The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-08-14
South Carolina Politics.

To the Editor of the New York Times
Judging by its editorial on the sub
ject this morning, it appears to me
that the Times has misconception OF
the political situation in South Caro-
lima. AS gold standard democrat l
think..th democratic state committee
was perfectly justified in demanding
that McLaurin should resign his seat
in the senate. Senator McLaurln has,
of course, a perfect right to hold what
ever views he may think fit in regard
to the administration S Philippine pol
icy and all matters relating thereto.
He has not the right, however, to
openly ally himself with such admin
istration, to vote against the expressed
belief and declared creed of his party,
such belief and creed having been
tacitly if not openly indorsed by him
when he accepted a seat in the senate
at his party's hands, and yet claim
the privilegeIto remain IN the senate
as a democrat.
The Times and Senator McLaurin
NAV be right in the views they enter
tain in regard to McKinley's Philip
pine policy, but the South Carolina
democrats hold otherwise, and as they
sent McLaurin to the senate to repre-
sent their views and not those Of The
Times, Mr.. Mckinley or the Republi-
can party, they are perfectly right IN
stating that when he forsakes the
former and espouses the latter, com
mon honesty and self-respect" demand
that he should resign his seat IN the
senate as a democrat.
= AS democrat Of the Tilden-Cleve
land school, / rejoice at the getting
together again of the democratic party
upon issues with which it can make a
united appeal to the country. | fail
to agree with The Times ingenious
view, however, that Senator McLau-
rims efforts are bent in this direction.
Rather do I believe he is aiming at
the splitting of the democratic party
in South Carolina and the building
up of the republican party. President
Mckinley is far too astute a politician
to lend himself too completely to Nc
Laurin's plans, however 'disinterest-
ed'' and conscientious" they may
appear to the superficial observer, if
their object was the rehabilitation Of
the democratic party.
The issues upon which the demo-
cratic party will go before the country
in 1904 will doubtless be very different
from those of 1900. Free silver is
dead and the policy of the government
in regard to our foreign possessions
may have become so fixed by that
time as to materially alter that ques-
ton. What the administration may
be able to accomplish, however, by
brute force does not make the convic
tions of those democrats who love the
Declaration of independence. They
will submit to the rule of the majori-
ty, but they will never admit that
might makes right" and they will
demand that those who pledged them
selves to their party's creed will not
turn traitors.
The Times, like all far-seeing OBJ
servers, sees the vital necessity to the
country of the democratic party be-
coming strong party of opposition.
With free silver out of the way, there
is every chance of this being accom-
plished. It cannot be accomplished,
however, if the party is to adopt the
Times and senator McLaurin's plan
and place itself unreservedly in the
hands of its opponents.
E. H. Simons.
New York, July 80, 1901.