The National tribune., 1901-05-30
THE FIGHT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

Forty years ago whatever happened in
. South Carolina was of National import
anCe. South Carolina assumed to be
pretty near the whole thing. at least 50
far as the South was concerned, and her
assumptions We're generally agreed to.
The result of the war gave her Il seat
| away back from the stage. and for many
years the country has been much more
| interested in what was happening in Kan
sas, Utah, the Dakotas, or some other
outlying section, than in the once naughty
| Palmetto State. Last week South Caro-
| lima forged TO the front again in Il manu-
yer which promises weighty consequences.
! The heated personal controversy which
| has been going on between Senators Till
| man and McLaurin resulted in an agree
| ment between them to both resign and
appeal to the people of South Carolina
for reelection. This will at once bring
the whole reorganization of the Republi
can and Democratic parties i'll the South
perhaps in the whole country-to be
fought over and decided by the white
voters in South Carolina. Tillman is one
of the once much-dcspiscd poor white
trash of the State, who were never al
lowed tc have the slightest voice or in
fiuence in public affairs. They were sim
ply to vote and fight as their aiistocratic
planters dictated. Tllman. who has an
abundance of courage, force and rough
horse sense became their Moses in lead
ing them to an overthrow of the ruling
caste, and is in consequence bitterly hated
by the ''white-shirt, plug-hat' element.
Nc ourIn n much and with
more polish. was his able and faithful
lieutenant in the sensational political rev.
olution, which retired Hampton. Butler,
ct al, to private life. But presently he
began to have aspirations of his own,
which were distastcful to I1illman, who
wants nothing but unquestioning. absO
Lutte obedience in his followers Neverthe-
less. McLaurin succeeded in getting into
the Senate, and there the friction between
the two became stronger. Then Tiilman
went off after Bryan, while McLaurin
who was becoming interested in the cot
ton factories and other industries devel
oping in South Carolina, put himself at
the head of the Gold Democrats, and
those who favored tariff. Expansion. etc
This brings the issue squarely before the
Sontn tdfOllna people. VI nile cllnglnS 10
John C. Calhoun's Free Tradeism. South
Carolinians have wanted protection on
their rice. tobacco, and phosphates, and
got it. Now they want to develop their
cotton manufactures, and enlarged mar
kets for the same. McLaurin will have
back of him this element. including many
Northern men who have recently migrated
into the State. He will also have back
of him n large portion of the Ant-Till-
man crowd in the State. and will have
the powerful assistance of the Admins
tratiOn. Tilman claims to represent Bry-
anism and ''the common people" If he
succeeds in winning i'll the contest now
opened, it will settle the character of the
Democracy i'll the South-possibly in the
whole country, If McLaurin wins. the
Democracy will probably take II new de
parture and align on a front much more
advanced than Bryan occupied last year.
The result will have very important
bearing on the Presidential contest of
1904.