Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-06-05
TrLLMAN-McLAURIN CONTEST

Carolina, will result in victory for
Tillmsn. Senator Tiilman is a very
popular man, and he has a strong
hold on his large following in the
State. Again, he has the political
machinery well in hand, and that
counts for great deal in political
contest. But more than all, however
errstic Tillman may have beeu, he is
regarded as representative Southern
Democrat. He was one of the most
extreme of the free silver advocates,
and went as far towards Populsm as
any other man In the party calling
himself Democrat. He was in some
respects even more extreme than Bry-
an. But for all that he stood by the
organization, and he stands today for
Southern Democracy. He is opposed
to high tariff and ship subsidies and
all sorts of class legislation, and be
has no tolerance for what is termed
Repubhcauism. The people of South
Carolina are by nature and tradition
Democrats, and to most of them the
term Democrat is sacred to them, as
the term Republican is hateful.
McLaurin was elected as a free
silver Democrat, and he claims now
to be democrat. But it is very
clear that he is in sympathy with
certain policies of the National Re
publican party, and he is in high ia
vor with the Mckinley administra-
ton. For these reasons we feel con-
fident that Tillman will win by a
large majority if the contest is mar
rowed down between him and Nc
Lsurin. But the contest will be
watched with keenest interest. be
cause it will serve to show in a
measure the extent of the political
revolution that has been going on in
the Southern States for some time
past. While the great majority of
the Southern people are democrats,
there is now large contingent who
are more In accord with the prInci-
piles and policies of the national re-
publican party than those of the
national democratic party. Hon T.
@. Crenshaw, cha -3:an of the Geor-
gia Railroad Commission, has recent
~ written some letters to Senator
McLaurin approving that gentle
mans course in Congress, and the
sentiments that he expressed in his
speech recently delivered at Char
lotte, n. G. He declares that be is
a believer in the doctrine of sound
money and expansion, and says that
1t will not be long before the correct
ness of his position upon both these
questions will be endorsed by the en-.
tire South. Expansion and sound
money" says be, "means increase in
the commerce of the country, higher
prices for labor and the products of
labor, and greater prosperity general
~" He then goes on to speak of the
interest which the South has in. Chi
ma and the Philippines, and says that
when Manila becomes Americanized
and our people are brought in close
touch with the Chinese and Japanese
nations, there will be underproduc-
ton instead of oyerproduction of cot
ton, the price will be advanced, and
"the hills of the Carolinas and Geor-
gia will blossom as the rose"
Passing on from that, he speaks of
the necessity of promoting the Amer
lean carrying trade, and SO intimates
that he is in favor of the ship-su bsi
dy bill. Finally, he says that po
litical party, to be successful, must
keep up with the times; that it must
stand on the living issues of the day
and abandon the follies of the past.
We say that there are many men
throughout the South, especially in |
the manufacturing sections, who are
IN thorough accord with Senator Nc.
Lsurin and Mr.. Crenshaw in the |
views which they entertain on these
questions, and it is foregone con- |
clusion that these will be heard from |
IN the forthcoming contest in South |
Carolina. ~+-
Bnt that is not all. There are
many Democrats in the South, we do |
not mean the professional politicians, |
who would be glad to see respecta
bic minority party, utterly regardless
of these enonOuoic ouast;0ns - L:I