The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-26

he was bitterly opposed to the ratifi-
cation and would not vote for it Be
tween adjournment Saturday evening
and the vote on Monday the mantle OF
broad American craftsmanship de-
scended upon him and a few minutes
before the senate went into executive
session to consider the treaty and take
a vote as agreed. he gave a hating
and lame explanation of his intended
change of front"
He also turns on the ight as to how
the senator stole bodily from a highly
gifted divine and mar of letters in New
York. The revelation is not new,
however. 1t was known soon after
the delivery Of the speech. and went
the rounds of the newspapers: the Mes
senger among them. Senator Tillman
says:
Such a man has no conscience or
principles. The eloquent speech which
he delivered in the senate was largely
stolen from a sermon delivered he the
Rev. DIR. Henry Van Dyke on Thanks
giving day, November 1898. in the brick
church of New York city. two months
before senator McLaurin delivered il
in the senate.
Il have not only had TO blush be-
cause McLaurin has deserted his party
in a great crisis under suspicious cir
cumstances and contrary to his
avowed purpose but have had the NOR
LITIGATION of having other senator's,
northern gentlemen, speak of the deg
radiation to which South Carolina had
come in being represented by a man
who would bodily steal the brain work
of another by whole sentences and
| deliver it in the senate
L gave his definition of de-
mocracy. 1t is very much such a def
milton as fits boilers and deserters like
himself, Skinner, Marion Butler and
Others of that kidney. He thinks de-
mocracy means the right of running
with the hare and holding with hounds
the right to call oneself a democrat
and help the enemies of genuine de-
mocracy on all occasions. 1t is the
right to profess one thing and act the
| opposite of it. 1t is the plea of a man
| ~self-convicted or with the moral sense,
| blunted or dead. Senator Tillman, on
the other hand, rightly declares that
McLaurin's definition is not g the def
milton given in any dictionary, nor is it
the definition given by Jefferson, and it
is only intended to justify the senator's
desertion of his party, his treachery to
it's principles and his betrayal of the
people of South Carolina who have
trusted him. The Kansas City platform
is the only embodiment of democratic
principles that can now be recognized
and no nan can be considered a dem.
ocrat who ignores the principles and
policies laid dow in hat platform and
persistently votes with the republican
administration in both it's foreign and
domestic policies"
One point more from the able sena-
tor who arraigns his colleague for
t~reachery and sophisims. McLaurin
charges that the grand old democratic
party of the American Union, with a
history running back almost to the be-
| ginning of the last century is "a sec
tiona1 party" He accordingly counsels
the south to accept McKinleyism. Mr..
Tillman says that after charging sec
tionalism" he "truthfully claims that
the south which in the last campaign
was alone democratic, is the Ameri-
/ can end of America Strange that be-
aus of his fact and our veneration
and owe for the principles Upon which
our government rests that this broad
American statesman, and new born
democrat of a hitherto unknown type
should counsel our people to accept
conditions as they are and make the
most of them" The political acrobat
and latter-day republican neophite and
e%xpounder, favored Mckinley in 1898,
saying that he should be renominated
| hr k-l 60 81
low to dare to call himself a democrat.
1t reminds one of the devil quoting the
scriptures Senator Tillman says if
McLauin'S late speech means anything,
it means that the democratic party
ought to surrender all of it's traditions
which he claims are long since dead
become an echo of the republican party
endorse it's foreign policy as we'll as it's
domestic policy, s~hip-subsidy, large
standing army inc everything, and
subside absolutely as a democratic
party. If the administration party is
right, what need is there for a political
factor"
In the main time McLaurin hits back
with vim.
IL 10 III NC" IoIS " oSlldlol L
man. He began his career by abu
and slandering better men. l have
naught but contempt for an intellec-
tual bully and shameless pretender
masquerading as a statesman; a mora
pigmy posing as the champion of
| honesty
Senator Tillman will attend to him at
the right time. In the interview COM
mented upon above he stated that he
would meet McLaurin face to face in
any forum he mi choose" He says if
he is a democrat, then he, Tillman, is
not although recently elected to the
L. s. Senate without opposition. The
Charleston News and Courier says OF
McLaurin's hit, and it will remind him
of his extreme v~ulnerability:
Senator McLaurin failed to note.
however, that it was the same intel
lectual bully to whom he gave his