The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-12-10

" ~ i Senate chamber was the
WW scene of highly dramatic
v " episode to-day when Senator
Tfllman of South Carolina
challenged his colleague, Senator NC
Laurin, to resign with him on the SPOT
in order, to use his own language tnaI
they might be able to wash their dirty
linen at home" McLaurin did not take
up the gage. The incident to-day was
the direct result of the very bitter con-
troversy which arose between the Senators
in South Carolina last spring. McLaur1n
arose to a question of personal privilege
to-day and proceeded to explain what ne
charged was conspiracy to discredlt MIN
in his own State for facts and views
which did not meet the approval or GER
tain Democratic leaders.
A stir in the chamber followed Wnen
McLaurin of South Carolina arose 10 q
question of personal privilege. He had
before him huge pile OF manuscript.
McLaurin Shows Much Emotion
ct arise to a question of persona! priv
ilege in connection with the puDncatlon
of the statement that | have been eX-
Guided from participation in the Demo
cratic party caucus, he announced. with
evidence of considerable emotion he pro
ceeded to explain that if such was the
case and If he were to be without assign
ment upon committees the rights Oh ms
State, which he in part represented IN tne
Senate, would suffer. The only notice ne
had ever had, ne SAID, CndI ne was " NC
excluded from the Democratic caucus
came last spring before the adjournment
of the Senate when the chairman OF the
Democratic National Committee asked
him why he no longer attended the Dem
ocratic caucuses. He had replled thaI III
view of his opinion of the questions grow
ing out of the Spanish war he thought
his presence might be embarrassing. Inc
Democratic chairman had replled:
"Then perhaps it would be less embar-
RAISING to. you not to be invited 10 the
McLaurin said he had replied: Certain
ly.'
This incident, McLaurin declared, was
the elimination of long series OF events
in a contest waged by an element or the
Democratic party against him.
Continuing, McLaurin SAID he couid De
silent did he not fear that the movement
against him was one to keep alive sectlon-
alism. For many years the people OF the
South had realized that they had not OBJ
tanned their fair share of the national
benefits. McLaurin recalled the fact that
although Samuel ]. Randall had ad-
vocated protective tariff he had been
voted for in a Democratic national con-
vention for President. Hancock, although
he declared the tariff was local issue,
had been nominated for PresldeAnt, ana m,
come tax, had not been read out OF the
Democratic party.
Explains Several Of His Votes.
The holding of such views by Northern
men, no matter how diverse, did not en-
danger the. position OF certain pohtical
mune from attack. But when southern
man, said McLaurin, tried to get the ben
eft of the tariff for his people, those st,
| the success of his efforts were ready TO
! crush and humiliate him.
! Now the principal charge against him
was that during the Mckinley admins
| tration he had "been bought by patron
age" and that he had renewed his for
mer contract with President Roosevelt
| IT. ,sv,iy, fI1n h 10Th
that he did for both the late President
and his successor, McLaurin said it would
| be unnecessary for him to say that Meth
| er would stoop to so ignoble an act. He
| had voted for the war with Spain, and
| declared that in the same spirit in which
| he had cast that vote he felt that he was
| compelled to support the administration
| that conducted it. He still thought that
| the conduct of the war should have been
non-partisan, and during its progress he
had never heard from President McKin-
ley's lips a word concerning party advan-
tage.
charges brought against him by his
Democratic colleagues, from the newspa-
| pers he understood that the principal
| charges were that he had not opposed
| the ratification of the treaty of peace
with wit Spain: that he had upheld the ad-
ministration in it's efforts to restore or
! der in the Philippines, and to that end
! had voted for an increase In the stand
| the upbuilding of the American merchant
|
! marine.
Excoriated New Democratic Leaders.
IF these are the only charges said
| he, dramatically, they are true, and 1
| glory in them.
but" he declared 1.-The dictates of rea-
| son and conscience should not be stifled
! by the party LASH
| with bitter words, McLaurin then pro-
ceeded to eXcoriate the new leaders of
! the Democratic party, who had, he said,
| the last few years and were trying to
cruelty those who would seek to draw
the Democratic party back to its old al
| legiance.
When McLaurin took his seat. Jones of
| Arkansas took the floor. Some of the
statements made by McLaurin Jones con-
sidered a reflection upon himself, and said
| he desired to offer a statement concern
| ing the incident to which McLaurin had
| referred. At the extra session of the
Senate last spring. he had been asked by
the caucus officer for the list of Senators
| who were to be summoned to a caucus
and McLaurin's name being mentioned