The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-05-08
McI,aurin Says it Has OutIiyed Its
Usefulness,
WILL KEEP OUT OF CONVENTION
He Will Not Subject His Friends to
Subscribing to an Oath to Support
Men and Treasures Which Do Not
Represent Their Views.

of Nav 3. Senator McLaurin, of
South Carolina, has issued the fol-
lowing address to the people of South
| Carolina:
My Fellow Citizens of South Caro-
lima: The great doctrine OF represen-
tatiye responsibility is the foundation
stone upon which our republic rests,
and no one more keenly than / recog-
nizes his accountability to the people
of South Carolina for all official acts.
At the same time, no people who In
sist that their representatives adhere
to political policies and traditions
long since dead and declare them
| vital issues, can ever become truly
great. Every advancement in the MIS-
tory of our race has been the direct
result of independence OF thought
and action. In most of the States OF
this Union, this Is secured by the
presence Of two political parties and
the resultant discussion Of every pub
lie question before the people, VINO
are thus enabled to form an intelll-
gent opinion and give verdict at the
ballot box Unfortunately in South
Carolina for nearly 40 years we nave
been unable to have two parties LOT
fear of negro domination. and for ten
years, after the Hampton revolution
in 1876, our people took no interest
il public affairs, beyond maintaining
white mans government About
the year 1890, however, began what
was known as the farmers move
ment,' which was nothing more than
an instructive effort on the part OF
the people to preserve the principle
of self-government. With Shell, lrby,
Norris, Tillman, Donaldson and 9TH
ers. contributed what l could to-
wards its success, simply because l
felt that agitation was better than
stagnation, and it is passing strange.
in that connection, that the leader OF
that movement, B. r. Tillman, was
then denounced, as | am now de-
nounced, for attempting to Mahoneize
the State. The freedom Of thought and
action, however, which followed the
farmers movement, opened the doors
for every white man and every negro
who voted for Hampton in 1876, and
they could advocate whatever views
they cared to express, provided only
that they took an oath to support the
nominees of the primary election.
Men who voted the national Republl'
can ticket were allowed to vote in the
primary for State and county ofr-
GERS, and | have heard from the same
platform men claiming to be Demo
Gratis. advocating Cleveland and the
gold standard, and others, Weaver
and free silver. And since then no at
tempt has ever been made to exclude
those who bolted with the indepen-
dent Haskill movement, the Popullst
Rowden movement, or the Repuoh-
can Pope movement.
II was elected to Congress in 1892,
after a heated canvass against able
opponents and yet on every stump IN
the district, 1 proclaimed my inde-
pendence and announced that upon
national questions l would follow my
own judgment and not be bound by
the caucus of any party. Although my
Democracy was assailed at that time,
was elected four times upon the
same declaration Of principles. Carry
ing out my pledges to the people, l
began a systematic study of the ques-
tions Of the day with the result that
I changed my views upon many OF
them. The first marked difference
with my party associates arose over
the tariff question while was in the
House and a memebr Of its ways and
means committee. Again. in 1897
when | was a candidate for the Sen
ate. was charged with being a Re
publican, but l disregarde dthe char
acterization, and resolutely contend
ed that the policies which advo-
Gated were for the material advance
ment Of the people. regardless Of how
they were labelled.
MY attitude was endorsed by 80
per cent. of those voting in the pri-
mary. and came to the Senate. the
issues growing out Of the Spanish war
widened the breach between myself
and the Democratic party leaders, for
I could only follow the dictates OF my
conscience and stand by American
soldiers fighting upon foreign SOIL.
At that time the war was not party
question and l hoped it would not be
come so. In this | was disappointed
AMI was soon confronted by the alter
native of retracing ny steps, or md
ing myself in opposition to majority
of the Democratic party leaders and
| excluded from their caucus. | con-
/ cluded that not even a seat IN the
United States Senate was worth a
| surrender OF ny convictions and that
opiniou is unchanged. There is not a
! speech or vote of mine upon any
question growing out Of the Spanish
/ American war that l would change,
even if | could. and which | do not
take pride in, thus proving my loyalty