Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-08-13

THE HON. D. 5. HENDERSON.
A DISTINGUISHED LAWYER AND LEGisLA
T0R-SkETcH OF HIS LIFE.
STRUGGLE FOR WHITE SUPREMACY.
A Legislative Leader as State Senator Mem.
ber OF the Constitutional Convention.

A Legislative Loader as State Senator Mem
ber OF the Constitutional Convention.
rs. s. Lamb, Editor, in Aiken Journa
and Review.]
With the people of South Caro-
lima the pending contest for the seat
in the United States Senate. to be
made vacant by the retirement Of
the junior Senator from this State
is perhaps the most vital matter oi
the moment. The Senatorial prize
is one of the highest honors fo,
which our political gladiatora con.
tend; from its organization the
Upper House of Congress has at
tracted the ambition of orators and
jurists possessed of a genius for pub.
lie affairs.
With the passing of McLaurin,
and the final overthrow of the "Com-
mercial Democracy"-but another
name for Republicanism in South
Carolina-the times call very loudly
for Senator who will fitly repre-
sent this State in what is, after all,
the most important Legislative assem-
bly, in the world. This need is the
more apparent at this time because
of the subversion of the established
principles of the Federal Constitu-
ton, and the imperialistic tendencies,
ever increasing, of centralized gov
ernment, of the few, for the few, by
the few.
THE COMMERCIAL DEMOCRACY.
In a speech delivered at Union
last summer State Senator Hender-
son, of Aiken, was among the first of
the political leaders to point out the
impending dangers of the CONNER
clal Democracy-an insidious effort
on the part of McLaurin and the
Republican administration to dis
rupt and disorganize the Democratic
party in South Carolina. The result
of the county and State Conventions
fully illustrates how we'll this advice
was needed, and how thoroughly the
death blow TO this subtle conspiracy
was delivered. Its defeat proved
final and irretrievable. Senator
McLaurin has voluntarily Withdrawn
from the political arena. A State
convention of the party to which he
formerly professed allegiance has
pronounced his political epitapb.
Among the distinguished gentle
men who aspire to the Senate to sue
ceed John L. McLaurin, the Houora.
BILE ID. S. Henderson, of Aiken, is
easily one of the most prominent
An orator of rare ability-a man Of
broad and generous views and i'm
pulses-a profound student of human
affairs-he possesses in an unusual
degree those qualities that upon the
worlds stage go to make up man
of mark.
And in addition to his we'll ar
mored intellect "Dan" Henderson
is a good friend and good citizen,
to boot. Beyond the natural limits
of his own State he is known as one
of the acknowledged leaders in public
affairs and at the bar of South Caro-
lima. AS one of our contemporaries
has put it, he is indeed, ga Christian
gentleman, an accomplished scholar,
an able jurist, and an eloquent
speaker-one altogether worthy of
seat in the United States Senate" ;"
BEGINNING A CAREER.
Dan S. Henderson was born in
Walterboro, in the county Of Cols
Teton, South Carolina, in 1910.
Both his father and mother were
natives of this State. The father,
Danial Henderson, was descen ded
from a Scotch-Irish origin, of which
type are found some of the most
eminently successful men of this and
other times. The elder Henderson,
in his day, was lawyer of note, and
served with distinction in the Legis-
lature of his State. He died in 1864.
Dan Henderson, the son, at an
early age began his education in the
Charleston College with q scholor-
ship won in competitive examina-
tion. In 1870 he left the quiet col
lege walls with the first honors of his
class. With the close of college days
the young student devoted himself
to the mysteries of the law. Like
many lawyers who have attained
eminence Henderson gathered his
first knowledge of tho practical
machinery of jurisprudence as a
st udent in law Office. For a year
and half after leaving Charleston
College, he studied law in the Office
of Messrs Sirnons and Seigling
then among the leading practitioners