Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-05-07
MgLAyRA REFUSES 10 ENTER THE DEMOCRATICP PRIMARY.
and t.,
filman Is the Chief Man controSays Tliman
Form m ind endsO Out

Washington, May 4.--Under date of
May 3, Senator McLaurin, OF South Caro-
lima, has issued the following address to
the people of South Carolina:
my Fellow Citizens of South Carolina:
The great doctrine of representatives re-
sponsibility is the foundation stone upon
which our republic rests and no one
more keenly than I recognize his account
ability to the people of South Carolina
for all official acts. AT the Same time
no people who insist that their repre-
sentatives adhere to politi sal policies and
traditions long since dead and declare
! them vital issnea can ever become truly
great. Every advancement in the his
tory of our race has bean the direct result
of independence of thought and action.
In most of the States of this Union this
is secured by the presence VI two politi-
cal parties, and the resultant discussion
of every public question before the peo-
pie who are thus enabled to form an in
telligent opinion and give a verdict at the
ballot box. Unfortunately, in South
Carolina, for nearly forty years We have
been unable to have two parties, for fsar
of negro dominion, and for ten years
after the Hampton revolution in 1915,
our people took no interest in public
affairs, beyond maintaining white
mans government About the year
1880, 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, contributed what / could to-
ward its 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 move
ment, B. r. Tillman, was then denounced,
as am now denounced, for attempting
to Mahoneize the State. The freedom Of
thought and action, however, which fol-
lowed the farmers movement, opened
the doors for every white man and every
negro who voted for Hampton in 1876
and they conld advocate whatever views
they cared to express, provided only that
they took an oath to support the nomi-
nees of the primary election. Men who
voted the National Republican ticket
were allowed to vote in the primary for
State and county. officers, and / have
heard from the same platform men claim
ing to be Democrats advocating Cleve-
land and the gold standard aud others
Weaver and free silver. Since then no
attempt has ever been made to exclude
those who bolted with the independent
Haskell movement, the Populist move
ment or the Republican Pope movement
II was elected to Congress in 1902 after
heated canvass against able opponents,
and yet on every stump in the district l
proclaimed my independence and an
nounced that upon all national questions
would follow my own Judgment and
not be bound by the caucus of any party
Although my Democracy was assailed at
that time, l was elected four times upon
the same declaration of principles. Car
rying out my pledges to the people l
began systematic study of the ques-
tions 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 / was in the House and a
member of its Ways and Means Commit
tee. Again, in 1907, when ] was a can
didate for the Senate, was charged with
being Republican, but / disregarded
the Characterization and resolvedly con-
tended that the policies which advo-
Gated were for the material advancement
of the President, regardless of how they
were labeled. My attitude was indorsed
| by 80 per cent of those voting in the pri-
| mary and came to the Senate.
''The issues growing out of the Span
ish war wideped the breach between
myself and the Democratic party leaders,
| for l could only follow the dictates of
my conscience and stand by American
soldiers fighting upon foreign soil. At
| that time the war was not party ques-
ton, and hoped it would not become
so. In this was disappointed and was
soon confronted BY the alternative in
| retracing my steps or finding myself in
| opposition to majority of the Demo-
| cratic 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 ques-
tion growing out of the Spanish Ameri-
can war that would change, even if
could, and in which do not take pride
in thus proving my loyalty to my coun-
81 have ever maintained this independ-
ence of thought and action. Last sum-
| mer, recognizing my responsibility to the
| people, there being no campaign in the
State, l announced my intention of going
| before them for the purpose Of discuss
ing these national issues. L was imme-
diately and violently assailed for advo-
|
as Republican in Democratic disguise
The State Democ ratio Executive Commit
tee met, and, under the dictation of my
colleague in the Senate, formally y declared
that was not Democrat, which formed
the basis for similar action on the part
of the Democratic caucus of the United
States Senate. Since that time the war
against me has been persistently waged.
The policy of my opponents has been to
belttle the real issues into personal
quarrel between Tiliman and McLaurin.'
This issue am not willing to accept, as
do not propose to be influenced in my
public course by personal spleen or petty
jealousy. The public interests should
never be subordinated to purely personal
| ends.
"Now the proposition of my political
enemies is to exclude me from the pri-
mary as a candidate and to exclude all
candidates for Office who entertain my
views and thus prevent The people from
hearing me and from hearing them in
justification of my course and in advo-
cacy of the absorbing public measures
now confronting the American people.
am absolutely convinced and forewarned
of this purpose to exclude me and my
friends, because I have read the speech
of Senator 4illman, the acknowledged
dictator Of the Democratic machine of
South Carolina, delivered at Manning, in