The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-05-31

| L
the situation up to the Gafrney meot
ing and l WAS confronted with the
question Of what was my duty undor
tho circumstances. Recollect that
[ am a member of the national Dem
ocratic Committee, rs your repro.
sontative: | was on tho committee
on platform in both Of tho last ma
tlonal conventions and holpod framo
tho declarations ofprinciplo and pol
icy upon Which We went to battle,
and [ was chairman Of tho committee
on platform in your last State con-
vention. Remember too that both
at Charlotte and Mt Greenville, di
rectly and indirectly, | had been as
sailed by Mr.. McLaurin and you will
understand why l was anxious to
meet my colleague at Gaffney, and
when invited by largo number of
citizens of Cherokee County I will
lingly accepted. Tho result Of that
meeting is now we'll known. Mr..
McLaurin was unexpectedly brought
face to face with the question Of reslg-
nation and appeal to tho people
whose confidence ho had abused and
whose trust he had betrayed He
tried to dodge the thrust, by charg.
ing that | was attempting to dictate
and boss the people and Interfere in
race with which I had no concern
and was safely esconced in ry seat
for Six years and had nothing to lose,
but could we'll afford to lay down a
code Of moral ethics, for another
which [ was unwilling to follow my
self. l saw an opportunity to pro-
cipitate battle ut once rather than
wait fifteen months and | offered to
resign if he would, and the result
you know. l acted from impulse it
is true, but have always acted upon
impulse and az public man I can
affirm with the sacrodnoss O. an oath
that all Of my impulses havo beon
to serve the best interests Of the peo.
pie who have honored mo. 1 had
evory opportunity to weigh the con-
sequences Of my action and to get
out Of it without discredit, but 1 felt
then and still feel that my duty WAS
to force the fighting and rid the party
of all traitors. The situation as 1
understand in having two senators at
Washington to do their will and
stand by their principles will have
an opportunity of being honestly and
honorably represented. This has not
been the case during tho last two
years, and as Mr.. McLaurin remains
in the senate it could not be tho case.
AS to the burdens of the contest.
The citizens of givon country will
loso but two days, to bring about
this much desired result, one day to
attend the campaign meeting and the
othor to 90 to the primary. While
| will have the fatigue and expense
Of a State canvass which l could
easily have avoided.
The contest between tho Demo
cracy and the man who seeks to be-
tray it will be fought without any
local complications whatever. Voters
will not be influenced in this contest
by the desire to elect local favorites
and thus swapping will be prevented.
The issues Will be clear cut. The
organization Of the"C Commercial Dem
ocracy, another name for Mckinley
Democracy, will have to be consum-
mated in q much shorter time and
under much less favorable conditions.
Our party has the opportunity to re-
buke and punish treachery at once
rs warning to those who may be
.wavering. Many good mon will be
prevented from becoming Republi-
cans in fact, though not in name by
having tho lssuo explained before
they have aligned themselves under
the now banner. Tho Democratic
uniform will be struck off of those
who have proven unworthy TO wear
it and they will bo made to under
stand tho difference between honor
ablo and dishonorablo discharges.
Civil virtue, tho sacred rotations
which should exist between the rep
resentative and his constituency, will
be moro clearly understood and all
true Democrats must rejoice at tho