The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-07
JUMPED THE GAME.
McLaurin Tells Why he VIII Not
Run in the Primary.
AN ADDRESS 70 THE PEOPLE.
He Is Unwilling to Take the
Pledge Required OF Him
and Anticipates Action
of the Convention.

of the Convention.
Senator McLaurin has Issued the
following address to the people or
South Carolina:
Ny fellow citizens Of South Carolina:
The great doctrine of representa-
tive responsibility is the foundation
stone upon which our republic rests,
and no one more keenly than l recog-
nizes his accountability to the people
of South Carolina for all official acts.
At the same time, no people who in
sist that their representatives adhere
to political policies and traditions long
since dead and declare them vital is
sues can ever become truly great.
Every advancement in the history Of
our race has been the direct result OF
independence of thought and action.
In most of the States Of this union this
is secured by the presence OF two polltl-
cal parties and the resultant discus
sion Of every public question before
the people, who are thus enabled TO
form an intelligent opinion and give
a verdict at the ballot box. Unfor-
tunately in SouthCarolina for nearly 10
years we have been unable to have two
parties for fear of negro domination,
and for 10 years, after the Hampton
revolution in 1876, our people took no
interest in public affairs, beyond main
tanning white mans government. "
About the year 1900, however, began
what was known as the farmers
movement" which was nothing more
than an instructive effort on the part
of the people to preserve the principle
of self government. With Shell,
Irby. Norris, Tillman, Donaldson and
others, l contributed what could to-
wards it's success simply because l felt
that agitation was better than stagna-
tion, and it is passing strange, in that
connection, that the leader Of that
movement, B. R. Tillman, was then
denounced, as l am now denounced,
for attempting to MahoneiZe the State.
The freedom of thought and action,
however, which followed the farm
ers' movement" opened the doors for
every white man and every negro who
voted fer Hampton in 1876, and they
could advocate whatever views they
cared to express, provided only that
they took an oath to support the
nominees Of the primary election.
Men who voted the national Republi-
can ticket were allowed to vote in the
primary for State and county officers,
and have heard from the same plat
form men claiming to be Democrats
advocating Cleveland and the gold
standard and others Weaver and free
silver. And since than no attempt
has ever been made to exclude those
who bolted with the independent
Haskell movement, the PopuliSt Row
den movement or the Republican Pope
movement.
was elected to congress in 1892
after heated canvass against able
opponents and yet on every stump in
the district, proclaimed my indepen-
dence and announced that upon ma
tional questions 1 would follow my
own judgment and not be bound by
the caucus Of any party. Although
nv Democray was assailed at that
time, I was elected four times upon
the same declaration Of principles.
Carrying out my pledges to the people.
| began a systematic study of the
questions Of the day with the result
that l changed my views upon
many of them. The first marked
difference with my party associates
arose over the tariff question While
l was in the house and a member OF
it's ways and means committees.
Again, in 1897, when I was candi-
date for the senate, l was charged
with being Republican, but l disre-
garded the Characterization, and
resolutely contended that the policies
which | advocated were for the
material advancement of the people,
regardless Of how they were labeled.
NY attitude was endCrSe. by so
per cent. of those voting in the prl-
mary, and came to the senate.
The issues growing out of the Span
ish war widened the breach between
myself and the Democratic party
leaders for I could only follow the
dictates of my conscience and stand by
American soldiers fighting upon a
| foreign soil. At that time the war was
not party question and hoped It
would not become so. In this l
was disappointed and was soon con-
fronted by the alternative Of retraclng
my steps or finding myself in oppsi-
tion to a majority of the Democratic
party leaders and excluded from their
caucus, | concluded that not even a
seat in the United States senate was
worth surrender Of my convictions
and that opinion is unchanged. There
is not a speech or vote Of mine upon any
question growing out of the Spanish
American war that l would change
even if could and in which | Go not
take pride in thus proving my loyalty
to my country.
1
pendence of thought and action. Last
summer, recognizing my responsibility
to the people, there being no campaign
in the State, l announced my Inten-
ton of going before them for the pur-
pose Of discussing these national Is
sues. | was Immediately and violently
assailed for advocating Republican
doctrines and branded as Il republican
in Democratic disguise. The State
Democratic executive committee met
and under the dictation of my COL
league in the senate formerly declar-
ed that l was not Il Democrat which
formed the basis for similar action on
the part of the Democratic caucus OF
the United State senate. The policy
of my opponents has been to bellttle
real issues into personal quarrel be-
tween "Tillman and McLaurin." This
issue am not willing to accept as l