The St. Louis Republic., 1901-05-31
BATTLE IN SOUTH
CAROLINA IS ON.
McLaurin Issues an Open Address
DenOuncing Tillman in Strong
est Terms at His Command,
SAYS ~ AM STILL DEMOCRAT"
Declares South Carolina Will Have
Peace and Prosperity When
Her Senior Senator Becomes
"Pitchforkless Pygmy."

Charleston s. g.. May Ex-senator John
l.. McLaurin issued an address to the peo
pie Of the State from his home in Benefits
willie to-day. He opens by saying that the
| recent address TO the people by Senator
1illman makes II necessary that he should
say something in explanation OF his mo-
tives and actions and that had 1t not been
for Senator Tiliman's intrusion upon the
Gaffney meeting there would have been no
| necessity for it." joint debate was pre-
cipitated by him contrary to my wishes
! and Of the gentlemen who invited me.
| He continues:
ut Is too late now to consider whether
| 1t was wise or unwise. and the people must
| Judge between us. I desire to announce my
| candidacy In opposition to the senior Sem
ator for the unexpired long term. and
| will discuss with him in Il fair and reputa-
| bic manner the national issues of the day
| and leave II to you to Judge who can more
| honestly and honorably represent you IN
the United States Senate. In 1897 / was
elected to the Senate an a Democrat. and
| am still a Democrat"
Senator McLaurin says that his recent
Greenville speech gave the people the rea-
| son for his official actions. since 1899. but
that the address OF Senator Tflman makes
1t necessary for him to say he Is a Dem
ocrat. and continues:
The senior Senator charges that / am n
Republican and was organizing Re-
| publican party here. II ne believed this
charge. why did he consent to run with me
In IL Democratic primary? I denOunc- the
charge as an infamous faIsehood. and the
| senior Senator knows what ne says g., un-
l true.
| He charges that the dispensing Of the
public patronage has been placed at my
,tptt fNx.f tab. q
me by the Republicans to aid In the scheme
| Of new party ] denounce this as a
malicious falsehood.
| ''The people shall judge OF our Dem0c-
| racy and not the senior Senator. The
| senior Senator ia addicted to making reck-
less ana false charges against others which
\ he never substantiates.
"An honest man IL always chary in
charging others with dishonesty: the thief
often cries stop thief. He Is AN ambitious
| boss ana habit,ial disturber Of the political
peace and harmony OF South Carolina."
| Senator Mclaurin closes az follows:
Fellow citizens. there will never be any.
| thing like unity or quietude among our
people until lie is relegated to private life.
| His incendiary appeals to class hatred and
preJudices such he made at Gaffney to
| factory operatives and his dictatorai spir-
| 1t and utterances will keep up diseensions
| and discOrd in the State.
| with the AID or the people Will make
| a heroic effort to break down bossism. with
its train OF political evils. and invite all
good citizens to assist me to inaugurate an
| era Of free thought. free speech and inde-
pendence of action I'm South Carolina.
| 1.-THE senior Senator. In the quetude Of
a farmers life In Edgefeld County, could
| be viewed as u pitchforkless pigmy and q
blessing to the State"
As WASHINGTON VIEWS THE FIGHT.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
| Washington. May 30.-Politicians here. re-
| gardless OF party. accept II q foregone
| conclusion that McIaurin will be defeated
| overwhelmingly In his canvass for re-elec-
| tion to the Senate from South Carolina.
AS summed up by conservative observers
| here. as long as McI.aurin voted in the Sem
| ate in accordance with his new theories for
| the industrial South. and retained his seat
| to which he was elected as Democrat he
| was answerable only to his own conscience
| for his course. Ostensibly he was a Dem
| ocrat. elected upon specific platform. ami
| his votes for measures antagonistic 10 that
| platform he could explain.
But now he resigns his seat in the Senate
| and asks the people OF South Carolina "a
| indorse him. not as an exponent OF Demo-
| cratic principles. but virtually az Re-
| publican.
1t Is so understood In South Carolina All
| that Mr.. McLaurin advocates is essentially
| Republcanism In the minds OF those peo-
| pie. He !s actually and absolutely. there
| fore. demanding their appreciation of his
| advocacy of principles and policies of the
opposition party. That IL where his trou-
BILE lies and In that will he find his defeat