The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-11-27
WHAT CONSTITUTES DEMOCRACY:

Because Senator McLaurin
will not permit himself to be
terrorized by a few political ban
dts, they follow him wherever
he goes and endeavor by misrep-
resentations to do that which
they have failed to do by force.
One of the greatest commercial
bodies in. America paid the Sen
ator the distinguished compli-
ment to invite him to go to New
York and deliver an address;
among the other guests were
Secretary of State Hay, and
several Governors. Senator Nc
Laurin and Secretary of State
Hay occupied seats of honor be-
side the POSTMASTER for the occa-
soin, and the banqueters compos-
ed the representative business
men of New York. These gentle
men are not politicians, but mer-
chants, brokers, bankers, manu-
facturers and capital furnishers
for those who are developing the
resources of the country. It is
this class of men who are looked
to for aid whenever the cotton
crop is to be moved, it is to them
we go when a cotton factory is
to be built, and it is to them we
call when money is wanted to
furnish advances for the making
of crops. These men could not
be induced to accept public Office,
and yet they have as much love
of country as the Office seeking
politician; the recent war devel-
oped the fact, that from this
class there responded to the
country's call as much pat
riotism as there was from the
ranks of Office holders: they
shouldered their guns and went
to Cuba, Philippines and to China,
and did their full duty the same
as others. When the war ended,
they did not hover around the
capitol and clamor for public
position, but returned to their
counting rooms and banks, fac
tories, stores and Offices, and it
was this class, who first realized
the changed conditions brought
on by the. war between the I'm
tied States and Spain.
Senator McLaurin was honor
ed with an invitation to address
the New York Chamber of Com
merce, and his South Carolina
opponents, display their jealous
enmity in every line they write.
We have read that New York
speech with more than usual
care, and if there is an utterauce
in it which is not sound and
practical, we are at loss to dis
cover it; Yet some Of the news
paper editors of this State charge
that it is teeming with Republi-
can doctrine, and it is the last
step towards making McLaurin
a full pledged Republican. This
newspaper is not Republican,
nor viii it ever be, and if those
who contend that McLaurin is a
Republican, would stop resort
ing to lying, and get right down
to argument, and convince US that
we are supporting a Republican,
we would drop McLaurin like a
hot potato, but until We are con-
vinced to the contrary, we shall
continue endorsing McLaurin's
attitude on national questions as
genuine Democratic principles.
McLaurin endorses what he
calls the mckinley doctrine, "
which in his speech he has de-
vided into four parts, and we
call attention to these and ask
our newspaper statesmen (?) to
show US what is undemocratic
there. II our opinion, there is
very little party politics in his
speech, it was more on the order
of discussion of a business
policy. He was talking to
business men who cared nothing
whatever for party politics; in
fact, these men are not party
men, they vote for men repre-
senting measures, whether they
be Democrats or Republicans.
The only time since the war be-
tween the States, that a Demo-
cratic victory was had, was when
this body of men approved the
course of the Democratic party,
and they supported and helped
to elect Grover Cleveland, but
when our Populistic allies cap
tured control of the party, and
revolutionized the party's prin-
ciples by inserting a lot Of heri-
sizes into the Democratic plat
form, these men would not come
with US and gave their support
to the other side.
If the Democratic party ever
comes to the front again, it
will be when it returns to it's
reason, and wins back the men
who gave Us victory before, and
it was to this class of men that
Senator McLaurin made his
speech, which is being denounc-
ed as ''Republicanism" by class
of politicians and editors who
have Determined to drive McLau-
rim and his followers away from
participation in the primary.
Thai,. only homo Of Gnfaa tin Or