The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-08-13

LAURENS, 3. c., Aug. IS, 1909.
Ceneera:Hs Cid Issues.

Concerning Cid Issues.
Judge o. G. Thompson in his defense
OF the Reform movement yesterday
quoted an expression recently used by
TIE ADVERTISER and replied TO it In
q clever and well conceived argument.
We do not purpose to answer it. While
we believe that the Reform movement
"did South Carolina untold hurt" we
do not think that thresbing over old
straw will improve the situation. We
are quite ure that Judge Thompson
and Reformers generally have been
entirely patriotic and honest in their
views just as most OF the Conservatives
have been. Whether Tillmanism was
a mistake or not history will settle.
Life is too short to discuss it now.
Meanwhile there Is a present with new
issues to face and while we adhere to
our old opinions we do not think they
have anything to do with affairs of this
day. According to them honesty Of
motive, nothing remains to prevent
THE ADVERTISER from supporting
even moro Reform candidates thar
Conservatives this year, and who was
wrong or right In the past, though we
believe of course the "other fellows"
were wrong, is to us d rather trivial
question. THE ADVERTISER hopes
that all its friends will be able to
take q similar view. We are of course
not taking any position as between the
three gentlemen running for the office
of Probate Judge but we do say that
the fact that Judge Thompson, exer-
cising his u%ndoubted right and privi-
lege in manly and courteous manner to
make any defence he thinks proper of
the Reform movement, ought not to
excite the ire of any ''o!d Anti" The
reassuring and positive fact is that WITH
three such candidates as Messrs.
Thompson, Clardy and McClintock
Laurens will have an efficient Judge Of
Probate.
An Ideal Candidate.
Fitz Hugh McMaster is q candidate
for State Senator in Charleston and. if
Charleston elects him, she will have a
Senator worthy of her pest traditions
and capable of representing to the very
limit her great interests and splendid
people. Mr.. McMaster is strong, bold
and honest and the people throughout
South Carolina know him and love
him. There's not a county from Oconee
to Beaufort and back again through
Conway and York to the beginning
place where he has not numbers
of influential friends and friends
who would not trust him as they
would trust few other men. He is a ma
tive of Fairfield, has lived in Green
wood and Richland and has in former
years as u travelling newspaper man
learned the people of almost every
South Carolina neighborhood. The
editor of THE ADVERTISER, once a resi-
dent of Charleston to whom it has in
all circumstances been a pleasure to
stand by Charleston in every political
emergency and do what he could for
her welfare, believes that no man of
his age in Charleston is SO we'll equip
ped to serve that community in the
Senate at this time. The question of
Mr.. Won KOlnitz's candidacy and Sena-
tor Tillman's interference do not weigh
with us. Mr.. McMaster's personality
is far above these considerations and
Charleston should elect him over
whelmingly because in the halls of leg
islation he would be a tower of strength
for Charleston. We are not indulging
in eXaggeration or fulsome praise. We
know whereof we speak; we know that
there is scarcely a man of his age who
commands SO large u personal follow
ing scattered over the whole State as
Fitz McMaster and this following is de-
voted to him and believes in his inflexi-
BILE integrity and courage and loyalty
to his n of right. Coupled with
these virtues, his tireless industry, his
fine talent and facility as a speaker
would give MIN IL value to Charleston
and the whole state as we'll which it
would be hard to measure.
x*x
Light OH a Dark Subject.
We venture to suggest that If our
friend The Herald would drop down to
Charleston for a day or two 1t would
find that the candidacy of Mr.. Won
KOlnitz for state senator Is not in
stigated altogether by the "Antis." 1t
would find that this gentleman, who
spoke for Mckinley in 1896 and voted
the Democratic ticket in 1900, is sup
ported by the leading Tillmanites OF
Charleston. For example, 1t would find
among his political friends, Captain
Gilmore Martin, who for IL years has
been the head and front of the Reform
party In Charleston and was chief of
police under the metropolitan system.
IL would find that most OF the Charles
ton Reformers are for Won Kolnitz. The
truth Is that 1T is a situation that would
make q bed'post laugh-Senator Tillman
has threatened to read the Charleston
ians who support Won KOlnitz out of the
party and to carry it out he would be
compelled to begin with his friends.
After all the Charleston situation has