The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-06-07
TO I, THE PEOPLE.
s,A'nn AZ Address Explaining Why ne
Resigned His Scat
@lssUED BY BEN. TILLMAM.
Says MoLaurIn Was Virtually
4 organIz ne a Republican
Party In this State Un-
dor Another Name.

Party In this state Un-
81 dor Another Name.
Senator Tillman furnished tho press
tho following address Tuesday aftor.
noon: .
To the Democratic Voters of the State.
Fellow Citzsns: An extraordinary
and unparalleled situation has untx
rootedly arisen in tho State, and aB
am manly responsible for this, I fcol
that proper respect Tor you, requn cs
an explanation of my actions Az no
tives.
Eleven years ago by q very largo
votc you elected mo governor OF the
State, and two years aftcrwards Iuas
reelected ty an overwhelming maj,r
lty. In 81 was sent IS your rckre.
sentative in tho oopgre. Of the Uui.cd
States ss ono Of Tho senator's frcm
South Carolina. After six year SCI
vice in that body ass last year ohio
bcn without opp osition TO be nv own
successor, | was sworn in on March
4,h, lest for the six years term end
ing in 1907. Tho ink has hardly be-
como dry upon my oath of oflioo and
yot L havo Il ndertd my resigI a ion to
thko cheot September 1h.h ntxs. My
colleague has also rendered his raaig
nation 10 tako cffeot tho samo date,
and thua thclo will bo two vaoancios
to DO filed by appointment of tho gov.
ernor until the legislature can cloct our
suooossore in January next | dcisro to
announce my candidacy to succeed my.
aeif and shall ask you TO vindicatc my
action by your votes in tho primary,
which will ho ordered by tho State
Democratic committee. This is an I fl
year in pclitios and but for TIC condl-
tions which had como about my action
in .prooipitstibg political campaign,
and primary election would bs lnox
oausablo, A britf review of recent po
litical eyonts will be necessary to give
that exaplanation My colleague, Jno.
Il. MoLaurin, was elected 10 tho sen
ate at a primary hold in '97 to succeed
the lamonted Earle. Ho was olootod
asa Democrat star ding upon the Chi
b cago platform Of 1896. Early in '99
Senator MoLaurin Iarted company
with his Democratic colleagues in tho
senate, aid has sirco voted for and
advocated everything that tho Repub.
loan party now stands for, and has
persistently antagonizod his own rarty
IN all Of hie public uttorancos aud acts.
notwithstanding that now State con-
+ vention last May laid down the prin-
ciplcs and polioios of tho party, and a
new national convention at Kansas
.Oity in July announced the principles
iiof Democracy as now und erstood
throughout the union, your junior son.
{i$sator has acted though ho were entirely
independent Of the peoplo who elected
him and has felt under no obligations
\ o5oboy their wishes or do the;r will
hs1F F5oafasd adffaSssadpaiaatsssttys paiaatsss ysiv When con
thizers in the Slate began at
}pnce an active propaganda Of his new
doctrines, which he claimed wore
Democratic, but which all true D. mo.
z Gratis must know arc only Republican.
~ lsm in disguise and very thinly dis.
gnised at that. He mado speech at
Charlotte. April '16.h, in which tho
Demoolatic party is sncored at and
assailed. Ho made another speech at
dreenvillo last week filling out and
.d!evelop.ng his new theories, and took
pains 70 indicate his perfect acoord
With Mr, Mckinley in all his policies.
Ho lad appointments already ar
ranged to make speeches at a,lcast
three other llaoos M Gaffney, Yorkyillo
and Spartanburg-ap and had begun an
active canvass for reelection, ffteon
months before tho regular campaign,
whloh would choose his successor, in
tho Democratic primary of 1902 would
open. 1t was natural that those gon.
tlemon who proposed to contest for his
seat should bo unwilling TO premature.
ly announce thoir candidacy and tako
the field againts him. He had the dis
penslng OF federal patronage placed s.t
MS disposal by tho Republican presi.
dent, and he had unlimited money fur
nished by his Republican allies, or Mo
hlnlsy Democratic followers III Sou,h
Caloiina aud his purpose vas to 70
UP and down the State unopr oscd ana
unanswered to organize h4p new no
iltieal machine. lhls was tho sltua
ton up ,lo tho Gahncy meeting and
was confront dSI.nith tie question of
what wab my duty uudor tho o,rcum.
stances. Keoollect that am no,nbg,
Of tho national Democratic committee.
as your representative; uas on .ho
yoQmmltteo on platform in both OF the
last national conventions and hciLca
framo tho declarations OF principle and
policy upon which Wo went to battle,
and | was chairman Of tho committee
on platform in your last Stato oonyon-
tiOn. --F
Remember tco that both at Charlotte
and at Grcenvlllo, dire city and indlrc ot-
ly, l had been assailod by Mr.. MoLau
rim. and you will understand why | was
anxious 70 lnoet my colleague at Calf
hey, and whom invited by largo mum.
per Of oitisons OF Cherokee county I will.
ingly accepted. The result OF that
meeting is now woll known. Mr.. Mo
dlsurin WAS unoxpe otodly brought faoo
10 face with the question OF resignation
and appeal to the people whose conf
denoe ho had abused and whose trust ho
had betrayed. Ito tried to dodge tho
thrust, by charging thst was attempt
ing TO dictate and boss tho pooplo and
Interfers in tho race with which had
no concorh and was safely osoonoed in
Nv scat for six years and had nothing
to- Jose, but well afford to lay down a
,oodo OF moral ethios, for another which
lwas unwilling to follow myself. | aaw