The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-08-21
THEY HATE EACH OTHER.

Evans and Latimer are Open Political
Enemies-HOw the Anti McLaurin
Aggregation Strike Charlotte
Newspaper Man-Their Strong and
Weak Points.
]. c. Alternately. who attended the Union
and Chester meetings for the Charlotte Oh.
server, wrote that paper the following ln-
teresting summarizing letter from Chester:
| There ls no danger that the senatorial cam.
paign In This state will lack heat, even though
Senator McLaurin should withdraw from the
| race. for the notable develOpement In the
meetings here and at Union for the last three
the junior senator, was the. fact that while
both are fighting what they consider the COM
mon enemy, A. c. IIatlmer and John Gary
Evans are at daggers points, ana u wouid not
to see the ex-governor and the congressman
come to blows on the stand when the cam
paign Is fairly under way. Evans is slender
fellow, about five feet and ten inches tall
with sharp features, bright eye, black
moustache and hair, Slightly tinged with
gray, and there Is something about him that
will make a North Carolinian think Of
Marion Butler AZ soon as the ex-governor
takes the stand TO make speech. His poll
tlcal antagonist, Congressman Latimer, Is
recognized as being one of Senator Tillman g
closest friends, and he certainly resembles Inc
comparing the two men. as they sat together
on the speakers stand, made the following
deduction Square the congressman's jaws,
punch out one of his eyes, let him fill his
mou th with quipine and TO all outward ap-
pearances the result will be O second Ben
Tillman. AS to the ability OF Latlmer COM
pared with Tillman, l can q OF say, for 1t may
be that he is only following the leader as
Marion Butler followed Col. L. l.. Polk in
North Carolina. In fact bis political enemies
term him zone of Tillman's hands," I can
add, however, that he has more pleasant
address than his chief, and would probably
create a better impression among strangers.
provided he did not too closely follow Till
mans style.
These are the two men-Evans and Latimer
who gave IL out by their words and actions
that they distrusted each other. In assumi q &
his share of the responsibility for the election
OF McLaurin TO the senate. Latimer said that
two evils were offered the people and he voted
for the junior senator as the lesser Of the two.
John Gary Evans was the other. At other
direct terms, which ali South Caroiinianp
understood. On the. oth'rr hand, the ex-
governor made 1t plain 10 his hearers that be
meant Latimer when he spoke OF the action
OF certain "poiitical traitors" who had re.
fused TO take note OF the warnings he had
sounded in regard 10 McLaurin. He warned
the people against turning out one traitor 10
put in another. Mr.. Evans has been out OF
politics for quite awhile. having some time
after the expiration OF his term as governor
removed to Spartanburg, wqere he has been
practicing law, and 1t Was not generally
would enter the field as IL senatorial aspirant /.
The ex-governor, by the way, Is The man
whose name was formerly printed In a Colum.
bia paper thus: "Johugaryevans." South
Carolinians can rest assured that should all
others drop out OF the race these two per-
formers alone will be worth the price Of ad-
mission.
1 have been ask ed what manner OF men
are these South Carolinians who have ap-
peared upon the stump within the past three
days, and in reply l would say that the ma
lority Of them appear to be OF unusual ability.
But TO tell the truth, do not believe there Is
one In the whole lot that denounced him 30
harshy who could In joint debate, under
equal conditions. hold up his end of the ar.
gument with Senator McLaurin. Tillm8n
cannot do 1t, because he IL not q debater. He
IL a fine public speaker, but is not in the same
class with the Junior senator when 1t comes
to high class argument Hemphill could not
Comm ercial Democracy" Evans cannot
handle MoLaurin, for he is not built for that
task, and Latimer cannot do 1t because be is
too much like Tillman. In fact the only man
whom heard on the stump this week. that,
in my opinion, would be able 10 do anything
with Senator McLaurin in a sensible, high
class, clean discussion of Issues is Hon. George
job nstone. He Is, however, not strictly up
10 date on political affairs, as he says that he
has been taking no hand III politics recently.
He Is not the product OF any political up.
beaval, but Is a man OF ability, education and
travel and while he made Two OF the best
speeches in the three days meeting, he
probably did not impress his audience as his
utterances deserved, for the argument was
above the head Of the ordinary attendant
upon political meetings.
The appearance of Mr.. Jonn b. Cleveland,
OF Spartan burg, al Union, to put In a word In
favor of the policies advocated by Senator
McIiaurin, was Il brave act. Although not
public speaker he had the nerve to accept
an invitation 10 The enemies meeting and
tell them few things, and he received an
attentive hearing. He also resembles a
North Carolinian - some eXtent-Dr. George
Z. Winston-and has the gen eral clerical ap-
appearance. 1t is not thought by the other
side that Senator McLaurin had anything to
do with Mr.. Cleveland accepting the Invita-
tion TO Union.
The greatest need OF the South Carolina
speakers Is a new stock OF campaign jokes
There were put into words last week some
old fellows which Ham used for probably the
hundredth time when he spoke In Charlotte
In the campaign OF '92 But for that matter
all the speakers will have TO get up some
thing different from the arguments used for
the past three days, for, as l heard 1t remark
fought out entirely on the abuse of one man
or the things he stands for. The real purpose
of these meetings, however, was not 80 much
TO get the people out as TO reply to McLaurin
in the newspapers. The TillmaD side Is not
at all pleased at the space In the newspapers
which has been given to the junior senator's
utterances. and with view 10 get "leave TO
print replies to him these meetings were
held. 1t may not be that this was the idea
OF the local com mmittee at either Union or
Chester, but 1t Is that inducement which
brought out the speakers.
II North Carolina is TO follow the example
of this state In treating the matter OF the
sfranchisement OF the negro, those Tar
Heels who have been longing for political
freedom are wishing for something which
will never be realized. 1t Is we'll known
fact that the negro IL not a factor In South
Carolina politics, yet for the past three days
nearly all the speakers held up negro domina-
tion to the people In ali its horrible aspects as
| Laurin. The TACT, 1t was said, that young
negroes were becoming educated put white
supremacy in. danger. Senator Tilluan said
the sword OF Damocles would hang over the
people OF the South so long as the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments remained in the
constitution of the United States, and that
| the race question was only temporarily Bet-
| tied. He also warned cotton mill operatives
that there was a probability that they would
be expected TO herd and vote with the negroes
| il the new schemes were carried out.
| ! have always beard that there were no
people on earth who liked politics better than
the people Of this state. and / believe IL.
with upturned faces and In wrapt attention
In the world. They will also take large
ment without fiinchlng, and do without
their dinner during the ordeal. 1t would
take a regiment OF soldiers TO hold crowd
Of North Carolinans together during some OF
the speeches that were made during this con-
tinOpna