The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-06-05
TO THE PEOPLE.
An Address Explaining Why He
Resigned His Seat
ISSUED BY BEN. TiLLMAN.
Says McLaurin Was Virtually
organiz pg Republican
Party In this State Un-
der Another Name.
der Another Name.

the following address Tuesday after,
neon:
To the Democratic Voters of the State.
Fellow Citiz, ms: An extraordinary
and unparalleled situation has unex.
pectedly arisen in the State, and as
am manly responsible for this, | feel
that proper respect for you, requires
an explanation of my actions and mo
tives.
Eleven years ago by very large
vote you elected me governor of the
State, and two years afterwards Twas
reelected ty an overwhelming msitr
ity. In 81 was sent as your repre-
sentative In the copgre: of the United
States IS one Of tho senators from
South Carolina. After six year scr
vice In that body L Sss last year oho
sen without opp ositicn to be nv own
successor, | was sworn in on March
4,b, lsst for the six years term end
ing in 1907. The ink has hardly be-
come dry upon my oath of eff sc and
yet L have tender.d my resigt ion 20
take effect Septe mber ID h ntxt. My
colleague has slso rendered his rcsig
nation 10 take effect the same date,
and thus there will be two vacancies
to be filled by appointment of tho gov
ernor until the legislature can elect cur
successors In January next. de;sre to
announce my candidacy TO suoce ed my =
self and shall ask you to vindicate my
action by Jour votes In the primary,
which will be ordered By the State
Democratic committee. This is ap Of
year In politics and but for the coudl.
tions which had come about my action
In precipltating a political campaign,
and primary election would b inex
causable. A brief review of rece mt 20
lltical events will be necessary to give
that explanation My colleague, Jno
Il. McLaurin, was elected to the sen
ate at primary held in 80 to succeed
the lamented Earle. He waC elected
as Democrat star ding upon the Chi
cago platform of 1896. Early in $50
Senator McLaurin Parted company
with his Democratic colo agues in the
senate, aid has siIce voted for and
advocated everything that the Repub.
lican party now stands for, and h,1
persistently antagoniZed his own rartS
In all Of his public terances aud acts.
Notwithstanding that a new State Con
vention last May laid dowki the prin.
ciples and polIaies Of the - and .
new national convention at Ksnsa
City in July announced the principles
OF Democracy as now understood
throughout the union, your junior sen
ator has acted though he were entirely
independent of the people who elected
him and has felt under no obligations
to obey their wishes or do their will
as their representative. When con
gress adjourned last March he and hi.
symptmzers in the Safe besan a.
once an active propaganda of his new
doctrines, which he claimed wer,
Democratic, but which all true D. omo
Gratis must know are only Republican
Ism In disguise and very thinly dis
guised st that. He mado q speech al
Charlotte. April 16.h, in which the
Democratic party is sueered at anG
assailed. He made another speech al
Greenville last week filling out and
develop ng his new theories, and tooE
pains 10 indicate his perfect accord
with Mr, Mckinley in all his policies
He had appointments already ar
ranged to make speeches at a;least
three other plaoes-Gsffney, Yorkville
and Spsrtanburg-and had begun al
active canvass for reelection, ffteer
months before the regular campaign
which would choose his successor, In
the Democratic primary of 1902 would
open. 1t was natural that these gen.
tlemen who proposed to contest for his
seat should be unwilling to premature
iy announce their candidacy and take
the field againts him. He had the dis
pensiDg OF federal patronage placed al
his disposal by the Republican presi
dent, and he had unlimited money fur.
nished by his Republican allies, or Nc
Kinley Democratic followers in South
Carolina and his purpose was to 20
up and down the State unopy osed AID
unanswered to organize has new pO
iitlcal machine. This was the situa
ton up to the Gsfiney meeting and
was confronted with the question Of
what was my duty under the cIrcum
stances. Recollect that | am membcl
of the national Democratic committee
as your repre- sentative; | was en- tn,
committee on platform in 10th of The
last national conventions and heipeC
frame the declarations of principle anC
policy upon which we went TO battle
and l WAS chairman of the committed
on platform III your last State conven
tlon.
Remember too that both at Charlott,
and at GIeenvIlle, dire city and lndIre ct
ly, had been aseailed by Mr.. McLsu
rim and you will understand why | wa,
anxious TO meet ny colleague at GaH
ney, and when Invited by large mum
Der Of cItizens Of Cherokee county will
ingly accepted. The result Of tha
meeting is now well known. MIR. Nc
Laurin Was unexpC cledly brought face
TO face with the question of resignatiO.
and appeal to the people whose conf
denoe he had abused al d whose trust h
had betrayed. lie tried to dodge th
thrust, by charging that | was attempt
ing to dictate and boss the people ant
interfere in the race with which ! hat
no concern and was safely esconced il
ny scat for six years and had ncthinj
to lose, but well afford to lay down
code Of moral ethics, for another whicI
L was unwilling to follow myself l saw
the opportunity TO prCcipitato battl
at once rather than wait fifteen month
and | offered to resign If he would, anC
the result you know. | acted from
impulse it is true, but ! have slway
acted upon impulse and as a publ
man can affirm with tho sacre dnes
of an oath that all my impulses hav
been to servo the best interests Of tn
people Who have honOred mo. la,
every opportunity to weigh the conse
quences of my action and to get cut o
1t without discredit, but | felt then ant