The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-06-05

n WIS ANXIOUS to meet my COLLEAGUE :
4 "all ncy, and when invited by a larg
number of citizens of Cherokee Couni
willingly accepted. The result g
.nat meeting is now well known. M,
Mcl'aurih was unexpectedly brouyh
lacc to face with the question of rcslr
nation and appeal to the people who's,
confidence he had abused and who's,
trusts he had betrayed.
lie trlcd To dodge the thrust b,
charging that | was attempting to die
tate and boss the people and intcrfcr,
IN Il race with which | had no concern
and was safely cnsconccd i'm my sea,
lor Sin years and had nothing tG lose
oul could well afford to lay down n cod,
Oh moral ethics for another which | was
unwilling to follow myself. | saw thc
opportunity to prccipatc the battle nj
once rather than wait fifteen months
ana offered to resign if he would, and
'he result you know. acted from i'm.
pulse, is true, but have ALWAYS acted
upon impulse, and as IA public man |
can Affirm with the sacrcdncss OF an
oa'h that all of my impulses have been
TO serve the best interests Of the pcoplc
who have honorcd me. had every
opportunity to weigh the consculcnccs
ana gel out of 1t without discrcdit. but
iclt then and still feel that my duty
was to force the lighting ard rid the
party of all traitors.
The situation as understand il is
this : The people who are Interested
TO do their will and stand by their
principles will have an opportunity Of
beng honestly and honora1ly repre-
scntcd. This has not been the case
during the last two years and as lone
rs Mcl.aurin remains i'm the Senate #
could not he the case.
AS To the burdens of the contest
me citizens of Il given county will lose
but two days to bring about This much
desired rcSult-onc day to attend the
campaign meetings and the other to 90
10 the primary, while will have the
tatIguG and expense of State canvass.
which could have easily avoided.
me contest between the Democracy
and the man who seeks to bctray il
VIII be fought without any local com
plicatlons whatever. Voters will not
be influenced in this contest 10y the de-
sire to elect local favoritcs, and thus
swapping will be prevented.
The issues will be clear cut. The
organization of the e" Commercial De
mocracy," another name for McKinlev
Democracy, will have to be consum-
mated in much shorter time and
under much less favorable conditions.
our party has the opportunity 10 re-
Duke and punish trcachery at once as
warning to those who may be wavcr-
ing. Many good men VIII be prevent.
cd from becoming Republicans in fact,
though not in name, by having the
issues explained before they have
aligned themselves under the new ban
ner. The Democratic uniform will be
struck OIL OF those who have proven
unworthy to wear it, and they will be
made to understand the difference be-
tween honorable and dishon orable dis
charges. Civic virtue, the sacred re-
lations which should exist between the
representative and his constituency
will be more clearly understood and
true Democrats must rejoice at the
result.
For myself and the sacrifices | have
made will say nothing. prefer to
let the people Of the State consider the
matter for themselves, and pass upon
my conduct, so they may determine
whether il was right and proper or
rash and quiXotic. have served them
to the best of my ability, with zeal and
honesty, sincc | have been their SER
want, and shall continue to do so if
they continue to honor and trust me.
| When L cannot truthfully say that |
represent the majority of the people of
South Carolina and speak and vote as
they desire, | become " as sounding
brass and tnkling ,cymbal," and pre-
Ter the retirement of private life to The
degraded elevation of the high position
obtained by deceit and held against
the wishes of the people. put my
case III your hands and will explain
and vindicatc my course more fully IN
the coming primary canvass
B. r.. TILLMAN.
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