Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-17

ator McLaurin in sensible. high-class.
clean discussion of issues. Is Hon. Geo.
Johnstone. He is. however, not strict
ly up-to-date on political affairs. as he
says that he has been taking no hand
in politics recently. He is not the pro-
man af 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 ar
gument was above the head Of the or
dinary attendant upon political meet
ings.
The appearance of Mr.. John B. Cleve-
land. of Spartanburg. at Union. to put
in word in favor of the policies ad-
vocated by Senator McLaurin. was a
brave act. Although not public
speaker. he had the nerve to accept an
invitation to the enemies meeting and
tell them few things, and he received
an attentive hearing. He also resem-
bles North Carolinan to some extent
DIR. Geo. T. Winston-and has the
general clerical appearance. 1t is not
thought by the other side that Senator
McLaurin had anything to do with Mr..
Cleveland accepting the invitation to
Union.
The greatest need of the South Caro-
lima speakers is a new stock of cam
paign jokes. There were put into
words last week some old fellows
which Ham used probably the hun
dredth time when he spoke in Char
lotte in the campaign Of '92. But for
that matter. all the speakers will have
to get up something different from the
arguments used for the past three days,
for as heard it remarked several times.
a campaign cannot be fought out en-
tirely on the abuse of one man or the
things he stands for. The real purpose
Of these meetings. however. was not
so much to get the people out as to re-
ply to McLaurin in the newspapers.
The Tillman side Is not at all pleased
q
has been given to the Junior senator's
utterances. and with a view to get
leave to print" replies to him. these
meetings were held. 1t may not be
that this was the idea Of the local COM
mittees at either Union or Chester: but
it is that inducement which brought
out the speakers.
If North Carolina is to follow the ex-
ample of this state in treating the mat
ter of the disfranchisement Of the Ne
gro. those Tar Heels who have been
longing for political freedom are wish
ing for something which will never be
realized. 1t Is a well-known fact that
the Negro is not factor in South Car
olina politics. yet for the past three
days nearly all the speakers held up
Negro domination to the people in all
its horrible aspects as warning
against following Senator McLaurin.
The fact. it was said. that young Ne
Croes were becoming educated. put
white supremacy in danger. Senator
Tilman said the sword Of Damoces
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 tenn
porarily settled. He also warned cot
ton mill operatives that there was
probability that they would be expec-
ted to herd and vote with the Negroes
if the new schemes were carried out.
have always heard that there We're
no people on earth who liked politics
better than the people of this state. and
believe it. These people will stand
for hours and listen with upturned
faces and in wrapt attention to n dis
cuSSion Of the tariff-the drieSt talk in
the world. They will also take large
doses of Imperialism and ship subsidy
argument without ninching. and do
without their dinners during the Or
deals. 1t would take a regiment Of SOL
dierS to hold crowd of North Carroll
mans together during some of the
speeches that were made during this
continuous performance.