The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-17
THROW M'LAURIN OUT
APPARENT PURPOSE OF SENATOR
TILLMAN's MACHINE.
DON'T WANT HIM IN PRIMARY.
CHANGE THE OATH so THAT HE
CAN'T SIGN 1T.

Seven Years Since Tillman Went Re-
fore the People, and He Doesn't
Want to Take Chances-Dy Making
New Oath Which McLaurin Can't
Take He VIII BE Debnrred, and
Could Only Run as an Independ-
ent, Which Would Leave Him No
show.
Columbia, S. c. June 16.-It has been
settled that Senator McLaurin will not
be in the Democratic primary next sum
mer. The plan has leaked out after
Senator Tilman and Col Willie Jones'
the chairman of the State Executive Com
mittee, spent a couple of days together
In a negative way the junior senator
will be ruled out of the party, but the
advantage that would come to him from
such direct action will not follow. Sen
ator Tillman, while wishing to eliminate
McLaurin from the canvass If possible,
has opposed ruling him out While pub
licly declaring him a Republican, the
senior senator fears that If the state
committee or the convention forced him
beyond the party lines McLaurln would
be able TO make such an appeal to the
people as to cause a revolution. Tillman
was elected governor in 1890 with free
speech" and primary for all officers"
as chief planks. The charge of gag rule"
would do infinite harm, and it is to avoid
this that the new scheme of keeping
McLaurin out of the party has been de-
vised
The state convention will meet the first
week in May. next year, and it will have
the power to amend the rules, under
which the primary shall be held and to
change the oath to be taken by the can
didates. That oath, as used for
several years, is a pledge by the commit
tee thet he will abide by the result of
the primary, will not become the candi-
date of any other party or faction at the
ensuing general election and will support
the primary nominee. This was to pre-
vent defeated candidates running 'inde-
pendent" and in a state where only one
party is In active politics. 1t may be SUBJ
scribed to by any one, Prohibitionist or
Republican. In the last state campaign
there was some suggestion of ruling out
of the primary Col Hoyt, who was a
Prohibitionlst and had been "suggested'
by a convention of Prohibitionists. but Il
was decided II he took the oath that was
all that could required. Senator Tfllman's
plan is to incorporate in that oath the ad-
ditional obligation that the candidate rec
ognizes as party principles those set forth
in the last Democratic National Conven-
tion's platform. and that he will obey
the mandate of the party caucus.
McLnurin Would He Barred.
Senator McLaurin has publicly repudi-
ated several planks in the Kansas City
platform and has declared re %iiI not
be governed on certain great national
questions by caucus rules, so II will he
impossible for him to take this oath. Un-
less he takes the oath he cannot speak
in the canvas with the other candidates.
This might not be a serious matter. but
the rules of the primary go much fur
ther. No tickets will be supplied for
those who have not come within the re-
quirements and all ballots cast for such
outsiders will only be counted as scatter
ing" 1t is a complete bar.
Senator McLaurin's- course under these
circumstances has not yet been defined.
He has not been advised of this scheme.
1t will be taken by his friends as evil
dent that the organization is afraid of Nc
Laurin's strength. Before the withdrawal
of the designations and when 1t seemed
a canvass would be made this summer
Senator TIllman issued an address de-
claring it imperative that McIAurin
should be defeated before he had time
to fully prepare for a campaign and
organize the state Up to that
time but little consideration had been CIV
en- McLaurin's voting strength. 1t was
estimated az low as 5000 and few of his
opponents credited him with as many as
IL, 900. Recently, however, there has been
a heavy rise In his stock, and It is adj
mitted there are many elements that he
might combine and bring to his support.
Senator Tillman has not been before the
people for seven years, nor has there
been clear-cut contest between the two
factions in that time. There is, there
fore. no definite information as to how
the people stand. 1t is known that many
former "Tilmanites" are disappointed
with the result OF their movement" and
will be glad of an opportunity of so re-
cording themselves, but whether there
are 5000 or 5000 of these cannot be as
certained. Senator Tillman wishes to
take no chances.
No show for independent.
Blocked in the primary. Senator Nc
Laurin would have but one course open
to him-an independent fight at the gem
eral election. Such a contest has no pros
pect OF success. Men who would vote for
McLaurin in a Democratic primary would
not do so against the party nominee.
Gov. NJ. b. McSweeney was asked to-
day whether he endorsed this scheme OF
ruling out McLaurin. He would not COM
NIT himself, saying that he was not a
member of the committee and did not
care TO get tangled up in the matter. He
would say. however, that unless a man
would stand by the platform and be gov
erned by the caucus he could not claim to
be IN the party. After having Withdrawn
from the Democratic caucus as McLaurin
had done, he did not see how he could
take the regulation oath In the state
primary. or course he could not take the
proposed additional obligation.
State Chairman Jones said he did not
think the present executive committee
would take any action about McLaurin
The convention and the new committee
would be In control long before the cam
paign opened next year. Nothing will
be done now" he said, 'unless McLaurin
goes TO cutting up too much IN the state
this summer Then any five members of
the committee can have II called together
and take what action they see it."
The idea Is 70 leave McLaurin to the
state convention next spring. lie will at
tempt 10 capture that body.
--s-e-s---
Negro Hanged for Barn Burning.