The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-09-04


Senator McLaurin and former Go
gressman Johnstone. 1t was really
superb debate.
Senator McLaurin came into the ht
with the most hearty of welcomes. Fl
friends cheered him time and aga
and he must have felt well over it, b
cause he made capl,cl speech and
who believes McLauri1 cannot tai
care of himself is woefully mistaken
but he met foe of remarkable abilit
in Col. Geo. Johnstone.
Mr.. McLaurin opened up the secon
section of today's meeting IN speec
of over an hour, and during that tim
he was heartily applauded at frequer
intervals. He did not mention Till
man throughout his speech in any wa
and he made no reference to Latimei
who had punched him good and har,
during his speech, but it was more es
pecially in his second or reply speecl
that he made his best effort. 1t wa
then that he took off his collar and 90
down to business, and it was then tha
he threw real feeling into his speech
replying to the biting sarcasm of Col
Johnstone relative to his holding the
purse strings to public patronage and
other things that he urged showed the
drift toward Republ canism.
Senator McLaurln had the voice OF
Josh Ashley and all know what that
means; he made so many Interruptions
that some one wanted him purified.
But there were others for McLaurin if
cheers count for votes and the whoop-
ing was steady and long. Some say it
came largely from citizens of other
counties who came here with McLau-
rim, who held offices or wanted them.
There were outsiders, but there were
others-many others who cheered for
McLaurin, and if cheers are to be votes
there will be many here for CONNER
cial Democracy, if no change comes.
The McLaurin folks had plenty of
cheers, but no one who knows aught
of Carolina politics can count that way.
Just after Mr.. McLaurin came Col.
George Johnstone, and he was cheered
and encouraged as he has, no doubt,
never before been by an Anderson
audience.
Men who had opposed him for Con.
gress got up and hurrahed when he
ran his sharp poinard of rldicule or
sarcasm deep into the political body of
McLaurin. And how be did it! II
had the ring of Mark Antony's Grafton
-"and these are honorable gentle.
men," and then a jab-and so he
would say he believed what McLaurin
said and then punch and then he
would again testify to believing Nc
Laulin's statement about the public
offices and another cut to the core. 1t
was neat, it was clean, it was mastery
and it met the issue-the whole of it.
That the audience thought well of il
they showed and beyond question.
And how Johnstone did blister SON
in-law of Citizen Ashley who rung in
Tillman and who gave Mr.. Johnstone
just the opening he wanted TO grow
eloquent in burylng partlzan feeling
and insisting that McLaurin, of all
men, hal no right to attack Tilman.
Such an opening did Mr.. Johnstone
give McLaurin in one of his premises
of facts about ship subsidy and Nc
Laurin, as the small boy says, "did
not do thing" but take the advan-
tage of the alleged lnaccuracy of fact
and pummel his opponent on that
point.
1t was clean, but sharp and Wig
orous debate and the kind that ought
to tell.
Senator McLaurin said he lad no
idea yesterday he would b, here. On
every great question there was more
than one side and he ascribed to all
who differed with him honorable mo.
tives. His course has been mlsrepre-
sented to such an extent that when he
saw the papers al Norfolk he decided
to be al this meeting, no matter what
the expense or pain. He had been
charged with trying to help organize a
Republican party in this State. This
was untrue and he unequivocally de-
MED any and all such statements.
There are now too many parties and
TOO many politicians. He never had
been party to the insinuation that he
was helping the Republican party.
Then he took up the conditions in 1890
and how the Reform movement and
primary started and the primary sys-
tenn, he said, was one of the wieest
moves that could be started. Demo.
Gratis could then differ and have theil
rights settled by the white voters. He
had pursued proper course and he
believed as firmly as he did that there
was God iu Heaven that his position
would III time be vindcated. He fel
that his every action had been rgh
and in the interests of the people
Whether elected or not his position
has put the people to thinking md look
ing TO their own welfare, and IL 1t doe
nothing else he hoped his contest woul,
elevate the plane of a contest of issues
He SAID he could have easily ayoide,
the heart burnings, troubles and trib
ulations and taunts, but he took hi
positions for the good of the people h
represented.
He then went on to take up the il
sues and first handled expansion an
held that the Democratic doctrine ha
been to add territory. Until the Spar
ish war the policy Of the Republica
party had been to contract and IL
Democrats favored expansion, and the
he discussed whether 1t was wis
just and expedient policy to pursu
He took up the events leading to Il
Spanish war and the industrial conc
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