The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-23
M'LAURIN'S SPEECH
HE OPENS THE STATE CAMPAIGN
AT GREENVILLE.
STANDS BY SHIPSUBSIDY.
APPLAUDED WHEN HE ATTACKED
TILLMAN'S BosSIsM.

Test OF turty Fealty-he DeHehus
His Position in the Senate and
stands by His RecOrd-HRd a Large
and Representative Audience.
sam 1 Honest and Am Right"
Debated by Him.
Greenville, S. c., May Ex-senator John
l. McLaurin opened the political cam
paign in this state to-day in an address
at Greenville. He defended his position
in the Senate in relation to the govern
ment's foreign policy and the ship sub
sidy
Senator McLaurin spoke to a large and
representative audience and was fire.
quently applauded particularly when at
tacking Tillmans bossism, and when de-
claring it was a crime to make great
American questions the test of party
Sealty.
Senator McLaurin said in part:
Believing as l do that there are vital
issues which. growing out of changed in
6ustrial conditions, are higher and broad
.er than mere party questions, have, as
your senator, looking beyond the line
marked by sectionalism and partisan snip.
striven 10 promote the material. political
end commercial interests of our comm On
country-for in so doing, l can best serve
the interests Of the state Of South Caro-
lima. For this I have been arraigne1
before the people of this state amos charged
with aliying myself with the Republican
party. Criticism abuse and gross mis-
representation has been INDUCED in. Not
.coEtent with this unfair method OF at
tack, some of the papers in their vile
persecution have deceived the people by
Withholding information on one side of
these great national issues and emphasize
ing and publishing everything on the 9TH
Ell. They have persistently he'd me up rs
a renegade and on more than ore Occa-
sion alleged that l intended to resign and
accept a Federal appointment. Amid all
this persecution l have maintained my
silence confident that when an opportu-
nifty was offered, the people would see
that l received fair play and that they
would at least accord me honesty of
purpose.
There are two questions that l submit
TO the people of South Carolina: First,
Am ! honest in the views l advocate?
Second Am I mistaken?
As to the first. All that have to say
is that my people have shed their blood
Tor South Carolina in every contest in
which she has ever been engaged. 1 was
born in South Carolina, ! took my wife
tn South Carolina, and when l die l ex-
pect my bones to be laid beside five gem
erations of honest men and true women
who have gone before. l have children
who must bear my name, good or bad.
Every dollar that have is invested in
this state, except a small amount in
North Carolina and Florida. My interests
are inseparably interviewer with the in
terest of my state no good can come to
her in which l cannot participate, and no
evil of which I must not bear my share.
If / wanted to have an easy time ] GER
tainly choose the hard road. l might
have drifted with the current. sang me
too" and continued to hold office
had pretty good tutelage and an illus
trious example in my early political ca
reer of the arts of demagogery, and
could do it again in a pinch. But, fellow
citizens, the game isn't worth the can
de" If can't be a senator worthy the
great statesmen whom l succeed, do
not wish to hold the office.
Federal Patronage.
Now, fellow-citizens, want to say one
word on this subject do not control
do not profess to control / do not wish
TO control, nor will become responsible
lima. On account of my liberal Views, and
what he is pleased to consider my patrl-
otto stand for broad American doctrines
the President has done me the honor to
consult me on certain occasions as to
South Carolina appointments. He has
done so, to my certain knowledge, with
Senators Morgan. Sullivan. McEnery and
other Democrats. I appreciate 1t beyond
measure for a wiser man. a truer pa
a w hric
man, never occupied the White House
than William Mckinley. l believe have
his confidence and friendship, and there
is no treasure that / value more highly.
j would not have II and ! could not re-
tain II were / a traitor to my state and
people. He honors me, because he knows
as well as any man living. how much
love my native state. When he expressed
desire to be the President of the whole
country and not Of a section, why should
not meet him half way? When he is
Wiling that the patrons who support a
postoffice in South Carolina should be
consulted as they are in Vermont Massa-
chusetts and Ohio why should I. as your
senator. stick ptch-fork into his vitals?
An, fellow-citizens, If 1 have controlled
any patronage, IL has been in the pub
lie interest, not my own. No nephews of
mine have been commissioned In the
United States army. / have had no son
drawing a large salary. travelling this
state at government expense, manipulate
ing political affairs for me-
Am Mistaken
desire now to take up some of my
votes and speeches, and address myself
10 the question. Am / mistaken? When
] was placed on the Ways and Means
Committee OF the House, 1 began a sys-
tematc course of reading on the traiff
question with reference to its effect up-
on the people of the South. In March.
1897. ! made a speech in which ! en-
bodied my views. ] had offered an amend
ment for a duty OF two and one-half
cents per pound on cotton imports. and
had made fight in the committee for
proper schedule on rice, pine lumber
turpentine. cottonseed oil. oil cake. iute-
bagging. cotton ties and the coarse grade
Of goods made in our Southern mills. This
Is neither the time nor the place to 20
into a discussion of the tariff I can sum
II up In the statement that I did not dis
cuss the question from theo-
retic or philanthropic standpoint, but
merely claimed a full share for the South
OF all the benefits to accrue from legis-
lation. ! recognized the fact that our
revenues were TO come from the imposi-
ton of import duties. and asserted that
this being true. II was but fair to give
each section and industry a share of the
benefits. as the burden must be borne by
all. ] attacked the doctrine of free raw
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