The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-23
SENATOR eIcLAURIN,s SPEECH.

! SEN hCl4Al RIMS
The speech which Senator McLaurin
/ OF South Carolina delivered at Greenville
/ yesterday contained practically the views
which he expressed in the speech which
he delivered recently at Charlotte, n. c.
1t was considerably longer and he made
some additional explanations of his polit
zeal course, but those of his audience
who had read his previous speech and
his magazine article heard very little that
was new.
What Senator McLaurin wants his con-
stituents to understand is that he is not
in sympathy with the doctrines of the
Democratic party as set forth in its last
national platform, nor with the course
pursued. in some particulars, by the
Democratic leaders in Congress since the
last presidential election. He also wants
them to understand that in his opinion
the Democratic policies to which he OBJ
jects are not good for his state or the
South. On the other hand he thinks
there are certain Republican policies
which are helpful to the South, and that
it is his duty to support them.
In other words. he does not propose
that his party shall dictate to him as to
the policies which are the best for his
state and the country. He intends to be
guided by his judgment. He has a plat
form of his own. that is made up of
Democratic doctrines and Republican doc
trines, and on this platform he asks to
be returned to the Senate.
We do not undertake to give all of SEN
ator McLaurin's speech--not a fifth part
of it-but enough of it will be found in
our news columns this morning to en-
able those who are interested in him and
his political course to form a pretty cor
rect judgment as to the position he oc-
cupies on public questions.
II seems to us that he is in closer
touch with the Republican party than
with the Democratic party. On all of
the live questions-the questions which
are commanding the attention of the
country-he appears to be as good Re-
publican as the President He is with
that party on the Philippine question, the
tariff question, the money question, and
he makes as good an argument as any
Republican can in favor of the ship-sub-
sidy bill.
The Senator denies that he has con-
troll of the Federal patronage in South
Carolina. The President has consulted
him in respect to appointments, but he
points out that the President consults
Democratic senators from other states
also in such matters
The Senator has been accused of aim
ing to set up a white Republican party
in his state. He declares that there is no
foundation for the accusation.
There is no reason to doubt the sim
certy of the Senator. Doubtless he took
the course he is now pursuing after care
fully considering the whole political sit
uation. He is convinced that the Repub-
lican policies which he approves are the
policies which are demanded by the best
interests of his state. That being the
case, would it not be the better policy
for him to advocate them from within
the Republican party? While he is a
Democrat in name and clngs to the
Democratic party it seems to us that he
finds more to approve in the policies of
the Republican party than in those of
the Democratic party. And 1t will not be
surprising If his constituents arrive at
| the same conclusion before his campaign
for reelection to the Senate is ended.