The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-05-08
THURSDAY..............MAY =. 1902.

lima in which he draws various in
dictments against the present MANA
gers of the Democratic party of that
State, and informs them that he will
not be a candidate before the pri
maries for United States Senator.
the position he now holds. Nume-
rous as are the reasons he gives for
declining To be candidate. it is well
known by those who placed him
where he now is. that there is but
one real reason for his declination.
and that one is he knows he does not
stand the ghost of chance for re-
election.
Mr.. McLaurin is one of the leaders
OF the mongrel party in South Caro-
lima who, in 1890, as the Farmers
party, composed OF all shades OF po-
htical opinions, wrested the State
from General Hampton, and the true
people of South Carolina, who had
redeemed her from ignorance and
misrule, and inaugurated various
measures of so-called reform that
brought more profit to the leaders.
1t was asserted, than they did dol
lars to the State treasury. They
were known as the Knights of the.
Pitchfork, and their search was de-
clared, Thy their opponents. of
course To be for places and plumber.
and they were successful. Mr.. Nc
Laurin shared the fruits of the vic
tory that turned the State over to
the new party, was sent to the lower
house of congress and then to the
Senate.
In this new and exalted Office. il
seems he was dissatisfied with his
subordinate place rs leader and as
pired to the political leadership of
his State, Notwithstanding Mr.. Till
man, the acknowledged leader, still
lived. To accomplish this he under
took to bring to his aid Governor
Hampton, (whom they had so
grossly wronged). with the best peo-
pie of South Carolina, who had never
deserted him, and the Republican ad
ministration at Washington, with
which he had been hobnobbing. His
plan was TO get the grand old Con-
iederate appointed to some lucrative
office, which would be hailed with de-
light by every true South Carolinian.
and they would flock to his standard.
and he would be the leader of the
true party of the State. with the ad- |
mlnlstration as his friend and ally |
But this did not work. Governor
Hampton, in his great need, and even
IN his declining years, could not lend
himself to the contamination and
success of such a combination: and
the McLaurin effort failed.
But this was not all; he lost his
standing with the then dominant
party of the State, and then com |
menced the abusive campaign be-
tween the two Senators which re- |
suited in McIaurin's complete dis
comtiture. He was ruled out of the
party in the State, and was denied n
seat in the Democratic senatorial
caucus in Washington, and all the
favors he has been shown this session
came from the Republicans.
Now comes the strange part of the
proceeding, which has ever been
the case with the renegade OF what
ever sort, he rails against his former
party associates in the State. rank
and file, denounces his former leader
and dear friend as dictator, and de-
clares that the primaries were adopt-
ed for the purpose of throttling free
speech, free thought, and freedom of
action, and to prevent any candidate
from succeeding who is not in perfect
accord with, and subservient to. the
dictator OF the party. Very few. it
is likely, will sympathize with Mr..
McLaurin as he bears his imaginary
wrongs. He is having measured to
him now what he has meted out 20
Others in the past more worthy than
himself, with whom the best people
OF the Southland sympathized. 1t
is but another case OF ones chickens
coming home to roost, and most
likely the soothing salve, the healing
balm, will be found in the ranks of
the Republican party, filing some
official station Of big pay and little
work.