The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-06-05
Senator NeLaurin's Address.
Statements Made Necessary by
Ti|Iman's Malicious FaIsehoods.
An Appeal TO the People to Help
Defeat Tillman.
Bennettsville, May Ex-senator Nc
Laurin today issued the following ad-

Bennettsville, May Ex-senator Nc
Laurin today issued the following ad-
dress:
To Ny Fellow Citizens: The ad-
dress of Senator Tillman to you rem
dered it necessary that | should say
something in explanation of my mo-
tives and actions. [ sincerely regret
that you are to be subjected to the ex-
pense and excitement of a senatorial
primary this year. but [ feel that [
am not responsible. Had it not been
for Senator Tillman's intrusion upon
the Gaffney meeting there would have
been no necessity for it. A joint de-
bate was precipitated by him contrary
to my wishes and of the gentlemen
who invited me. He forced himself
upon the meeting by his own admis-
sion. No other honorable course was
left to me but to accept his propo-
sition or lay myself open to the
charge of cowardice. It is too late
now to consider whether it was wise
or unwise, and the people must Judge
between US. [ desire to announce my
candidacy in opposition to the senior
senator for the unexpired long term
and will discuss with him in a fair
and reputable manner the national IS
sues of the day and leave it to you to
Judge who can the more honestly and
honorahlv'' represent you in the Uni
ted States senate. In 1897 I was elect
ed to the senate as Democrat and /
am still Democrat.
In everything I have said and done
l have had the good of my people at
heart. to them I am ready to render
an account of my stewardship, but not
to the senior senator: perhaps in this
lies my chief sin.
In my recent speech at Greenville |
gave the people the reason for my ottl-
cial action since 1899. 1t is useless for
me to reiterate what / said in that
speech as it has been extensively pub
lished and I presume generally read.
We're it not for charges made in the ad-
dress of the senior senator, it would
be unnecessary for me to say more.
But I cannot allow him to assail me
and my Democracy without saying
something in my vindication. He
charges that, after the adjournment
of congress in March last, with the
aid of my friends, [ commenced in the
State an active propaganda of my new
doctrines. (which are claimed to be
Democratic but are nothing but Re
publicanism in Disguise He AFRO
gates to himself the power to decide
for the people as to the righteousness
of my course and views, and is not
willing for them to hear and judge
for themselves. His indecent intru-
sion upon the Gaffney meeting illus
trates his methods of bossism" and
his desire to s.rule or ruin After
my return home in April last receiv-
ed invitations from citizens of Green
vile, York, Cherokee, Newberry and
Spartanburg counties to address the
people on the national issues of the
day. AS their public servant, l could
not disregard their imperative calls,
and I accepted the invitations.
Had | not done so, my political
opponent would have charged that
I could not meet my constituents
face to face and explain my poll
teal action. It was not my pur-
pose in accepting these invitations to
inaugurate my campaign for reelection
more than year in advance Of the
primary, but to attempt to enlighten
the people and remove false impres-
sions produced upon the public mind
by the senior senator and his sympa-
thizers. I had been persistently ma
ligned and misrepresented and the
only means afforded me for my vindi
cation was to get the ear of the people.
This was my only object in making
speeches where I was invited to go,
and had it not been for these invita-
tions | should have remained silent.
Have we reached the point where
number of private citizens cannot in
vite one of their representatives to
address them. without including the
senior senator or first obtaining his
permission? The senior senator; it
seems, willed that / should not be
heard at that time and determined
that | should wait for his bidding to
90. before the people. The senator
also charges that | am Republican
and was organizing Republican par
tv here. If he believed this charge,
why did he consent to run with me
in Democratic primary? | denounce
the charge as an Infamous falsehood
and the senior senator KNOWS WHdI ne
saws is untrue. In his recklessness
the senior senator further charges that
the dispensing of the public patronage
has been placed at my disposal and
unlimited money" is furnished me by
the Republicans to aid in the scheme
of the organization of a new party. |
denounce this as malicious false
hood. In my Greenville speech | ex-
planned why l had /. been consulted
about the federal patronage and at
Gatfney | denounced, in his presence,
both of these charges as wilfully false,
and vet,he reiterates them in his ad-
dress His purpose in repeating what
he knows to be slanders must be evil
dent to all.
The senior senator undertakes in his
address to throw the whole response
bilitv of the present situation in the
State upon me. After defining my
Democracy and branding me as Il
traitor to the party, he meekly says
that he and his Democracy were assail-
ed by me, and it was incumbent upon