The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-24
THE JUNIOR TO THE SENIOR
Explains Vote on the Paris Treaty
and the Charge of Plagiarism.


and the Charge of Plagiarism.
Senator McLaurin was in Charlesto OF
when he read the interview with hi,
colleague, Senator Tillman, and on
belug asked by reporter for tho
Evening Post if he would make any
reply, he said
" have only this to say in reference
to Senator Tillman's interview. Sc
far as his personal attack on me Is
concerned, the public prints are not
the place to reply. neither court nor
desire his friendship or good opinion
Nor do propose for the benefit of some
one else to be drawn into controversy
with him. l am ready to do my own
lighting and want other people to do
the same"
The reference in this Is doubtless to
Representative Latimer, who is Il can
didate to succeed Senator McLaurin
and is generally supposed TO be Till
mans protege.
Concerning his vote on the Paris
treaty Senator McI.aurin said
did intend to vote with the ma
jority of the Democrats against the
ratification of the treaty, for reasons
purely of party consideration. Inever
said anything to Senator Tillman or
any one else to give him The right to
truthfully say that | was " bitterly op-
posed tc Its ratification. 1t is and has
been intensely unpleasant for me to
differ from so many of my party asso-
ciates. | had just been through a
campaign full Of bitterness and desired
If possible to avoid further differences.
The appeal was made to me to defeat
the treaty and secure the tactical ad-
vantage of defeating the administration
and forcing them to call an extra ses-
sion. 1t is pretty low plane of action,
but for the sake of peace and to avoid
just what has occurred since, / conclud.
ed to vote for the rejection of the tt eaty.
1t was with this idea that l went home
Saturday night. Sunday afternoon,
sitting in my dining room, 1 heard a
newsboy calling extras and sent out
and got one. l saw that the patives
had opened fire on our troops and when
l read the account made up my mind
at once that the treaty should be rati.
fed so as to fix the status of the United
States in foreign war already on. 1t
made the people firing on our troops
rebels, and not Us intruders. The
thirty days lacking before an extra ses-
sion could be called might be produc-
tive of untold harm. l have never
seen the day since when | was not glad
chat did have the strength to vote as
thought right. did SO freely and
with no promise or pledge from any
man.
" Immediately it was published to
the world that [ had been promised
Judge Simonton's place. A more in.
famously false and cruel SANDER was
never perpetrated.
There hasn't been time in five
years when / haven't wished that |
could decently and honorably get out
of public life. When President Nc
Kinley offered me the place intended
for Democrat on the Philippine COM
mission | declined and told him that
never wanted anything for myself ut
his hands, but that if through me he
could help South Carolina | wanted
him to do it.. This is all l ever desire
or expect, and If did not feel that |
was helping and could help my State
nothing on earth could induce me to
submit one hour longer to such vituper-
alton and abuse.
" IL is no new role," continued the
Senator, for Senator Tillman. He
began his career by abusing and SLAM
dering better men. have naught but
contempt for an intellectual bully and
shameless pretender masquerading as
a statesman, moral pigmy posing as
the champion of honesty"
Concerning the charge of plagiarism
McLaurin said
so far as plaginrizing DR.. Van
Dykes sermon is concerned, it was
largely due to accident. / was much
struck with its beauty of thought and
diction. l had a borrowed copy and
dictated from it three or four sentence.
to my stenographor, and in the original
which any one can see, are the words
parnphrasing the recent utterances o.
a distinguished divine,' etc. These
were left out in the copy. After max
ing the speech | went South OH tn,
next train ard never saw the speecl
again until it was in print. My secre
tary did not notice it, and had dis
tributed several thousand before m,
attention was called to it."
. In conclusion Senator McLauril
made this caustlc comment:
I" / sincerely regret the modification
to the sensitive, delicate and refne,
nature OF my colleague. Honors ar
! easy, however, for can assure hir
l that have experienced similar pane
r at some Of the 'pitchfork tunes whic
s he plays to the disgust of the Senat
n and the delectation of the CALLER
loafers."