The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-07-02
WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK
Evans and Latimer Locked
Horns at Marion in a War of
Words,

Horns at Marion in a War O
Words.
The Senatorial campaign meeting a
Marion was marked by an incident be
tween Evans and Latimer that indi
Gates still warmer times hereafter
Chairman g. A. Woods introduced th,
speakers in regular order, Evans ant
Latimer coming last. The State cor
respondent says that the speeches wer,
identically the same az have of.cn beer
repeated within the past two weeks
even the "jokes had become stale
with two weeks growth of whisker
upon them. The crowd was patien
and knew intuitively that imperlalisn
would be followed by ship subsidy anc
next come the trusts and tariff reform
with the never failing, never ending
blowing of the personal horn unit
time was called by the chairman
While Mr.. Evans was spreading him.
self on his favOrite theme, "tariff re
form," countryman who had come Ia
town strolled down by the opera house
and stood IN the street Watching what
he took to be a "protracted meeting"
and passed on, thinking that if he
came up it would be about time to pass
around the hat. Mr.. Evans repeated
his story explaining why he entered
the last campaign against McLaurin
and also retold about going to Wash
ington previous to the opening meet.
ing at Sumter to consult with certain
congressman as to who was best
qualified to enter the race and expose
McLaurln's Republicanism.
When Mr.. Latimer's turn came, and
he was the last speaker, he first told of
his record and said let any man put
his finger on one single act of his that
did not reflect credit on his State. (Mr.
Evans was seen to pull long news
paper clipping from his pocket.) Mr..
Latimer said that Mr.. Hemphill had
claimed that he (HemphilD had led the
fight against the force bill" when
Hemphill was in Congress-, but he
Uatimer) had looked up the record
and found that the fight was led by
McMillin, although Mr.. Hemphill had
made speech against the passage of
the measure. He repeated his goat
story and applied it to Mr.. Hemphill,
illustrative of how he had left the State
when defeated for Congress-. Mr..
Hemphill wanted to reply, but as Mr..
Evans was drawn prominently into
the squabble soon afterward, Mr..
Hemphill let the matter drop for to-
day.
MIR. Latimer went on and said you
may talk about the tariff until dooms-
day, but the Republicans made the law
and Democrats could not modify or
repeal it so long as they We're in power.
We need NOR, business men in Con-
gress-not theoretical, men who can
do something else beside make flowery
speeches. After speaking on this line
for few minutes he turned to Mr..
Evans and said Mr.. Evans did come TO
Washington and suggested that he
(l.atlmeD enter the race against Nc
Iaurin.
Mr.. Evans" You suggested it, but
l did not want you," and then Evans
added: "You invited any one to raise
their finger and point to any public
act or acts of yours that were not
credit to your State. Here is
something that DIR. j. VIM. Stokes,
whom we all know 70 have been as
honorable, brave and truthful a man
as ever lived and was at that time
member of Congress from the Seventh
district, wrote about you and had pub
lished in the Yorkville Enquirer
Mr.. Latimer-" know every word
in it and will tell you, fellow-citizens,
all about it,"
Mr.. Evans" Fellow, ,cltlzeps, here
ia the proof that Latimer peddled
pictures in the House. Had his farm
stocked with seed by the government
and rode on, and distributed free passes
over railroads to his friends"
The confusion by this time was so
great that it was hard to understand
distinctly what was said; the volcano
which had been smouldering for weeks
was now sending out red hot campaign
rocks, gas and slimy black mud.
Mr.. Latimer turned to the crowd
and said that Mr.. Wilson, secretary of
agriculture, had come down to Bolton,
wanting to make experiments and that
he had furnished the government the
land, guano and labor free of charge
and never had been reimbursed by the
government.
When Bryan spoke at Due West he
had asked the railroads to furnish them
train and they did so and came down
and Invited all who cared to come
with them-Tillman and Norton being
in the crowd. They went on to Cuba.
On another occasion Oast winter)
he and party came down to Charles
ton to the Exposition bringing with
them Mr.. I.ittlefield, who was so
pleased with what he saw in the South
that he went back 10 Washington and
made speech against the Crumpacker
force bill after having previously ad-
vocated it. He had noted that Mr.
Evans had often spoken about being
bounded down" in the McLaurin
campaign and he had heard that Evans
had sald that he would put plasters al
over him in this campaign, and added
significantly that there are other places
besides the rOstrum where such diff
ferences can be settled. DIR. Stokes
wanted to run in that campaign for the
Senate and that was why he made tha
attack on him Uatimer.)
By consent Mr.. Evans obtained th
floor and said that If the matter wa
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