
that 1 would simply meet the responsibility
and perform my duty under the condi-
tions. If you still wish to resign your
commission, and will send to this office an
unconditional resignation, l will exercise
the authority and power vested in me by
the people"
Senator Tillman, protesting against the
governors right to reject the senatorial
designations, has withdrawn his resigna-
ton. in his letter to Governor McS"eeney,
Senator Tillman says:
II have Senator McLaurin's communica-
ton, in which he graciously consents. at
your request, to hold on to his commits
sion as United States senator and continue
to serve the state as he had done in the
past, to the best of his ability.
'''This leaves me one of three alternatives:
To appeal to the democratic executive
committee to take the matter up and de-
termine what the best interest Of the party
requires to be done; to appeal to the Senate
itself to determine the question as to
whether resignation from that body, to
take effect at some future time, is binding,
or withdraw my own resignation.
There are no precedentS on this subject,
because in the 125 years of our national
life, with more than 200 designations from
the Senate, no senator has hitherto been
70 fhn Jaah of ifr16n
now assumed by Senator McLaurin, and
forced on me.
IL am certain of one thing-that the ex-
ecutive of a state has no authority to de-
cline a resignation that has been rendered,
and 1 am equally certain that had your ex-
cellency confined your action within legal
bounds your appointees would be seated
in the Senate when that body meets in De-
cember and hold their seats until the legis-
lature should act in January.
MY chief regret is that 1 am forced by
your action to engage in what the outside
world will consider a game Of opera bouffe,
Senator McLaurins undignifed and puerile
action; but the purpose for which it was
rendered has been thwarted by Senator
McLaurin's precfpitous acceptance of exec
utiVe advice. Bob Acres has been outdone
for once l have already said I had no
motive or purpose in resigning, except to
force McLaurin's, and there is nothing for
me to do but accept the situation and with
draw my own resignation, If 1t be lawful to
do So"
With the governors last word at Sena-
tor Tillman and the withdrawal Of the
senator's resignation all would seem to be
over. but last night Senator McLaurin, after
speaking very bitterly of the senior senator
made the declaration that If Tillman will
now tender to the governor the uncondi-
tional surrender of his office, he McLaurin)
would consider this a direct challenge to
him, and would likewise resign and enter
the contest for Tillmans place.
VERDICT FOR MRS. EDDY.