The Washington times., 1901-08-08
McInurin,s Refusal To Resign.

Senator McLaurin's refusal to resign
| at the request of the Democratic Exec
utive Committee of South Carolina
could easily have been foreseen. Prob
ably no member of that committee ex-
| peCted a compliance with the request.
| Such action by the executive committee
! of political party has no legal force or
effect whatever Had the committee
possessed any power in the matter, it
would probably have declared the office
vacant, but 1t had none, and really it
| assumed none beyond the right to voice
the Democratic sentiment of the State.
Even a request from the Legislature
would have no obligatory force. When
a Senator is once elected his tenure is
fixed for the period of his term, which
can only be shortened by his death,
voluntary resignation. or expulsion. If
every voter in South Carolina should
petition the Senate for the expulsion of
Mr.. McLaurin upon political grounds,
that body would pay no attention to the
petition. In contemplation of law a
Senator is not elected to carry out a GER
tain party policy, but merely to act for
the best interests of the State as he un-
derstands those interests.
If a Senator flies in the teeth of public
sentiment. or, what is the same thing
antagonizes the policy of the dominant
party which elected him, he simply does
so at the peril of defeating himself for
reelection. When requested by party
committee to resign because of his as
sumed lack of fidelity to the party prin-
ciples. it rests with himself to deter
mine how much attention he will pay
to it. If Senator actually and openly
repudiate his party creed in all its
length and breadth, still is there no au-
thority anywhere to force his resigna-
tion on that account. Whether he
should continue to hold the office after
he finds himself out of harmony with
those who elected him is a matter
which he must determine, and his ac-
ton will be governed by his own taste
and sense of propriety in the particular
case
On the face Of the political situation
as 1t now exists in the Palmetto State,
seriously impeached- His course has
been declared to be at variance with the
views of the political body that assumes
to represent the party creed. The Bit
terness of Mr.. McLaurin's letter clearly
shows that he feels that he has been
placed at disadvantage. Still, he de-
MES that the committee voices either
,bn Of
South Carolina Democracy, and
ascribes the action wholly to the iniu-
ence of Senator Tillman.
1t is to be regretted that both Tillman
and McLaurin have not been more con-
servatiye OF speech, employing more of
argument and less of epithet in their
of the issue that has arisen.
Every point of Importance could have
been made without a direct impugning
of the personal integrity of either. and
when South Carolina has an opportun-
ity once more to act, 1t can and will be
which is the better repre-
of the opinions and wishes of
the State.
If it is true that the committee was
controlled in its action by Senator Till |
man, it would appear that he must |
have strong hold upon the Democratic |
and. viewing the matter |
from a party standpoint, Mr.. Tillman's |
position appears to be the stronger one. |
Senator McLaurin may be right in his |
expressed belief that the people are i
with him, but that is yet to be demon
strated.