The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-06-05
RESIGNATION NOT WITHDRAWN
By TiIIna1 and Won't be Till
MeLaurin FIunks.
seATHING on The GOVERNOR,
But Remains Well Within ParIia-
mentary Lines in His Letter TO
the Executive.
sGlTHING ON The GOVERNOR

the Executive.
Special to The State.
Trenton, June Senator Tlllman
mailed to Gov. McSweeney this after
noon his reply to the governors letter
received this morning. The senator,
in very parliamentary language, strikes
some hard blows. His communication
is as follows.
Trenton, S. c., June i, 1901.
His Excellency, Miles B. McSweeney,
Columbia, S. c.
Sir: I have your letter of May 3lst,
addressed to Senator McLaurin and
myself Jointly, in which you say L
respectfully return your designations
that YOU may have more time for serl-
Gus consideration of the effects upon
the people of the State of this action
on your part''-and further OF re-
spectfully decline to accept your reslg-
nations and beg to return them here
with
Your excellency, of course, has the
right and it is entirely proper to re-
turn my resignation and advise more
serious consideration. In declining
to accept, am sure you have trans
cended your authority. It will take
very little investigation and reflection
to convince you Of this. You cannot
compel a member of the United States
senate to hold his commission and ex-
ercise the functions of that Office if he
chooses to surrender it. Ny action In
rendering my resignation, while hasty,
was not i'll advised, and | am firmly
convinced Of the wisdom OF ray course
upon reflection.
Personally, I had nothing to gain
and everything to lose, and l did not
feel the need Of further instructions or
vindication, because I had just been
reelected by the people with practical
unanimity. I offered to resign in or.
der to bring about the resignation OF
my colleague and thus put US on lev
ell, with equal rights to go before the
people and ask an endorsement of our
respective courses. While | would
not appear to pass structures upon the
reasoning set forth in your excellency's
letter, it seems strange that the gov
ernor of South Caroliona, just return
ed from unveiling a monument erect
ed by the State in memory of the
heroic soldiers should be oblivious
to the principle involved in the contest
precipitated by our designations. 1t
is also somewhat remarkable that you
should ask the senators who have re-
signed to take time to consider, when
YOU yourslf are ready to appoint two
senators in two minutes and a half"
after receiving an immediate resigna-
tion.
Your conception of the Office of SEN
ator and its powers can be best under
stood by the ease with which you
think you could fill it. 1t was not my
fault that an immediate resignation
was not sent you. You declare that
the "people are entitled to one year Of
peace and freedom from political bat
Ties and bitterness. - I am ready to
acknowledge that this is very desira-
BILE, but our race has ever thought
war preferable to dishonor, and unless
I am very much deceived, large major
ity of the people Of South Carolina
would be glad of an opportunity to pun
ish treachery and have those principles
and policies which they support loyal
" represented in the congress Of the
United States. What you consider a
calamity would be hailed by thou
sands as an opportunity to get rid of a
traitor who now in their opinion dis
graces the commonwealth. | am aware
that there is strong opposition IN GER
tain quarters to campaign IN this
off YEAR to fill two vacancies in the
senate. Many unthinking citizens do
not know its importance. Many
would-be aspirants are not Just ready
yet ready for various reasons to enter
the contest brought on so unexpected
". 1t is not convenient or suitable
and therefore, they have, no doubt,
importuned Your excellencv 70 await
their convenience. claiming that 1t IS
for the public welfare. On the other
hand it might be remarked, that the
session of congress beginning next De
cember marks an era in the history
of our republic and the patriots who
will then and there inaugurate a
struggle for the restoration Of the old
landmarks and the preservation of our
free institutions. will need every voice
and every vote that can be had. The
fact that the Republicans have good
majority in the senate does not alter
the case in the least. The recent de
cision of the supreme court promul-
eating the damnable doctrine that this
republic, whose bedrock principle is
the consent of the covered, - can ac-
quire by conquest or purchase terrific
ries and peoples, to be controlled and
taxed without representation through
congressional absolutism" must be
met and exposed, and plans must be
laid for a battle to the death by the
lovers of Demoncrcy and liberty,
against this heresy. An appeal against
imperialism which is no longer con-
cealed or denied must be made to the
people as it was made against the
Dred Scott decision, and yet with such
crisis at hand the governor of this
grand old State appears willing, to
have the State misrepresented and Its
voice silenced, because its two sena-
tors stand on opposite sides OF the
question. One must be right and the
other wrong. Which is it? The people
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