Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-06-01

done this state will be incalculable. All
true lovers of South Carolina should
band themselves together>to prevent a
successful outcome Of this new appeal
to class prejudice, for should it sue
ceed everybody in South Carolina will
suffer.
The policies McLaurin represents, If
successful, will benefit the mill owners
and officers, but to an even greater ex-
tent they will benefit the operatives and
all other classes of citizens, by increas-
ing the general prosperity of the state,
increasing the demand for cotton, en-
larging the home markets for the small
products of the farms and charging
the demand for labor.
Now for the designations and their ef-
feet. 1t was shrewd politics on both
Sides From Tillman's standpoint the
situation can be summed up easily.
Tillman does not underestimate eth
er McLaurin's ability or following. He
knows that none of the men suggested
as candidates against McLaurin Is able
to cope with him, so he manufactured
an invitation for himself and threw
himself into the breach at Gaffney.
He knows better than any one else
except McLaurin, the strength Of
McLaurins position, and saw how
fast he was gaining a following
throughout the state. He realized
that If McLaurin could continue his
campaign of education until the pri-
mary Of 1902, making occasionally such
speeches as those at Charlotte and
Greenrille, he would be in an fmpreg-
nable position before the primary OF
1902, and so Tillman determined to at
tempt to crush McLaurin before his
movement had gathered momentum.
He would entrust this effort to no po-
litical child or lightweight, but devolv-
ed 1t upon himself as the very strong
est man among the opponents Of Nc
Laurin. He threw up his seat lin the
senate and will claim 1t was an act Of
pure patriotism. 1t was not 1t was
simply a sharp political trick to save
his power If McLaurin were elected,
he knew it would be the end Of Tillman.
and he believed he was the only man
who could cope with McLaurin.
On the other hand, McLaurin Is on
the whole a gamer from the Gaffney in
cident. It will bring the campaign on
in an off year when there will be no en-
tangling county politics to complicate
the issue 1t will be clean, clear-cut,
straight fight between him and TILL
man.
The result of forcing an earlier pri-
mary means that there will not be forty
or fifty candidates for state offices try
ing to get a chance to speak at each
meeting. There will be plenty Of time
for discussion, and all McLaurin wants
is full opportunity to get his views be-
fore the people and be judged by them
Public sentiment will force race be-
tween the two. Tillman will be cam
didate for reelection to the seat he has
resigned, and McLaurin will offer for
election to the same place. so that one
or the other will have to stay at home
after the votes are counted. There are
a number of other men who would like
to be senator's; but as they did not have
the courage to come out and run
against Tillman last year. but suffered
his reelection without opposition, they
should keep out Of the way now and
give a fair field to the man who had
the courage to tackle Tillman and bring
him to bay. If those others want to go
to the senate. thev have nothing to him
der them going into the race for the
seat McLaurin resigned. The people
should force them to do so and let
there be a square test between Ttllman
and McLaurin. A man so lost to self
respect and the proprieties of the occa-
sion as to force himself into that race
when there is another open for him,
should be sduelched. and we believe
there are few stumps in the state where
such an one would he given hearing.
It will be great battle. The politi-
cal education South Carolina will re-
ceive from the contest will be Of incal-
culable value.
In conclusion. "Lay on. McDuff. and
damned be him who first cries, Hold,
enoughn"