The age-herald., 1902-02-25
Washington Day byDay

| can't live very much longer. declares that he desires to die with his historically false statement on his lips.
 With my latest breath I shall say the war of the rebellion ;" this venerable po- litical roysterer declared on Washing tons birthday; and honest and intelligent young men hissed him to the echo, as II they would paraphrase the classic admo- milton to another old buffoon of long ago:
 Get thee to thy prayers. old man! Gray hairs ill-become a jester"
 Having been fairly overrun here by
 daughters "sstering," councillors, women sufferers" 'editresses." and thirteen other organizations for the "up- | lifting of women, to whom Americans 1 already gladly accord the earth, and be- | ing about to face a crusade of mothers who ought to be at home attending to their children, it was quite fitting and proper to make hotel life still more un- endurable; and so we have had the Sons l of the Revolution, one of whom Ohio l Grosvenor pretends to be.
 In a perfectly amicable fellowship meet l ing of the "sons," assembled to show honor to the memory of George Wash l ington, and while there was a personal barroom fight proceeding in the Senate, which declined to show respect for the l illustrious founder of the nation, Gros- l venor went out of his way to offer rude ness to all the Southerners present by saying he desired to die making state ment, historically false, that the war be- tween the states was rebellion" and for thus expressing his wish to go to the Old Harry after his sins send him out of this world, the old man was almost unanimously hissed by the audience which fairly filled the large theatre in which the celebration was being held.
 It is astonishing that those who so promptly hissed the aged sinner did not act with complete propriety by quitting the presence of such man as one wholly unworthy to speak within their hearing.
 This old man Grosvenor, who has about lived out the days allotted to even the worthy, says he Is the grandson of colonel of George Washington's army; but most of us would demand documen- tary and positive proof before we should feel at all inclined to accept the story.
 His grandfather was Col Thomas Grosvenor of the Second Connecticut Reg iment in the Revolution. and his father was Major Peter Grosvenor of the war of 1872" That is what Congressman Grosvenor says of himself and his han cestors," and 1t reminds one irresistibly of the gallery of portraits of our an- cestors," which the average American snob and title-worshiper buys from the junkshops of Moo York and Yurrup The silly old man. who shows us with | the tin sword of wordiness how battles are won, further says he was major. lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brevet brigadier general in the war of the rebellion;" but it is not worth while to go to the War Department to ascertain whether this be true. He claims to have held office ever since "the battle. of Nash | ville."
 In the light of what one hears from | South Carolinians of wide informa- | ton and highest character and social po- | sition 1t is surprising that Senator Till man resented by force the lie applied to him by Senator McLaurin on the floor l of the Senate. The impression is very l strong amongst cultured South Caroli- nians that Tillman is painfully lacking in both moral and physical courage-that he 1 is a mere bully with the white feather concealed to await every emergency.
 True, Tima an is physically a much lar ger and stronger man than McLaurin, 1 who has been in bad health for years, | afflicted with a malady believed to be incurable; and 1t is true that Tillman was fully aware that he was in no pos sible danger in attacking McLaurin as the latter stood hemmed in at his desk, for McLaurin would have been restrained 1 from using even a penknife If he pos sessed so frail weapon, and fisticuff fight is never dangerous in any crowd of men, but even though Tiliman remem-
 bered all this. still that which has been said about him by reputable men makes his onslaught upon the person of Me Laurin just a little surprising.
 South Carolinians have been for year anticipating the most serious conse- quences from Tillman's wordy attacks on McLaurin. It was declared by personal IrlenQS or MclIaurln, WnO IS unQueStlOHd-
 bly, a courageous man. that there would | have been a tragedy at the memorable meeting of the two senator's in Gafney, s. | S., last may had not Tillman measurably | yielded.
 And apart from his natural courage. McLaurin is said by his friends to place 1 little value on his life, since he cannot | expect to live any great while longer. | Moreover he is weary of the Senate,
 weary of politics. He Is a farmer and | owns and conducts one of the best farms l in South Carolina. He loves this farm and the work 1t imposes upon him, and l 1t is his wish to spend upon 1t whatever of life that may be left to him to live.
 But he will not retire under the fire of a brass blunderbuss charged with filthy gas. l There Is no chance for him to secure re- election to the Senate, for unhappy South Carolina Is too thoroughly Tillmanized to elect any reputable man to the Senate.
 From Calhoun to Tillman represents the l lowest fall ever experienced by an Am eri- can state, except when Federal bayonets, carpetbaggers and negrores elected va | grant campfollowers to misrepresent Southern States in the Senate.
 Meantime the outraged Senate, having suspended and officially disgraced both Kt5arY-