The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-06-05
WHAT TILLMAN SAYS
OF McLaurin's Open Letter to
Col: Willie JQnsx-~
TGRMsiT "sUcHlNs, lENcE"
Says He and McLaurin Have
No More to Do w IN the
Senatorship Than IT
They WerappB8d
Thsy WeraHpBad.


w mile in Columbia Wednesday Sena-
tor Tillman gave out an interview in re-
gard to Senator MoLaurin's protest
against a campaign in the month Of
August.
He said: 81 have read Senator Mo-
Laurin's letter to Col. Willie Jones,
chairman of the State Democratic ex.
eoutive committee, and it is simply in
comprehensible to me that Senator No
Laurin should display such insolenoe.
He appears to consider the senator
ship AS being his private property in
stead OF great trust put into his
hands by the people for special pur-
pese. He undertakes to impose condi-
tlons or make suggestions and REQUESTS
that are of purely personal character,
intended to serve his convenience. The
people to whom the offices belong are
absolutely ignored as they have been by
him for two years or more.
1T is well understood that there is
only one season Of the year when our
people have sufh cient leisure for poll.
tics, and therefore it has been the Gus
tom to have the canvass begin quito
early In the summer, the election held
and matters settled before the busy
cotton picking season begins.
Mr.. McLsurin would have all this
changed. The people must be put to
the trouble OF attending their aft airs to
suit him.
From my standpoint the two va
cancies which will exist caused by our
resignation, are the same as though
both OF us had died.
Our designations have been tend
ed and the two vacancies are to be filled
by the people at their convenience and
IS they see proper.
Mr.. McLaurin boasted at Greenville
that his health is excellent and that he
Is ready for the fray. There has been
only one little passage at arms, yet he
pleads for winter campaign as the
fatigues of summer work are too great
for him.
ut is not, of course, for me to say
what should be done or to make sug.
gestions. l preemptorily declined to
do so at Gaffney and do not propose to
do this now. The Democratic commit
tee will act, when it meets, for the best
interest of the party and for the conve-
n,o1cs of the people and whatever will
be done the campaign will
be rss,.| issi.. sssl g, ssm,. MOI
ms intimation to Col. Jones that the
race should be confined to himself and
Tillman. This latter was displeased-
evidently. He said.
That is another idea which Illus
trites Mr.. McLaurin's conception of
his own power and greatness and his
view OF the office as . personal posses
sion. l consider that my resignation
puts nae on level with every other
oitissn, and | have no rights in regard
to the senatorships until the people
shall give them to me. Any man who
chooses has perfect right to enter the
race for either term, and / shall well
come rs many antagonists as see fit
to contend for the place / have volun-
tarily vacated"
That was about all that Senator Till
man had intended to say, and he turn
ed to Col. Willie Jones, who had
called, and asked If there was anything
In MIR. McLaurin's letter which had not
been touched upon. Col. Jones sug-
gested that Mr.. McLaurin had pro-
posed, in the matter of a vacancy in
the short term, for the legislature to
elect. Tillman jumped up impatiently
and exclaimed, What right has he to
ask any favors of the Democratic par
ty which he has betrayed and desert
ed2"
When asked what he thought Of the
failure to the legislature to oriticise
a IN
that he could see how the legislature
would naturally avoid such action as
unnecessary. That is of the past, and
of no consequence now. "a new situa-
tion has been brought about by
stroke of lightning"
He then renewed his assertions that
when he went to Gaffney he had no
Intention of precipitAting such an
issue.
But | saw that this man would be
going over the State doing untold in
jury. He would go Up and down the
State with his patronage bag and n
crowd Of venal fellows at his heels
would be grabbing atevery opportunity.
he would bring about and organization
which might attract 8 campaign fund
ana would get q few Thousand fellows
into trouble. When he taunted me. it
flashed across nae how l could put an
end to this, or as told somebody to-
day, l saw whore | could get him in
to boat and throw him out. may
get thrown out tool sm not moon
struck"
Tillman then spoke of an incident at
the Gatfney meeting. 81 watched the
crowd. | got my optic on it, as they
say. McLsurin never got much ap-
plsuse except from the fellows he had
brought over from Lsurens and Spar
tsnburg. But he made one pitiful ap-
peal. That | bullied him. That l had
treated him brutally in coming when
l knew his sensitive nature. 1t was
the most eloquent thing in McLAurin's
whole speech, and was received with
general applause, the only time he did
get any. And then no turned right
around and declared that was a hcc.
tOring, bullying demogogue, yet there
was one man who was not afraid Of me
Oh it was pitiful. One minute CRYING
to them to pull me off, the next boast
ing Of his strength"