The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-08-16
.M'LAURIN'S REPLY
To tho Request 10 Resign iIa
Scat In The Senate.
MEkEe a GENERAL DEFENCE.

4 MEKEs a GENERAL DEFENCE.
He Regards Tho Action Of Com.
rnittaa as Ridiculous and Of
NO Legal Effect or
WaIghf.
Senator Nc nsurin replies 90 follows
to tho action Of the State Democratic
ExootiYo COR nitteo
Paris Mountain, 8, O.,
August 9th, 1901.
10 the Democratic Executive Commit
tee, State of South Carolina.
Gentlomen: Tho official notico Of
tho action Of a majority of your oom-
mittoe Of July 25th was received by mo
on August 1st, five days aftor it had
been announced in tho newspapers.
This publish announcement WAS tho first
notice had that any action affecting
me was to bo takon by your committee.
| am now officially informed that tho
majority Of your committee condemns
my course in tho senate, demands my
resignation and undertakes to expel mo
from tho Democratic party. Twonty-
4 ono mon have attempted I'd usurb tho
4 powers Of tho 80, 600 Democratic voters
OF South Carolina and, as an incident,
In meeting called for another purpose,
havo hastily endoavorod to do what can
( be done only by SOLEMN proceeding of
impoaohmont, exprosslysprovided for in
the constitution of the Uoited States.
/ hold my commission from tho D 9mo
i cratic votors Of South Carolina j
recognize no authority but thoirj, take
no orders from any sourc, but thom,
and shall in due course appeal to them
for judgment on my cour, IS a senator,
: and my character as a m an and Dsmo
orat.
Personally I am indiG srent to your
action because nobody has msdo you
my master or Censor, and ! regard what
you have dono as merely prcssing the
malioo and tho fears Of ono individual,
Z Senator 3. II. Tillman. But for this
always evil and indeoent 1nAoenoo,
Ordinary respect for the proprieties,
would probably have prevented tho four
A of you who are my declared oompati.
tors for tho scat now have the honor
to OCCUPY, from attempting to uso the
power entrusted to you by your party
to remove rival from your path.
AS oitizen and Democrat Of South
\ Carolina, l am mortified by your action,
because it has brought upon tho State
tho condemnation and the ridiculo Of
the press and public throughout tho
country. Unhappily, those who arc
~ tnl
itidls aocept tho saetion of your .s, .s,s.
1ority aa representing tho Intelligence
and Democracy Of our State and both
S arc mado obj acts Of dorision. Against
this wish 10 enter my solemn protest.
4 / shall dolnonstrate how unfair, absurd
un'd1Eemooratio '1EI your actionis; and shall
trust TO the Democrats of South Caro-
lima to repudiato it whom the oppor
tunlty is given thon. Your purpose is
TO deny that opportunity.
1t is in strong CONTRAST with tho
, blatant boast of Senator Tillman at
GAtfney to put mo on trial boforo tho
Z party on the hustings with himself as
prosecutor. AS you know, I sought
that test by accepting proposal Of ap.
peal to the poople, but tho governor saw
tit to forbid it. Now Senator Tillman
appears as pros ,outor against mo in my
absence and by proceedings like those
of the star chamber, which was tho
most Infamous tribunal Of English his.
tory, and the most abhorrent 10 AugIo.
Saxon instincts, seeks 10 exclude mo
from party and it's debates and pubic
assemblagos. 1t is your duty, as Gus.
todians Of the party interests, to sock
< recruits and to strengthen the party.
70 save Senator Tillman from stalking
his record, strength and fortunes against
mine, you undertake to exclude mo
and my friends from the party. What
over your individual motives may have
been, tho purport of your action is to
facllltate tho aonator in lodging mo
and to deny the pooplo tho opportunity
OF passing on my positions and conduct.
1t seems to me tho Democratic masses of
South Carolina are competent 10 say at
the polls whothor or not have been
Q faithful senator and oonsistent
Democrat. Why should you attempt
10 prevent them?
1t ie no cause for wonder that Sena
tor Gilman should seek to mako politi-
cal assaaBins Of you to avoid opon and
falr hight. He has climbed to power by
yenomous abuse Of many of the purost
mon in the state who opposed him, for
which no has alaeys carefully shirked
prsonal responsibility, and on tho 20
lltical lives and fortunes Of those who
befrionded him while he NODDED frionds.
Norris, Tindal aud Donaldson, mon
. representing earnest purpose and tho
interests Of tho farmers OF tho state.
ana, therefore, strong, woro uaed
by him to promote his own intorests
and then thrust asido Irby, Shell
and Farlcy died despislng him beosuso
OF his troaohory to thom and to tho poo-
pie. | ara now in his way, and beoaus O
no has failed to strike mo down, ho in
oitoB you to attempt TO stranglo mo,
and at tho samo time.to destroy white
primary, to his advocacy Of which no
owed much of tho bcst Of his carly fol
lowing. Party Ir nciples aro fixed,
and 20 tho prinoipioD Of tho Domouratio
party have boon uniformly faithful.
Party policies arc determined from timo
to timo by party elections and oonven.
ttions and no man, nor body Of mon,
has tho power to say botweon thoso elec
tions what policios shall bo tho tests of
4 party loyalty. Senator 1illmau ia as.
B anming the prorogativo of hupremo boss
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