The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-07
THE HOT-AIR SLUGGING MATCH
General sa tbs fac tion That insolvency
Has Refused 1t a License.


washington, June s.-National interest
T., the Tillman-McLaurin hot air smuggling
r,atch. which was TO have been pulled
oe in South Carolina, during the crop
Gathering season., has abated since Gov.
1tcsweeney vetoed the proposed duel of
,yor5s. Members of the South Carolina
COLONY here, who are interested in the
General welfare of the Palmetto common
wealth. commend the action of the Gov
error in trying ITO save the two senators
from themselves. and at the same time
,bev recognize his political astuteneSs in
andeavoring TO keep the rehealiouS factions
from tresspasslng upon MS own senate
rial reservation.
TSba general impression here is that
.ba threatened contest between Senators
TiNman and McLaurin, while II would
have undoubtedly excited widespread in
+erest and been heavily charged with
sensational Incidents, and perhaps per-
eo.oal encounters, such a battle would
have been of no material benefit to the
hest interests of the state. All of the
yellow journals were preparing to play
nm South Carolina politics as the top
liner for the summer season, and while
the stale would have received volumns of
free advertising, the net result might be
bnrtful to various public enterprises,
which affect the future prosperity of the
entire state. The Governors action
and Senator McLaurin's willing
ness to call it Off" is
hitter disappointment to the sensation
n1oneers in and out of the state, but the
better class of citizens, who are strug-
sling to promote the substantial develop
1nent of the state, outside of political
lines, are truly glad the ridiculous fake
snow is to be denied the Governor S
license.
There seems to be but little difference
of opinion as to how a test of political
strength between Tillman and McLaurin
would terminate. The odds are 100 to l
on Tfllman with no takers. 1t is true Nc
Laurin's display of David-like courage,
when he openly challenged and detied
Ben, the Tdllmanite" at Gaffney, sur
prised many of his friends. Subsequent
events, however have not strengthened
the belief that ne fully realized at the
moment how heavily handicapped he
would be in such contest. Many of Sen
ator McLaurins friends do not hesitate
to assert that Gov. McSweeney. in basiRg
his refusal to accept the senatorial resig-
nations, upon grounds of high patriotism
and the general welfare of the state pro-
vided a soft and at the same time dig
niied cushion for the Junior senator to
light upon when he descended from his
Gaffney perch.
The best judgment obtainalble here from
conservat tive South Carolinians is to the
effect that the state will derive no sub
stantial benefit from the personal strug-
gle upon the stump between Senators Till
man and McLaurin. 1t would simply be
an exchange of bitter personalities, and
the discussion would probably be pitched
at such low grade, that there is no tell
ing how injurious the result might be ia
the state a large. While the principals
might avoid a personal encounter it ID
quite likely that political excitement
would so inhame some of the followers OF
the two men as to cause the spilling u
innocent blood. There are certain vindic-
tive people, who never grow weary of try
ing to paint South Carolina in the dark
est and most dismal colors. Those same
people would take even greater delight il
they were furnished with the slightest
pretext to further stay her prosperity by
writing at this time chapter in human
blood. Happily, all danger in that direc-
tion will be averted if good Judgment and
common sense, with which Senators Till
man and McLaurin are well equipped, pre-
walls