Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-03-19
a1isfellaneulls &eading.
THE BATTLE FOR REFORM.
Story of the Days When Tillman an
McLaurin Were Friends.

Story of the Days When Tillman and
McLaurin Were Friends.
The New York Herald's Washing
ton correspondent sends that paper
an interesting story about strenuous
politics in South Carolina. He writes
as follows:
The relations between Senators Till
man and McLaurin began in 1885
when the latter was hardly more than
boy, just graduated from the Uni
versity Of Virginia.
McLaurin was educated and lived
most of his boyhood in the north. He
went to Bennettsville, S. c., to prac-
tice law in 1883. At that time South
Carolina was controlled by the most
complete oligarchy that ever existed
in any state Of the union. Every at
tempt at independence Of thought was
suppressed by the use Of the word
"nigger," and one or two families and
one church practically conducted the
pOIltlcS OF tne Stdle
Before McLaurin had been in South
Carolina two ears he began a fight
against the local county ring, which,
strange to say, was largely under the
control Of his own uncle. About that
time there was a farmers meeting a!
Bennettsville, and Captain B. R. Till
man was assigned to McLaurin as
guest. In some respects there never
were two men more dissimilar and yet
in some qualities more alike. Tillman
was a veritable child of the soil.
rough and uncouth in his manners and
appearance, while McLaurin, with a
university education and the advan-
lagos Of travels, etc., concealed be-
meath smooth manners and a pleas
ant address the same invincible deter
mination and repugnance to ring rule.
Tillman spent several days at Nc
Laurin's house, and the result was a
speech by Tilman which broke up the
farmers meeting and began a new Or
der of things in South Carolina.
McLaurin and Tillman made a
strong combination on the stump. and
there is admittedly today in South
Carolina no combination which could
defeat either Of these men If they were
united in a policy.
In the campaign Of 1892, it was evil
dent that the purpose was to drive
Tillman from the stump by drawing
him into a personal encounter. His
chief opponent was Colonel L. w.
Youmans man of undoubted courage
and a most intense hatred Of Tillman.
In the beginning Of the campaign,
Youmans pressed Tillman so hard that
1t seemed as the tide was turning, and
in fact, Tillman was repeatedly
charged with ,cowardice because he
left the stand and would not remain
to face Youmans, who had a heavy
walking stick, and had no hesitancy
in saying that he intended to use 1t
on Tillman at the first opportunity.
Matters came to a climax first at
state first saw in McLaurin that cool
courage which was so evident in the
recent encounter between the senators
in the senate. General Hugh Far
ley, now dead, a man of desperate
courage, but in weak physical condi-
ton, was with McLaurin and Tillman.
The latter had made a most fero-
cious assault on Shepard, who was a
candidate for governor, had insinua-
ted that he was coward and made
all kinds Of taunting illusions which
would completely discredit him with
.he people. Youmans sat quiet, his
eyes blazing with wrath, waiting for
Tillman to get through. General Far
ley was to speak next to Youmans on
that day. He and McLaurin were sit
ting beside each other.
When Tillman finished speaking, he
started to leave the stand, and You
mans turned around and, shaking MS
finger at him angrily told him not to
run but to stay there and face the
music. Tillman declined to do so, say
ing that he did not propose to take
any notice Of Youmans, and after an
angry alteration with Youmans, left
the stand and went over to the hotel.
Youmans denounced him as a coward
and the Tillman followers were COM
pletely disheartened, and great many
of them left, while the Youmans peo-
pie crowded up around the stand with
loud shouts for their champion, and
it looked very much like a turning in
the tide.
McLaurin and Farley exchanged
places on the program of speeches,
and McLaurin getting up walked out
to the front of the stand and turned
around, facing Youmans. There was
a look on the face that betokened
trouble and suddenly everything be-
came very quiet. He turned to YOU
mans and told him that he had
charged the governor Of this state with
being a coward, because he had sought
to evade a difficulty, and that If he
(Youmans) had come into this cam
paign to play the part of a bully he
wanted to notify him here and now
that he was not going to get a diff
Guilty with Tillman; that Tillman had
demolished the Goliahs and the Sauls
(referring to Orr and Shepard), and
that he (McLaurin) was in the cam
paign to take care of the Tomtits.
1t is almost impossible to reproduce
exactly what McLaurin said; but the
effect was electrical, and it looked as
though somebody was going to get
hurt. Youmans laid his hand upon
his walking stick, which was upon the
table. and McLaurin turned half