The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-08-14
MeLauri1 Replies TO the Com
Inittee.
He Don't See il Like the Senior
Senator and VIII Not Resign.
Paris Mountain. S. c.,


To the Democratic Executive Commit
tee, State of South Carolina.
Gentlemen: The official notice OF
the action OF a majority OF your com
mittee of July 18th was received by
me on August lst, five days after it
had been announced in the newspa-
pers. This published announcement
was the first notice I had that any ac-
ton affecting me was to be taken by
your committee. I am now officially
informed that the majority of your
committee condemns my course in the
senate, demands my resignation and
undertakes to expel me from the dem
ocratic party. Twenty-one men have
attempted to usurp the powers Of the
go, 600 democratic voters of South Caro-
lima and as an incident, in meeting
called for another purpose have hastily
endeayored to do what can be done
only by solemn proceedings Of lm-
peachment, expressly provided for in
the constitution Of the United States.
RESPONSIBLE ONLY TO THE
PEOPLE.
I hold my commission from the dem
ocratic voters of South Carolina, I re-
cognize no authority but theirs, take
no orders from any source but them,
and shall in due course appeal to them
for Judgment on my course as sena-
tor and my character as man and
democrat.
Personally I am Indifferent to your
action because nobody has made you
my master or censor, and I regard
what you have done as merely express
ing the malice and the fears of one in
dividual, Senator B. r. Tillman. But
for this always evil and indecent inhu-.
ence ordinary respect for the proprie-
ties, would probably have prevented
the four of you who are my declared
competitors for the seat I now have
the honor to occupy, from attempting
to use the power entrusted to you by
your party to remove rival from your
path.
ACTION UNFAIR, ABSURD AND
UNDEMOCRATIC.
As citizen and democrat of South
Carolina I am mortified by your ac-
ton, because it has brought upon the
State the condemnation and the ridi-
cule of the press and the public
throughout the country. Unhappily,
those who are not Intimately acquaint-
ed with our conditions accept the ac-
tion Of your majority as representing
the intelligence and democracy of our
State'and both are made objects of de-
rision. Against this I wish to enter
my solemn protest. I shall demon
strate how unfair, absurd and un-
democratic your action is: and shall
trust to the democrats of South Caro-
lima to repudiate it when the opportu-
nifty is given them. Your purpose is
to deny that opportunity.
STAR CHAMBER PROCEEDINGS.
It is in strong contrast with the
blatant boast of Senator Tillman at
Gafney to put me on trial before the
party on the hustings with hinslef as
prosecutor. AS you know, | sought
that test by accepting a proposal of
appeal to the people, but the governor
saw fit to forbid it. Now Senator
Tillman appears as prosecutor against
me in my absence and by proceedings
like those Of the star chamber, which
was IQS utOSI 4u1dIuOuS bA4OOuo1 VI
English history. and the most abhor-
rent to Anglo-Saxon instincts, seeks
to include me from the party and its
debates and public assemblages. 1t
is your duty, as custodians Of the par
ty interests, to seek recruits and to
strengthen the party. To save Senator
Tillman from stalking his record,
strength and fortunes against mine,
you undertake to exclude me and my
friends from the party. Whatever
your individual motives may have
been. the purport OF your action is to
facilitate the senator in lodging me
and to deny the people the opportuni-
ty of passing on my position and con-
duct. It seems to me the democratic
masses Of South Carolina are compe
tent to say at the polls whether or not
I have been faithful senator and
consistent democrat. Why should you
attempt to prevent them?
POLITICAL ASSASSINS.
It is no cause for wonder that Sena-
tor Tillman should seek to make po-
litical assassins Of you to avoid open
and fair fight. He has climbed to
power by venomous abuse OF many OF