The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-03-12
HAMPTON AND Roos EvELT.
The Old Hero is Nearing His
Eighty-Fourth Birthday.

The Columbia correspondent of tn
Augusta Chronicle writes as follows o
an interview with Gen. Wade Hamp
ton, who consented to talk for publica
tion on the present status of affairs:
General Wade Hampton, who is ap
preaching his Saith birthday, has beer
very ill for weeks, but is slowly gather
ing strength and today consented tt
talk for publication in regard tt
the proposed visit of the President tc
the Charleston Exposition.
General Hampton declares emphati-
cally that President Roosevelt will now
be given great ovation, and that the
welcome which he will receive will be
one which the President will always
remember with pleasure. He dcplored
recent occurrences and spoke with re-
gret of the probable effect. upon the
State of South Carolina.
The General speaks with some am
usement of an incident which happen
ed several years ago. General Hamp-
ton was at that time Senator from
this State. Hon. Hugh S. Thompson,
formerly Governor of South Carolina,
afterwards comptroller of the currency
under Grover Cleveland, was at that
time one of the heads of the civil service
department, and young Theodore
Roosevelt, of New York, was also a
high official in that department. Roose-
yelt had even then shown symptoms
of his strenuosity, and was the butt of
some very sarcastic witticisms at the
hands of the editor of the Washington
fn inuoIn
the sanctum of the editor, bust" his
bottle of vitrol and throw in few
punches in the face just to show that
editor how fierce he really was. Gov
ernor Thompson endeavored in vain to
dissuade Roosevelt. Finally they saw
Senator Hampton approaching and by
mutual consent decided 10 let the Gen
eral decide the matter.
General Hampton's readiness to
grasp situation in crisis and his
calmness when the nerves of others are
taut, probably saved this State from
second revolution in 1876, when 10,-
Carolipans (and some from beyond the
Savannah) came here with rifles across
the backs of their horses "just to see
the State Fair" A word of COM
mand from Hampton and the garrison
of thousand Union soldiers here
would have been as chaff in the hands
of these stalwart farmers just out of
the Confederate army.
But when they gathered around his
home and called on General Hampton
for q speech, he told them that he
hoped that they would enjoy the State
Fair where there was lot of stock on
exhibition. The boys" caught the
inference. Thele was no stock at the
Fair except the horses and mules which
they had ridden into the capitol city.
They understood that there was to he
no physical demonstration, but that the
leaders of the Democratic party desired
to win the victory by methods which
would prevent bloodshed.
1t was just such advice which Cen
eral Hampton gave young Roosevelt,
and the editor of the Washington Post
was not victim of strenuosity. 1t is
TO be hoped that General Hampton,
having again properly gauged the tenn
per Of the people of South Carolina,
will be given the same Difference by
the President which was shown on that
former occasion and that the nations
executive will attend the Exposition.
His person will be guarded carefully
by the people of South Carolina, even
by those who at first disapproved of
inviting the President, but the States
honor is now at stake.